Abstract

Public Libraries have a duty to serve everyone in the community, but in times of economic crisis, the adult programming suffers as the more vulnerable communities take precedent. This article strategizes a more creative approach to serving the adult population through the collection without great expense, by the repackaging and repurposing of materials.

New Bag Scheme Collection Development LI855 Emporia University New Bag Scheme heather j elliot April 2013

Public libraries are a vital part of the communities they serve and perhaps never more so than in a time of economic depression. The role of libraries as educators and providers of information with free access to all its many resources is a well-known trademark of libraries in the U.S. In times of crisis however, libraries are looked to for Internet access, job labs (which include not only classes for basic computer skills, but also resume building and job hunting techniques), homework tutoring, and a refuge from the elements. The public library can do more than help with homework and get struggling families back on their feet however; libraries have the ability to lift the spirits of those they serve. Historically, libraries have focused on the most vulnerable in the community, letting go of an important part of the patron make-up, the average adult reader, especially in times of turmoil. During economic downturns, how do public libraries continue to promote and enhance adult services? Collection development is a term that inherently implies acquisition by collecting new materials. Challenging times of budget cuts and lack of funding to adult programming and services does not necessarily equate to a lack of creativity or stagnation in development. In a BusinessWeek interview with Jeff Bezos, CEO of amazon.com, he spoke of organizations succeeding in difficult times and stated one of the only ways to get out of a tight box is to invent your way out with thoughtfulness and focus on the customer (BusinessWeek, April 28, 2008, p.64). Escaping the tight box requires

New Bag Scheme creativity on the part of librarians and not necessarily more money. Acts of great

creativity in librarianship need not depend on grandiose programs or large scale budgets (Urban Library Journal, vol.15, no.1, Bell, Steven). Economic downturns make it even more imperative that the public library somehow strive to enrich adult readers and foster community resilience. Very often the adult programming suffers because the focus shifts to those with the most needs in the population during challenging times, marginalized individuals like the homeless, minorities, and the youth. These populations need and deserve to be served, but it does not have to come at the expense of adult reader development. This community needs the library particularly as they struggle financially, perhaps because of job loss, and are battling issues of depression and other health related symptoms as a cascading result. But it is still possible for the public library to touch the lives of adults in a way not currently addressed. This can be achieved by something so seemingly simpleencouraging reading for pleasure. Some may argue that the public libraries already serve this purpose by merely providing popular literature and hosting a few book clubs, though more can be done. Most programs aimed at encouraging pleasure reading are for children, for example, the summer reading challenge at Multnomah County Library. There is no adult equivalent. Leisure reading is so obvious it is frequently overlooked as a means to improving the lives of people in need. The ability to read is recognized generally as one of the most important skills that a person can havethe individual who reads well has at his command a means for widening his mental horizons and for multiplying his opportunities for experience (Researchers World: Journal of Arts, Science, and Commerce; Promoting

New Bag Scheme Reading Habits and Creating a Literate Society; Polani). This is accomplished however, not through academic texts, required reading sources, or even strenuous and rigorous studying. This opening of the mind happens when a person makes a choice; the choice

not only of whether or not to read, but a choice in pleasurable reading material. This was the topic of research performed by the National Literary Trust in the U.K. Choice can also be linked to achievementa reader who finds a really good bookthat has ideas he/she truly wants to learn about, frequently will outdo his/her own instructional level of performance (Reading for Pleasure; C. Clark and K. Rumbold; National Literary Trust; 2006). Given the importance of choice in regards to reading material for pleasure, and the positive educational effects, librarians are in a position not only to encourage, but to empower adult readers. Reader development activities can enrich peoples lives, addressing emotional deprivation and empowering (Library and Information Science Research; The Value of Therapeutic Reading Groups Organized by Public Libraries; Walwyn, O. and Rowley, J). To be able to grant a sense of control in unpredictable and difficult times is no small feat. Preliminary studies show there may be an even greater effect of reading, particularly in groups (such as book clubs, etc.). The term bibliotherapy is used to describe the use of books to treat a persons needs and has even been tried in the U.K. with a books on prescription theme. The idea is that books can help an individual to recover from ailments such as anxiety disorders, dyslexia, and depression. Bibiotherapy works because the reader engages in the topic and thus relates it to their own life experience making them grow and able to connect to the outside world in the process.

New Bag Scheme The articles reviewed for this collection development proposal focus on the

importance of reading for pleasure for adults. These studies are not so nave as to suggest books as a cure for all modern societal ailments, but they do reach the solid conclusion that reading for pleasure does have many benefits for both the self and the community. The emphasis is on the connection between the book and the reader and how that naturally plays into connecting on an individual basis with others through the medium of book. One example of this might be an informal support group reading through the same text on coping with whatever problem they are all facing together (though separately) on a week by week, chapter by chapter pace and sharing their experience of reading the material in the group and then discussing. The question then becomes, how can the library incorporate this into their adult programming with limited means? The solution is inspired by Multnomah County Libraries kit bags. Multnomah County currently offers three kit bags. The first is for children and called Storytime: Its in the Bag. These contain a few books on a chosen topic and a few toys to illustrate the point. For example, if it were a kit about farms, the bag might contain a picture book, a beginning facts book, and perhaps a tractor or plastic barnyard animals. The goal is to learn by playing. Another kit the library employs is called Pageturners. These kits contain nothing more than several copies of the same book, usually popular fiction. Pageturner kits are checked out mainly for use in local book-groups, many of which meet in the library. The least advertised kit in Multnomah County is used solely by Library Outreach Services and that is the Bifolkal kit. The Bifolkal kit is a memory aid of sorts for the elderly in special care. It is primarily for the caregivers of the persons with early onset Alzheimers and meant to include many

