Community Outreach Natalie ColePrograms Director and Interest Group LiaisonCalifornia Library Association

Joanna AxelrodYouth Services Librarian IIEscondido Public Library

Outcome 2

[Desired number] of[underserved target group]participate in thesummer reading program.

Why reach out with the summer reading program?

“At that moment that we persuade a child, any child, to cross that threshold, that magic threshold into a library, we change their lives forever, for the better. It’s an enormous force for good.” (Barack Obama, 2005)

Since 2010: 2,654 underserved children, teens, and families have participated in summer reading programs as part of the outcomes initiative. They include:

* Teen moms* Children enrolled in a literacy program* Migrant children* Teens in a residential drug facility* New and expectant parents* Youth in detention facilities

Resources (1) Conducting effective outreach

Developing relationships with underserved groups

Programming suggestions

Preparing to partner, communication, expectations, and follow-up

Core principles and activities for partnerships with community-based summer programs

Resources (2)

Surveys

Focus group questions

Families from the East Bay Asian Youth Center (EBAYC) enjoy an Open House at Oakland Public Library.

Form Partnerships

• Ally with school media specialists

• Forge strategic partnerships– Teen Parents counselors– Foster youth foster parents/group homes– Kids outside school district homeschoolers– Juvenile offenders Juvie Librarian/Warden

Think Outside the…Library

Tips for Coordinating Off-Site Programs

• Arm yourself with research – CLA can help!

• Sell your services• Make it easy for them• Be persistent!

If You Go There…They Will Come

Let Others Do the Work!• Teen Outreach

Team (TOT) or Street Crew

http://www.spreads.org/challenge-overview.html

If You’re Really Ambitious…

Summer Reading

– Book Cart Drill Team Competitions– Seattle Public Library (YouTube) – Gillett Public Library

Couldn’t you envision this spelling out SRC?!

If you have any questions, please contact us!

Natalie Cole, California Library Association: ncole@cla-net.org

Joanna Axelrod, Escondido Public Library: jaxelrod@ci.escondido.ca.us and @txtinglibrarian

The California Summer Reading Program is a project of the California Library Association, supported in whole or in part by the U.S. Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act, administered in California by the State Librarian.

www.cla-net.org