Passive is the New Active

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The class had some great program ideas to share that incorporated the concepts found in passive or stealth programming (ongoing; kid-powered; encourages lots of engagement and return visits without staff-led activities). They also shared the positives and negatives of their programs.

- My favorite passive program I ever ran (and am getting to do again next month) is March Character Madness, a basketball tournament inspired program where kids can vote for their favorite book characters who would advance every week to the next round.  While it was a bit of work up front (cutting out characters, creating a large tournament board, etc) it was so worth it!  It ran for 4 weeks (most of our passives are weekly, so this was great since we didn't have to think up new things during the entire month of March).  My favorite part was the discussion it caused between us and the patrons and even between parents and children.  We had one boy come back religiously every week to make sure Harry Potter was still advancing (Harry was our big winner overall) and so many parents took the time to vote too  for their favorites since we included classics like Nancy Drew and Cat in the Hat.  Can't wait to get started on it next week!

 -In our 16 library system, we have 14 libraries offering 1000 Books before Kindergarten. 13 of those 14 are offering it in its traditional manner of filling out reading logs and returning them for small prizes at certain increments. One of our libraries is having families take a pledge to read 1000 books before kindergarten. We launched our 1000 books program last January and to date we have 2750 children enrolled, 342 at the mid-point and 83 have finished. Our libraries have really embraced this stealth program that is low-cost and requires a very limited amount of staff time. And in some cases, the libraries have asked their Friends groups to sponsor prizes or the tote bags with our 1000 books logo. Friends of the Library groups just eat this stuff up. 

I was part of the process to get this program county wide and my biggest regret is not encouraging or requiring all of the libraries to offer the program the same way. For instance, we have one library that hands out prizes every 25 books read. We have another that has levels every 200 books and another that gives a prize at 500 and then 1000. This has made it very difficult to collect stats across the county and also to develop a mobile app with achievement levels! We decided to go with unlocking an achievement every 25 books since it is the lowest common denominator. 

- Penguin packs-we have backpacks that we filled with 5 winter themed books and 2 activities (coloring sheets, mazes, paper craft idea, etc.).  We created 20 packs, which all went out throughout the month, and the response was very positive to this program.  The advantage of the Penguin pack (or book bundles) is that they are quick and easy for parents to pick up and take home.  Disadvantage, they take a little staff time and planning--but in the long run, I love this idea for so many reasons.  Parents are taking a variety of books home and sharing them with their children, therefore, building a love of reading and developing those early literacy skills.

In the summer we usually have one or two stations set up at all times in the library for kids to have fun at, such as a Lego station with various of ideas of what to build and then have the opportunity to have their creation displayed for the week.  We have also done the loom magic for kids--they love to create the bracelets and see what else they can do with some of the books we have available for inspiration.  The advantages of setting up stations is that you can have this set up before you open and take it down the next day.  Disadvantage, coming up with fresh ideas that will interest the kids.  Believe me, you find out quickly what is not an interest :)  

- We have a handful of those rainbow band looms for making all sorts of different crafts, and several thousand bands in different colors and patterns. We have them out on Saturday afternoons and they're a huge hit. We used to have some pretty serious behavior issues with our older youth and teens on weekends, but almost all those problems in our space have stopped since getting these for crafting. They aren't the cheapest thing to keep stocked (about $7/1000 bands) but they are the most popular DIY program we have. There are some kids who come in on other days to ask for them!

Over the summer, we bought a bunch of board games to circulate. Those are also a really popular DIY program. Kids can pick any game from the shelf and play at an empty table for as long as they want. We haven't had much loss from in-library play, and for the most part, they clean up after themselves. It's a great rainy day activity!

- For the past year or so, I've had a passive program on Mondays called "preschool craft." (Very imaginative name, right...?) I put out the materials for the first four hours that we are open (10am to 2pm) and then take things down before the afterschool kids get there. It's been relatively successful - I don't get huge numbers, but I do get consistent numbers. I've also had an active program once a month for the afterschool crowd where we make a craft. The attendance here has varied wildly from two to twenty and is entirely unpredictable (even with registrations). 

This semester, I ditched the afterschool craft and instead instituted Maker Mondays (I told you naming wasn't my forte - I totally stole the name from somewhere else). I put out the craft materials all day so that anyone can make our craft all day long.  This has worked much better for me. I don't have to put a lot of work into a program that may or may not get anyone and those who do want to make things have even more opportunities than they did before. 

I have struggled a bit with projects that will span the age groups, but if push comes to shove, I can put out two projects. So far, I've managed to find things that are customizable based on ability. The older kid projects look far more carefully made and the preschool ones tend to focus more on process than product. Which is, I feel, as it should be. 

