July 21, 2026: Passive Programming

Attendees:

Shannon, Hoover
Lora, VH
Tess, O'Neal
Erin, Homewood
Royce, BPL
Anjie, O'Neal
Tara, VH
Rachel, O'Neal
Mary, Homewood
Ashley, Gardendale
Holley, O'Neal
Rachel,
Merideth,
Ellen, Avondale
Tamara, Irondale
Katie, O'Neal
Rebecca, Trussville
Brianna, Ctr Pt
Shawn, Pinson
K, Springville Rd/BPL
Laura, Springville Rd/BPL

Meeting Details

Date: July 20, 2026

Time: 14:26 – 15:58

Please note: This is my first attempt to use AI summary for this meeting. Any fault in capturing content from the meeting is due to AI, not me! Just kidding. View the link here for the entire Zoom meeting: recording here. There was quite a few chats that included links, so watching the video is the best way to capture everything.

Overview

Hoover Library led a collaborative session on passive programming strategies for libraries, bringing together staff from across Jefferson County to share successful program ideas and practical implementation tips. The meeting featured both in-person and Zoom participants exchanging creative, low-maintenance programming options that engage patrons with minimal staff supervision.

 

Next steps

Hoover

• Send out the slideshow with all the links and QR codes discussed during the meeting. For full access to the slideshow, plus resources mentioned in the meeting click here.
• Add more resources to the ongoing OneDrive resource place for passive programming. (Ongoing)
• Add any additional links or ideas sent by attendees to the meeting minutes.(Please share your ideas widely!)

Key Takeaways

• Passive programming provides valuable patron engagement with minimal staff time investment
• Successful programs combine creativity with practical resource management
• County-wide collaboration strengthens programming quality through shared ideas and resources
• Regular refreshing of program and staff involvement/investment are essential for passive program sustainability
• Both simple (coloring pages) and complex (monthly themed kits) approaches can be effective

Upcoming Events

• Adult Program Swap Meeting: September 20, 2026 – Bring program ideas to share - Meeting will be at the Bessemer Library 400 19th Street North, Bessemer, AL 35020 and via Zoom (link sent closer to time)
• JCPLA Staff Day: Friday, October 01, 2026 at Homewood Library

Summary

Passive Programming Ideas Shared

Quick Engagement Activities

• Shredded Book Puzzles: Patrons guess the book title from shredded pages
• QR Code Stations: Interactive digital content accessible via smartphone
• "Reaching Teens Subversively by Using QR codes" 
• Photo Backdrops: Themed selfie stations for social media engagement
• Themed Coloring Pages: Adult and children's coloring stations with seasonal themes
• Turn your photo into a coloring page: https://creativelabs.cricut.com/tools/coloring-pages 
• Puzzle Tables: Dedicated spaces for ongoing jigsaw puzzles

Take-and-Make Programs

• Craft Kits: Pre-packaged materials for projects like dinosaur gliders, origami bookmarks, and friendship bracelets

  • Tara from Vestavia Hills shared various take-and-make examples she created
• Adult Activity Kits: Avondale Library's monthly themed activity packs
• Weaving Activities: Anjie demonstrated weaving projects using plastic fencing material
• Pixel Painting Kits: Color-by-number style art projects

Themed Monthly Programs

• Tea and Tails Program (Avondale): Monthly kits featuring tea pairings, book recommendations, and related activities, along with book recommendations!

  • Ellen described this comprehensive program combining beverages, reading, and hands-on elements
• Spice of the Month Club (Center Point): Educational program introducing different spices with recipes and information
• Key: Start small to see who might be interested. These might also work for your bookmobile and outreach activities if you attend senior centers or facilities. 

Community Exchange Programs

• Plant Propagation Station: Patron-led exchanges of plants and gardening knowledge
• Puzzle Swap: Passive display with little maintenance or staff time needed
• Seed Exchange: There is a lot of information out there about starting one, plus grants you can use to start your own! 

Other Fabulous Random Things to Consider

• Mosaic paintings (one brand is StickTogether now owned by Demco) 
• Guesstimation stations
• Guess the quotes/titles/first line/famous quote/famous song lyric/etc.
• Music listening station or traveling exhibits count too!
• Passive scavenger hunts are great
• Interactive Polls (change the theme every month? give out cheap free prizes?)
• Take & Make or Grab & Go, whatever you call them, people LOVE them! 

