NJLA Annual Conference 2013
Do’s & Don’ts of Library Programming
for the 20s/30s Crowd
Matt Latham
Program Coordinator/Reference Librarian
Hoboken Public Library
——
Kate Vasilik
Supervising Librarian, Head of User Services
Piscataway Public Library
The Elusive Patron!
 Important group for the future of public libraries
 Decision makers of the future
 Young families and active community members
 Integrated programming, collections, and services
 Technologically and communally relevant –
what’s there for ME?!
 Enhance communication and encourage participation
 Social media and mobile services
 Community relationships and volunteer opportunities
First Things First:
Know Your Community . . .
 Who are the 20/30-year-olds in YOUR community?
 Demographics research and observation
 Varied Life Situations
 Families
 Educational attainment
 Single Parents
 Financial status
 Singles
 Job-seeking
 Couples
 Professional
 Students
Know Where They Are
& What They Are Doing . . .
 Networking
 Local News and Event Listings
 Local Organizations
 Community Events and Fundraisers
 Nightlife Scene
Reach Them Where They Are . . .
Roadblocks & Inconsistencies
 As with all age groups, there are no easy answers!
 While this age group has shared experiences, there are a
wide variety of interests
 Added difficulty is that this age group has more varied Life
Situations (i.e. “This Is Where I Am In My Life”) than many
others
 It’s not always easy figuring out where your potential users
are, or what would connect them with the library
General Programming:
Winning Formulas
 Food!
 Community Partnerships
 Diverse Promotions
 Know Your Community
 Predictability/Consistency
 Repeat Programming
Programs for Specific Audiences
with specific needs & interests
 Parenting Workshops
 Health
 Interactive Child-Parent
 Home and Life Skills
Events
 Education Planning
 Financial Education
 Career Planning
 Apartment Living and
First Homes
 Wedding Planning
 Volunteerism
Niche and Interest Programming
targeting shared interests and lifestyles
Opportunity to invite community members to host
presentations and share skills and knowledge!
 Nostalgia and Shared-
 Open Mic
Culture Events
 Discussion Groups
 Comic Books
 Gaming Culture
 Hands-On Skill Training
 Maker Culture
 DIY and MIY
 Technology Infusion
Nostalgia: 80s & 90s Culture
Opportunity for participants to interact with the
material AND each other.
Added benefit: Often attract wide-range of ages –
families, teens, older adults, and kids!
Discussion Groups
• Everyone Loves Snacks –
Adults, Too!
• Restricted Age? All Ages?
It’s Really Up to You!
• How to Find Interested
Participants? …Be Patient. Be
Fun! Talk About It!
• Schedules Aren’t Everything.
• Online & Off-Site Locations!
• Book Groups: YA Books for
Adults & Adult Books with YA
Appeal (YALSA’s Alex Award List)
Comic Trivia and Video Game
Tournament
Retro Gaming Day
Open-Mic in the Park
After-Hours Open Mic Night
Makerspaces & Maker Culture
. . . do it yourself & make it yourself
 Provide space, tools and possibly training for individuals to
create their own projects and develop their own skill set.
 Can be tech based or really anything!
 If model is tailored to local culture and demographics, this
could be an important piece of the future public library
puzzle.
 Different tables featuring
demonstrations and new
equipment
 Opportunity for further
programming, education,
collection development, and
collaboration
 Focus on outreach and
community-building
 Interest from ALL age groups,
interests and abilities!
DIY Series Programming
 Home beer brewing
 Soldering Your Own LED
 Cake baking
 Bread baking

 Chocolate making

 Recycled sculpture art
 Comic book writing &
drawing
 Drawing/African Mask
Art/etc.
 Interior Design Basics
 Self-Defense Classes
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Flashlight
Cheese Tasting
Beers of the World
Sampling
Intro to Birdwatching
Indoor Gardening
Food Canning
Home Bicycle Repair
Dance Classes
Wedding Planning
Intro to Homebrewing
Cake Baking
Cheese Tasting
Cooking and Party Hosting with
Chocolate!
Soldering Your Own LED Flashlight
Comics Writing & Drawing
Wedding
Dancing
Interior Design Basics
Sources for Ideas
 NJLA Conference 
 NJLA Sections &
 Other Libraries &

Library Consortiums
 YALSA’s Serving New Adults
Interest Group (serving new 
adults 18+)

 Facebook Groups

 CoolbrariansNJ

 ALA Think Tank

Committees
Professional workshops,
events, and listservs
Community Centers
Adult Schools & Colleges
Social Services Organizations
Local Fundraisers
Brooklyn Brainery
What else?
Matt Latham
lathamm1@gmail.com
http://beratedlibrarian.wordpress.com
——
Kate Vasilik
kvasilik@piscatawaylibrary.org
http://katethelibrarian.blogspot.com