2020-03-13 SPLAT Curiosity Report: Volume 5, Issue 4

Featured Story

Editor’s Note: SPLAT has a vacancy to fill! ICfL is currently soliciting applications from individuals working in the Idaho library community to serve a three-year term on SPLAT. We need representatives from all types of libraries, especially academic and school libraries, from throughout the state, especially central and south-central Idaho. To learn more and find out how to apply, see this post on ICfL’s website.

Bringing the Olympics to Your Library

The Summer Olympics is coming to Tokyo, is your programming keeping up? Let’s talk about some ways to align displays & programs with the cultural zeitgeist. These ideas are of two types: library contests & Olympics at the library. Mr. Lemoncello would be proud.

First, let’s talk library contests. I’m using the term “contests” deliberately, as “Olympics” is a trademarked term and the governing body for the Olympics has been, uh, vigorous in defending their trademark. So be cautious as you would with any other trademarked term. Something more generic like “Library Games” may work better, but hey- I’m not a lawyer. Anyway, there is a wealth of programming you can do to host your very own Library Games, ranging from book arts to papercrafts to feats of sheer athleticism. These could be events for a staff day or they could be public-facing. Some ideas:

  • Book cart speed sorting
  • Book stacking contest
  • Discarded book toss
  • Book cart racing
  • Interpretive book cart dance
  • Best handmade book
  • Sports-themed writing contest
  • Race or obstacle course with book balanced on head
  • Book art contest
  • Longest flight for a paper airplane
  • Medals as a summer reading prize

Lots of library folk have written about these & similar ideas, I’ll add a resource list at the end!

Next, there are lots of ways to bring the Olympics into the library. This could be anything from streaming coverage in a meeting room to making a medal count display for each country. Since the OIympics is a definitional international event, it would be neat to offer resources or programming on various cultures & countries represented. You could host an opening ceremony viewing party or do craft programs like making interlocking Olympic Rings or olive branch crowns.

Regardless of which direction you choose to go, incorporating the Olympics into your summer programming will keep the library fun and help draw folks in the doors.

– Tyler McLane, Coeur d’Alene Public Library

Fail Forward

We’ve all been there. You pour your heart into a program, and no one shows up. You try something new, and you fall on your face. Sound familiar? Fail Forward is the place to share your failures, and give you the opportunity to share what you learned from them. Did you promote your program in a different way after no one showed up? Maybe you took a new approach to the new thing you were excited about? Awesome! Share your story via our online form so others can learn, and realize that failure is often part of the process.

Fancy Food Fails

My library recently began a new series of workshops for graduate students. My colleague and I had planned the talks, lined up speakers or prepared presentations ourselves, and even secured a modest amount of money for snacks! We have never had snacks at a workshop series before, and were sure this would lure in hungry graduate students. Over the 5 weeks the workshop series lasted, we alternated between a fancy spread of bagels and cream cheese (catered! From Einstein’s!) and Oreos (from WinCo!). The bagels largely remained uneaten after every workshop but the Oreos were always gone. In our evaluations, no one mentioned the food as a draw to the workshops but someone did complain that we didn’t serve coffee. So, next fall, when we run the series again, perhaps we will serve Oreos and homemade coffee, and save ourselves some time and money.

– Jessica Martinez, University of Idaho Library

Crush Corner

Is there a library you follow on social media who is always doing new and exciting things? How about a blog you follow that inspires you? What about a new idea, book, or resource that you want to share? Library Crush Corner is a place for those working in Idaho libraries to share what inspires them, and who or what they’re crushing on… in a professional sense. Share your story via our online form so we can publish it in a future issue!

Middleton Public Library; Let (Late Fees) Go!

I am crushing on the way Middleton Public Library announced they were doing away with late fees by staging a video with altered lyrics of Frozen’s “Let it Go”. I love when library communications also show off the talent of library staff. You can watch the video on YouTube here: Let (Late Fees) Go! Middleton Public Library

– Donovan Kay, Capital High School

SPLAT explores the ever-evolving library world and supports library folks as they adapt to meet the needs of their communities. Library folk throughout the state of Idaho volunteer to serve on the Special Projects Library Action Team (SPLAT). Learn more about SPLAT at splat.lili.org

SPLAT is brought to you by the Idaho Commission for Libraries and was made possible, in part, by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (LS-00-19-0013-19). The views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication do not necessarily represent those of the Institute of Museum and Library Services.