Implementation Resources and Tips

Design and Planning Tools

• Canva: Primary tool for creating professional-looking materials and signage
• Pinterest: Source for craft ideas and program inspiration
• Programming Librarian Interest Group (Facebook): Professional community for sharing ideas
• OneDrive Resource Repository: Shared county-wide resource collection maintained by Hoover
• This includes webinar links, articles, downloadable patterns for take-and-makes, plus bookmarks for websites that make your work easy. 

Practical Considerations

• Staff Involvement: Hoover emphasized the importance of staff engagement in maintaining and refreshing passive programs
• Budget Management: Libraries discussed working within limited budgets by using existing materials and donations
• Space Allocation: Creating dedicated areas (like puzzle tables) helps establish program consistency
• Time Efficiency: Passive programming addresses time constraints by requiring minimal staff supervision once set up
• Quality Control: Regular monitoring ensures programs remain attractive and functional. Watch out for bad actors wanting to spoil everyone's good time! (Don't let them get you down!)

Material Sourcing

• Local craft rooms and supply closets
• Community donations
• Budget-friendly bulk purchases
• Repurposed library materials (e.g., weeded books for puzzles)

ASRT Meeting: Community Engagement

Zoom meeting, March 18, 2026 

Attendees:
Shannon, Hoover
Leslie, Avondale
Jeremy, Powderly
Lora, Vestavia Hills
Tisha, Bessemer
Holly, Homewood
Alison, Pinson 

Next Meeting: Monday, May 18, Disability Awareness (via Zoom) 

To view the entire zoom session, go to this link. 

What's Below:

• Outreach options
• Book talks & Podcast talks
• Sharing stories over quilts
• Partner with Parks & Rec or Police 
• Addiction Prevention, Volunteer Lawyers, and more
• Grocery Bus at Bessemer
• Virtual yoga at Bessemer
• Invite Volunteer Lawyers
• Passive programming is in!
• Crafting Kindness at Hoover 
• What can you add???

At a glance, Hoover has a relatively new community services department that includes our bookmobile, and two staff members that visit facilities in our community. Pam Bainter has a book club at our senior center and does book talks at living facilities. These book talks are on a topic and she creates full fledged talks that go "on the road" and give suggested reading plus lots of information on various topics. She develops probably a dozen new talks a year, then tours them to over ten facilities. Everyone seems to enjoy them. We also have another team member, Traci Wood, that specializes in memory care and less active seniors - she also develops book talks but does crafts and games with her folks too. Our bookmobile takes reservations for pop ups but also tours facilities for those that want to visit. These are direct ways we reach out into the community but not our only ways. Whether passive or active, we are always seeking new opportunities to get the library joy out there.

Leslie at Avondale visits Fairhaven in Avondale and does talks, crafts, etc. and this year added working at First Light Women's Shelter too. She also does acrylic painting and a book group. She's looking into developing adult storytelling. At First Light, she started a podcast group - something uplifting and positive. Next they are trying a video podcasting session. Self help stuff goes over well with this crowd. Leslie also brought up the idea of having seniors bring in something important, a nostalgic item, and discuss their history with it. Something to engage and create storytelling. Treasures and heirlooms can be used to share stories and get to know each other. Actually, they wouldn't even really need a physical item! This led to a discussion about an outreach program Hoover did at the Riley Community Center - everyone brought handmade quilts and everyone told stories about them. It was very moving and emotional.

Holly at Homewood talked about the impact going out into the community! As a result of going out into the community, the group she spoke with has now started coming into the library together looking for her and their "library lady" - you just never know who you impact! 

Mahjong! Learn to play and learn to teach!! You will have the crowd show up. And, no, it's more than just matching tiles! I don't think it's going anywhere for a long while.

Reach out to your Parks and Rec department for program partnering. At HPL, we are doing two birding sessions with experts out at a park and also a rain barrel workshop with giveaway rain barrels. Our youth department already does an outdoor storytelling event every few months, plus a story walk at Aldridge Gardens.

Addiction Prevention (Randy Hall, Program Coordinator, randy@apcbham.org) can help talk to the community about using Narcan and possibly arrange to have kits delivered to your library. Perhaps looking into providing gun locks too - I did read about this out in the community.