New Bag Scheme sensory experiences to help trigger memories. These may include books about a

particular topic, a dvd or cd, and perhaps an activity or two to encourage sharing, puzzles, word games, etc. Therefore, the collection development proposal to help public libraries promote and enhance adult services during economic downturns is going to be creating a new type of interactive bag for adults. This is a viable creative solution, as it will be using what the library already owns. Using Multnomah County Libraries as the example, the staff is already familiar with the bag concept, they know how to handle the bags, catalog, tag, and market them. The public also is accustomed to seeing the bags in their library and knows the general idea, which translates easily to this new adult bag. The new interactive bag for adults will take learning elements from the childrens Storytime bags, the fun escapist part of the Pageturners, and the memory building of the Bifolkal kits. It will be called Experience in the Bag. These will be thematic and can be issued on an individual basis, or be used in small groups (a numbered series of the same bag) to encourage community building. In order to implement this new bag scheme, there needs to be a limited amount of new bag types to insure a proper trial and test period and ultimately, the success of the project. The trial bags to be introduced will be: a craft bag, a cooking bag, and a fiction bag. The craft bags would focus on obtaining a new skill in a fun way, the possibilities are endless. An example craft Experience in the Bag would be one with a knitting theme. This bag might include a self-guided instructional book, a dvd with a tutorial, a basic pattern such as a scarf, knitting needles in the correct size, and enough yarn to create the product. The craft kit would engage the individual reader through the learning of the

New Bag Scheme craft and of course the satisfaction that results from creating something from nothing. This kit however, could easily be duplicated and used in groups, groups lead by librarians, teachers, or anyone in the community who has a group wanting to connect through learning a craft. The cooking bag would be very similar to the craft bag, though the focus would be on one particular countrys culinary delights (for example, India) and the emphasis

would be on improving or building upon an already existing basic skill, such as cooking, through learning a new recipe and perhaps a little of a new culture. The Indian cooking bag would contain a simple recipe with the appropriate spices included, a music cd of the traditional Indian music to listen to while preparing the dish, and perhaps a book about the area or culture from which the recipe originates. The fiction bag has many possibilities and would engage the reader in a playful manner but would also develop further investigative skills and broaden range of interest while deepening the level of reading. It would include a book, a piece of popular fiction or perhaps an audio version of the book on cd, a film version of the book on dvd if one exists, a map of the region in which the story takes place, a brief history of the times, and a recommended further reading/investigation list of other books or movies related to this topic. The fiction bag could be used in a similar fashion as the Pageturners bag, but for the individual reader, it would produce an equivalent interaction with the material and a learning process. It would also benefit the reader in terms of bibliotherapy, the use of literature to help people cope with changes in their livesthrough identification with a character or situation and the projection of oneself onto it, catharsis-experiencing of emotional release, insight and integration (Library and Information Science Research;

New Bag Scheme The Value of Therapeutic Reading Groups Organized by Public Libraries; Walwyn, O. and Rowley, J). Standard marketing procedures will be followed and new space allowing for displays and signage of the new bag scheme will be allotted on a library-to-library basis.

Each library that incorporates Experience in the Bag will foster a series showcasing each kind of new bag to the public. This series will be an introduction to the new bag kits, what each includes, how they are to be used, and ideas of how they could be used in possible small group settings. During these introduction courses, patrons will also be surveyed as to future bag ideas, what they would like to see, etc. The success of the project will be monitored through issue/renewal rates of the bags and also patron feedback. Based on patron feedback and community knowledge, the bags can even be geared to local interests as well as global sometime in the future. Using Multnomah County Library again as an example library location, some local interest bag ideas might include outdoor activities like biking, a very popular Portland pastime (bike map, trail snacks, music for example) and even some informational activity bags with local walks featuring important local monuments and historical background to the city. Experience in the Bag would give adult readers a choice in topics (chosen directly from the most frequented areas of the library stacks), and additional learning and sharing opportunities. If the pilot project proves popular, then the call for requests from patrons who have checked out a kit would follow. This too could be used to encourage adult readers in the community. Try these new kit bags and leave feedback with an idea of your own and it just may be featured in the next bag may be a reoccurring yearly contest.

New Bag Scheme The new bag scheme is an affordable, yet creative way to liven up adult

programming in times of economic stress. It is resourceful as the costs are minimal. Few new materials would need to be purchased like the bags themselves and non-library materials like craft and some cooking supplies, but the bags are created mainly from what the library already has to offer. This repackaging of material could be one of the quickest methods of capturing the publics attention and of benefiting the community.

New Bag Scheme References

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Bell, S. (2008). The Creativity Issue: Putting the Spotlight on Creative Work in Urban Libraries. Urban Library Journal, 15(1).

Clark, C., & Rumbold, K. (2006). Reading for Pleasure: A Research Overview. National Literacy Trust, November, 1-35.

Palani, K. (2012). Promoting Reading Habits and Creating Literate Society. Researcher's World: Journal of Arts, Science, and Commerce, 3(2), 90-94.

Walwyn, O., & Rowley, J. (2011). The Value of Therapeutic Reading Groups Organized by Public Libraries. Library and Information Science Research, 33(4), 302-312.