  

Mixing It Up

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Often, when we plan and think of programs we only consider "active" programs - programs like storytimes or workshops where a library staffer or performer is the leader and is active throughout the session. Other types of programs - like passive (stealth) programs or DIY programs where kids can interact with material whenever they stop at the library - often aren't blended into the mix of program offerings. The class discussed the positives- and negatives - of having a variety of program types and what it can mean for workflow, engaging kids and balance within the department and the library!

- It seems that creating a mix of active, passive and DIY programs would really give the staff more time to concentrate on other aspects of the Youth Services department.  I have mentioned our Tot Spot area, which really takes care of itself, but I think most of our programming is active. My hesitation with having more passive/DIY programming would be the patron's reaction to it.  Maybe the passive programming would be a welcome change for them.  I love the idea of the Book Bundles and a Winter Reading Program.

- I am in favor of mixing it up, especially for those libraires with one staff person in youth services. Perhaps someone else can fill in for the YS staff person while they are on vacation because you can pre-plan a passive program or have things set for DIY. I also think you have a lot of different needs in a community and what might work for one family, may not work for another. 

My daughter is a speedy crafter so if she went to a structured craft program she would be done in 5 minutes and antsy to leave. Also, arriving to a program on time can be another struggle with little ones! I'm all for drop-ins.

- A lot of this comes back to balance, I think. We previously talked about balancing age groups and balancing work and life, but it also applies here. I strive to balance the themes of the programs as well as everything else. 

Which is to say, I have Story Time, Crafts, Messy Art, Preschool Lab, and special events for the preschool set. I have reading with dogs, art, science club, cooking, and special events for the school-age crowd. I also do one program a month for the older kids and I try to find things that either have broad appeal or I specifically do something girly followed by something more boy (kids don't always fall into types, of course, and everyone is welcome to come to anything). 

For the most part, though (the exception being the crafts), these programs are all either programs or unprograms. I have had very few passive programs and I am now suuuuuper excited to add them to the mix. I think that they are perfect for my over-scheduled-but-still-want-to-come-to-the-library kiddos. I think the passive model will work especially well with the teens since I don't see them very often. 

Of course, there is a lot of prep work involved in a passive program, but once they are rolling by god they roll! I can't wait to try them. And if they ease my day-to-day burden a little? Even better. 

- I feel like the most important reason to have a mixture of programming styles is so kids come back. They don't want to keep doing the same thing over and over again. Lego club is great. Kids come in a build and we talk a bit but ultimately, they do it all themselves. I have had the suggestion from multiple patrons to have craft events. We provide the materials, but really, I'm just making sure nobody is cutting their hair or gluing themselves together. I think it's important to have events where the programmer is very involved. This is the best way to interact with the kids. You get to have fun and play and then you are seen as more fun I think. 

The only pitfall I see in doing this is that sometimes it's hard to incorporate all age groups which can deter families from coming. You may feel as though you need multiple events of the same kind to bring in all ages. For me, I feel like a family event is the best idea. Children who are old enough can participate on their own but the younger kids can have a parent or caregiver stay and help them. It's family time but it's also something to be hands on and relaxing. Kids need a break sometimes. They want to let loose and go crazy and I want the library to be the place to encourage that.

- Doing passive and DIY programs has been a work in progress for our library.  Our patrons are getting used to the idea of not having something guided so much and being able to come in and participate throughout the month with a more passive program and or just sitting down and doing a fun activity as part of a DIY program.  These types of programs are becoming more and more popular I think because this allows our patrons to not be tied down to a particular time frame.  People are more and more busy now a days and still like to participate but not neccessarly at the times we would offer programs.  

I don't have a hestiation in offering all three types of programs at our library, I think this offers our patrons a wide variety of activities that they can still take part in as part of their library experience.  

DIY Program Power

Not everyone knows the many types of programs available to us to use with kids. There are active programs, passive programs and DIY programs. Today we look at some fun ideas for kid-powered programs!

Kits! We are looking into little science type kits to be available in the Library this summer.  We are thinking of having a check-out type system...if a family wants the magnet kit, they bring the "Magnet Kit" card to the desk and we check it out to them to use in the Library and return when they are done.  We hope it works without too much staff time involved.

Crafts! I  put out crafts on top of our low picture book shelving. Crafts are generally a quiet activity. I used to put the crafts on a small cart with wheels. If things got to crazy, the cart could be wheeled away. Everything seemed to be fine. I took the wheels off and put puzzles and coloring sheets on it. The cart sits at the end of shelving unit.