Tisha at Bessemer does a lot of crafting at senior facilities - arts are so vital for engaging older patrons. She also works with Mercy Ministries to bring their food bus to the library to provide low cost, fresh food to the community. They bring a mobile grocery bus and prepare food boxes for folks - also accepting EBT in the community. Bessemer also works with the Foundry so their folks can be aware of what's happening within the library. Tisha has also started an oral history project that is going well. The overarching theme is the City of Bessemer, Tisha will pick a topic and spread the word, then community members will come in to record stories. They get a copy of their recordings too. I want to know more!! Eventually, all the stories will be uploaded to the cloud for everyone to listen to. There was lots of talk about the ongoing closure of Bessemer and Tisha's attempts to engage the community while closed. Hueytown hosts their book group and they have started virtual yoga - partnering with the YMCA. Bessemer also partnered with Regions Bank to come into the library and do programs on real estate and more. Perhaps that will start once the library starts back up! Tisha also brought up the fact that the Master Gardener's program at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens are required to secure volunteer hours for their certificate. It's possible they could do things for your library: programs, yes?? They are coming to Bessemer to do a seed buffet for the seed library and other small gardening projects with kids. Great idea!

We talked a bit about partnering with the police department for various things. Ours has a youth ambassador program where they are doing service projects here at the library. Your library could also invite Volunteer Lawyers to come do an Ask an Attorney program at your library. It's free and very helpful for the community.

Holly talked about Homewood's passive programming that engages community members - right now there is a book bracket vying for attention - it's down to To Kill a Mockingbird vs. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy! Ask a weird question: what's your favorite condiment? Turkey or Ham for Thanksgiving? Things that take people a few seconds to engage. A lot of adults will also sit at my library and finish a puzzle while waiting for their AARP appointments for taxes!

Spice of the Month (Homewood, Center Point and Southside) or Tea of the Month (Avondale) are also ways of connecting. Also, when planning craft programs and you are left with unused supplies, bundle them up into giveaway take and makes for those that couldn't attend or just to give out at the desk. Sometimes that extra craft kit will make someone's day.

Chatted some about HPL's Crafting Kindness monthly program where we schedule five hours on a Monday each month devoted to volunteering. It has developed into something quite big now (upwards of 44 volunteers over the course (in and out) of five hours. I've gotten where I have at least four or five ongoing projects so that people don't get bored and I cover a variety of abilities. I always provide newspapers for rolling (humane society) and writing note cards (short blessings) for Bundles of Hope Diaper Bank along with having kids draw on and design craft bags that will be filled with items (sometimes hygiene kits or snack bags for the homeless). I work with nonprofits to come up with active things we can assemble, create or collect on site. It does take a lot of time and organizing and not all nonprofits have stuff we can do off site at our library. However, if you get creative you can sometimes hit on something fantastic. One of my favorites was making pony bead fidget toys for the Hoover Police to give out to anxious kids. I'll let you know when I'm totally sick of it!

Next Meeting: Monday, May 18, Disability Awareness (via Zoom) 

 

 

 

Serving our Senior Patrons

Thursday, January 15, 2026
Topic: Serving our Senior Patrons 

Attendance:
Shannon, Hoover
Katie, Irondale
Laura, Springville Road
Holly, Homewood
Natasha, Woodlawn
Sarah, Center Point
Grace, BPL
Jennifer, BPL
Lora, Vestavia Hills
Royce, BPL
Lynn, West End
Saundra, Pratt City
Leslie, Avondale
Grace, West End 

Our Next Meeting: Community Engagement, Zoom Mtg, Wednesday, March 18th at 10 am

View entire meeting here: https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/share/9MBBw06IMGLQwmsnh0Co_CKcuEtI7PMVQ9W1thVZLosfb3vXaAKHVJAlmUpgJjop.6IlT1Bn7BkbNQ8Ul?startTime=1768494075000 

The senior demographic has changed dramatically over the past decade. No longer do we simply purchase large print inspirational and western books and call it a day. While our senior patrons still love to craft, they also want active and educational programs. This is the largest growing segment of the population and we must meet the demand for innovative and useful services, programs and collections to provide.

The tried-and-true craft sessions are still highly popular and dependable and somewhat cost effective, but why not add something to it? Invite a speaker to discuss nutrition while making pot holders? Or have someone promote self help while crafting personal journals? You've already got a captive audience, why not add an educational component to the mix? If AARP is coming to discuss something quite droll, do a pot luck or add an element of fun to entice the audience into expecting both tough topics plus fun.

