PROGRAMMING CORNER

Serving the community and beyond is the most important experience that public libraries want to offer. Successful programming enhances that experience because it draws people together online and in person and creates a conversation and an exchange of questions and ideas. But what happens when a program coordinator or librarian puts together a quality program and it doesn't seem to connect to the community? With the advent of streaming, social media, digital communities and live social events, libraries have a lot of competition when attracting an audience. There are many steps to create proper marketing for programs covered in a previous article in the last edition. Another  factor is that libraries within a proximity compete and there can also be competing programs within the same library happening at the same time. To add to the levels of competition there can be a lack of comprehensive marketing. Gone are the days when newsletters were the only way to promote programs or perhaps online bulletins or websites. Without awareness of many competitive factors, a program especially one that is arts related can be a miss. One of the most pivotal roles in offering events is timing. While the following times are voted as the worst in my experience, there's always an exception to the rule. The biggest exception is that you can create an event during an unconventional time if you connect with the attendees and give the event time to grow through consistent programming in that time slot.

5. On Holidays

Not booking events on a holiday is obvious because most  libraries and public locations are closed but there are examples that are not so obvious. While we recognize major holidays like Christmas or Thanksgiving other cultural events can apply to the community where your library is located. If you live in a community with a large ethnic population that celebrates a certain holiday during a time outside of the popular holidays, it is best not to book programs on those dates. A way to take  advantage of these holidays outside of popular holidays is to offer programs that educate and entertain about these holidays leading up to the holiday date.



4. During Bad Weather

Bad weather is something no one can control. However, if a library is technically efficient and ahead of the curve, they can shift programming to offer easier access. Imagine creating a great  program with excellent response and the dreadful feeling after hearing that the weather will be terrible that day. While I have experience with crowds coming in a storm to see me present opera, I know bad weather can be an easy indicator that an audience may not show up. If you have a presenter who is flexible and technically proficient then moving the program online or creating a hybrid experience could be a better bet for your patrons so there is easier access.

3. Weekends or Special Weekends

Weekends can be quite tricky depending on the type of community your library is located in. The questions you want to answer are: which places in the community are usually filled up on Saturday and Sunday? Does my community attend church regularly? The answers to these questions would allow you to plan accordingly. Saturday morning may not be a good fit for an arts program if patrons usually go food shopping or clean their homes on Saturday. Perhaps a Saturday afternoon would suffice because it lines up with patrons being finished with personal  errands. While Sunday afternoons are optimal times, whether patrons go to church or not, you may be in competition with another local event. Programs held on special weekends that revolve around National events like the Super Bowl or other sports related events can be a challenge for attracting an audience. Any outside event that contains heavy publicity leading up to the weekend may be the worse time for you to book the program because patrons are preparing for the popular event.  A solution can be to use the event to craft programming around it so patrons can relate to it and learn something new at the same time. An example can be an arts program around the Super Bowl that highlights the history of the Halftime show or artist who performed the Star-Spangled Banner in the past. I bet those ideas would easily attract patrons if it was held at a time leading up to the Super Bowl. Heavily marketed events offer an opportunity to create something around them.

2. During a popular local event within the  community or in the same library

The worse scenario of booking a program in the arts is seeing empty seats because another event is happening at the same time in the town or in the library. Attendees may be interested in your program but have another event to attend that is just as convenient. While you cannot control what outside local organizations do, you can stay on top of local calendars online to see any events happening that may conflict with what you are booking. Libraries who have multiple departments may compete even if both programs are geared to a similar audience. It is best to check to see what else is happening in the building to see if the program may conflict with yours because the other event could attract potential audience members. Sometimes it doesn't matter if the programs are not alike because patrons have varied interests and may want to attend both programs.

1. On Monday

Booking an arts program on Monday morning can be an inconvenience because patrons are going to work or have a family with children who go to school. Retired patrons who are grandparents would also be affected by this if they are involved in babysitting their grandchildren. Monday is usually a time to focus on the week ahead and any practical tasks that need to be handled for work. Personal errands are also handled on a Monday so planning an arts program may not be heavily attended. The exception to the rule is if you start a series that occurs on the same Monday of every month that consistently happens. While an event like this would take time for the public to get used to, they would make time for it if they truly loved the experience and are aware that the program will not go away if they skip it from time to time.