Legos! Our Lego program is essentially DIY. One of our aides is "in charge" which basically means rolling out the Lego cart and setting up a few tables. She started with themes and will still "guide" them. "If you're stuck for ideas, today see if you can make a bridge with the least amount of Legos possible!" but most of them are self-directed. We display their creations in the department for a week (on a high high shelf!) until the next week when she takes them apart and they do it all over again. She just finished this week and had about 55 participants and remarked "It was chaos! It was awesome! It should be screaming and crying and pushing and not sharing, but those kids do an amazing job of working together!" 

Passports! Kids get a passport and moved along several country stations in the library, to see materials, books and crafts.  At each station they got a sticker from that country to put in their passport. Very fun!

Packets! TheCraft of the Month program is very basic and simple craft activity is available to patrons whenever we are open. Basically, we have the craft example behind our desk for patrons to see. We then take a form of ID (library card, state ID) and they get a craft packet which includes markers, scissors and a hole puncher. Patrons then take their craft and materials to our craft room to complete. We get many happy and satisfied participants who complete this DIY program. 

Idea Sources! Pinterest, Librarian's Guide to Passive Programming by Emily T. Wichman and DIY Programming and Book Displays: How to Stretch Your Programming without Stretching Your Budget and Staff by Amanda Struckmeyer and Svetha Hetzler

What DIY programs do you do!?!

Graphic courtesy of Pixabay

What's Great About Passive Programming?

In our class we looked at different types of programs: passive (stealth) programs, DIY programs and active programs. The class discussed some of the positives they see with programs other than active programs.

• Having a mix of programs allows you to provide something that appeals to more people.  Those people who don't bring kids to programs or storytimes but do come in every Saturday morning to check out books have a chance to participate in some type of program (probably passive) without interrupting their routine.  Also, having low maintenance programs like passive and DIY programs can take the pressure off to have more active programs.  If someone asks why you're not having a big active program all the time, you can point to smaller programs that kids can participate in at their own convenience and maybe keep them coming in for more than just a 45 minute program.
• In this same vein, I think passive programs can be a better fit for older children. Although young children at our library love all the programming we provide (or their parents do), we have more trouble reaching older elementary school children. Passive programs seem like a good fit for this group since it allows them to have more agency and they don't have to worry about bringing a friend to every program.
• Passive programs work well for busy families that can not always make to the library to planned programming at a certain time.  They can stop by when it is convenient for them, pick up some books and participate in whatever passive program that is happening while they are there.  I think that active and planned programming is great for families that might be looking social interaction.  It is great with preschoolers and elementary aged children.  It's great for the kids and the parents to interact with each other, plus we can use that time to share our book collection.  Pitfalls for passive programs included keeping the project contained, keeping staff updated on what the program is, and depending on how long the program goes- helping staff remember to encourage patrons to participate.  Pitfalls for active and planned programs would definitely be time constraints for families.  They have so many activities after school and in the evenings.
• I am a full-time librarian and my work desk is the public desk in the children's room. When I'm not doing storytimes, I'm at the desk observing and always asking myself how I could make my department better for every single kid that walks in the door. That being said, I am a firm believer in meeting kids where they are. Some children LOVE a crazy storytime with 20 kids running around (with 20 adults in a 43-capacity room!). Some kids would rather go to the dentist (no offense, dentists!) than participate in a jam-packed, fast moving program. With the different types of programs, we as librarians can meet kids where they are and indulge their unique personalities and interests. If we only did one type of program, a huge chunk of kids would never get the experience of being themselves at the library. I do many DIY programs that are 90% self directed (the 10% being a sign that says "Hey, this is cool! Do it!"). This catches the kids who are not able to attend formal active programs, or kids that have half an hour to hang out while their caregivers print something in the computer lab. I think we as librarians can do ALL OF THE THINGS with a good mixture of programming. :)
• I actually think a mix of active and passive programs are virtually essential for a library to embrace in order to remain financially viable. We started exploring passive programming because we had to. We don't have enough staff to execute traditional "active" programming for all ages on a consistent basis.  But that's not the only reason to do it. Technology has been a game-changer for this generation. Kids are more independent and self-directed. Our culture has fundamentally changed as a result of the internet. I think it's our responsibility to not only help them navigate that world, but to offer relevant programming for a variety of interests. There used to be a more collective experience around "cultural" events: the country stayed home on Thursday nights to watch the Cosby Show or you anxiously listened to hours of the radio to hear that one song you loved. That's not the case anymore. Passive/DIY programming allows libraries to widen the scope of interests. And it allows libraries the chance to quickly adjust to trends. Active programming takes advanced planning and by the time an event comes around, kids may have moved on. I also think it's a really sneaky way to redirect kids to books. I am not a the-library-is-for-reading-books-and-only-reading-books type of person, but I do believe one of the greatest thing I can do for a child is get them to see that reading is FUN. If kids choose reading as a leisure activity, they win life forever. Passive and DIY book-based programming can excite kids and remind them how fun reading is. 
• Passive activities give that shy young reader who is uncomfortable in group activities a chance to participate, entertain children while their parents are using library computers, and introduce “new” books to children and parents.
• Having a mix of programs allows you to provide something that appeals to more people.  Those people who don't bring kids to programs or storytimes but do come in every Saturday morning to check out books have a chance to participate in some type of program (probably passive) without interrupting their routine.  Also, having low maintenance programs like passive and DIY programs can take the pressure off to have more active programs.  If someone asks why you're not having a big active program all the time, you can point to smaller programs that kids can participate in at their own convenience and maybe keep them coming in for more than just a 45 minute program.

6 by 6 Early Literacy Stations

In talking about passive and DIY programming in class, Melendra Sanders from NCKLS in Kansas shared the perfect preschool stations.

I created early literacy stations focused on a specific book. These stations are out in the children's area of the library for 2 months at a time.

For the stations, I would come up with activities that related to at least 5 of the 6 early literacy skills from Every Child Ready to Read (ECRR), although in Kansas it has been rebranded as 6 by 6 which is how we "label" all the activities. Each station has an introduction that explains what the 6 early literacy skills are and how they help children be ready to learn to read when they start school. There is also a description and the materials needed for each activity. The activity descriptions contain information about the individual early literacy skill the activity promotes and simple directions for how to do the activity.

The stations contain a mix of items, such as toys, games, and writing/coloring tools. There are also containers for each activity's materials, so that all the things have a "home" and can be cleaned up or moved easily.

Often stations are planned to coordinate with active programming. For example, Kansas has a Kansas Reads to Preschoolers (KRP) week, and the 6 by 6 station that overlaps with that week always focuses on the KRP book.  

 

This promotes the use of station materials in active programs too. The year the KRP books was Lola Loves Stories, I created a felt board for the 6 by 6 station that had different hats Lola could wear related to specific books she may have read. The kids loved it at the station, and all the storytime librarians used it in one form or another for their storytimes that week.

Here is a sample station for the book Bear in the Air:

6X6: Tell Stories about Everything

Recounting what happened in a book helps your child learn to follow, understand, and tell a story. Knowing how stories work helps a child learn to read because it gives him a better understanding of what he is reading.

Retell the Tale:   Using the map from the end of the book, help your child retell the story by finding the important scenes or characters on the tables.

6X6: Take Time to Rhyme

Rhymes, because they emphasize the individual sounds that make up words, are a great way to help children hear those smaller. Being able to isolate those small sounds helps children when they are learning to read.

Find the Rhyming Words: Find the rhyming words on the sea shell halves and match them to make whole sea shells.

6X6: Talk, Talk, Talk

The more you talk to your child about the everyday events of the day, the large his/her vocabulary will be. Children with large speaking vocabularies learn to read more easily because it is easier to sound out a word that they already know.

Make Lemonade:  Use the lemonade recipe and props help your child make lemonade. Talk about how each ingredient would taste, look, and feel.

6X6: Noticing Print All Around

Helping your child notice the words in the book and how they go along with the illustrations allows her/him to better understand that the print is what you are reading.

Hanging the Laundry:  Match the shirt illustrations and short words to hang them on the laundry line.

6X6:  Look for Letters Everywhere

Noticing different shapes is a first step in recognizing the difference between letters. Sorting activities are great for this skill.

Sort the Shapes:  Help your child place each shape through the correct hold in the bucket. While you’re at it, talk to them about the upper and lower case letters on each shape.

 

6X6:  Look for Letters Everywhere

Learning the letters of the alphabet is more than just singing the ABC song. Children need to recognize that letters are different from each other, that even the same letter can look different as upper and lowercase.

Match the Letters: Help your child put the upper case letters in alphabetical order. Then help him match the lower case letter to the upper case letter.

Advantages:
The patrons love the activities; we have families play with them for hours at a time.
Parents and children are exposed to new books.
Staff get more storytime resources for current and future use.
The program both promotes the early literacy skills and exposes parents to the rationales behind some of the things librarians do that are educational without us having to constantly "talk up" our role in early literacy.
The stations are portable and storable for reuse in the future.

Disadvantages:
They do take planning and effort on a regular basis.
They have to be cleaned up regularly.
Sometimes pieces go missing or get damaged.
Depending on how much staff wants to repurpose items, they could be expensive.