Senior Tech Help, either you can do seniors helping seniors or ask high school seniors to come in and hold open tech help sessions with whomever needs it! And why not tap into the wealth of knowledge some seniors have had in their lives? One of your patrons may have been a social worker for 40 years and knows everything there is to know about a topic of interest? Tap them to speak about their work and how they might help others. If you have a patron that is constantly knits or crochets at the library or plays Mahjong, why not ask them if they'd be willing to teach? Making the seniors themselves feel useful to others goes a long way towards uplifting and combating loneliness.

At Hoover, I was very interested in having Mahjong classes and two women from Galleria Woods senior living took it upon themselves to offer six small classes for 8 individuals over the course of three weeks. It was free to us and quite intensive, but an excellent way to get the job done. We had a blast and plan to continue having classes during the summer. Along the same lines, we are planning several "granny" type programs like canning, pickling, bread making, etc. that could all be taught by seniors (perhaps with our guidance!) Any Cottage Core craft/skill would be great to pair seniors with teens interested in learning.

Outreach: Book clubs for active seniors, book talks for less active seniors. Book talks are great for historical fiction or nonfiction because the leader can bring in additional information. Some of the librarians have gone through "TimeSlips" certification - an organization that bring meaning and purpose to the lives of elders through storytelling and creative engagement.

We deal with a lot of eager grandparents that want to encourage relationships with their grandkids through storytelling or sharing - we should have resources on hand for them i.e. best books to read aloud, etc. Collaborative storytelling or how to tell a story for grandparents might be a good workshop. There have also been programs where kids draw portraits of seniors, perhaps while the senior talks about their life. 

Memory Care kits or, again, collaborative storytelling - start with a picture and build a story together based on the picture. Avondale already has a Memory Cafe and several libraries circulate memory care kits - these are a great way to engage seniors suffering from the first signs of dementia or Alzheimer's. This April, Hoover is having a writing workshop based on our Art Gallery in the Theatre downstairs - it's called an "Ekphrastic " Writing workshop. The poem "Ode to a Grecian Urn" is based on a piece of art - writing inspired by art. Collaborative storytelling can occur based on a piece of art.

Big issue: Accessibility for seniors! Consider the timing of your program. Find out when sundown is on your program day and plan to have it end before sundown. Seniors find it more difficult to navigate streets after dark and may attend programs more if they are scheduled with them in mind. 

Written history: interviewing individuals older than 70. Perhaps work with homeschool or your schools to work together to schedule these types of activities. There are guided books available on Amazon that guide the person into telling the stories. 

Great program suggestion, contact Volunteer Lawyers here in Birmingham to come and offer free advice for anyone, including seniors. They are great to work with and have been at several libraries in our county. They also have programs they do on estates, wills, end-of-life documents too. Sarah from Center Point said they have had Dignity Memorial come and talk about end of life planning in a very respectful way without a sales pitch. They even brought snacks and played BINGO! Information from Sarah: The speaker from Dignity Memorial is Spivey Wilson. Her contact is Spivey.wilson@dignitymemorial.com. We had combined a meeting about estate planning with fun bingo games to lighten a heavy topic! Spivey brought the boards and game pieces and conducted the game and also brought prizes! We did this at the Senior Center because I do outreach there once a month. Other than that having House Plant Collective come and do a presentation went over well and anything with plants is always something they enjoy! 

Leslie from Avondale goes regularly to Fair Haven Nursing Home and she does craft/art and book club. She is developing a STEM program for the seniors - it involves storytime plus a craft, maybe science- or technology-related. She's still developing the idea but there are robotics kits from Central BPL that could be utilized. At Hoover a couple of years ago (2024), I invited Abigail Gwinn-Arakas from the McWane Center to do an Adult Science Cafe. We decided to settle on "what makes us human". Below is the advert we used online. Her contact information:  Abby Gwinn-Arakas, Director of STEM Education, (205) 714-827, agwinn@mcwane.org

Dodd Allee at BPL sent me an email about his experience bringing home improvement and simple home fixes to the general public - after years as a facility manager and working at Home Depot, he shares that knowledge. Although now, he's in Citizen Services and is stuck in the Passport office! Great idea though! I know some of the branches have reached out to ACE Hardware to do programs for them. Perhaps that would be an opportunity too. That and Repair Cafe too. There are plenty of seniors that have the skills to help younger home owners take care of their property.

Put together a Senior Health Fair! With all the nonprofits and the health department, there would be a great opportunity for seniors on fixed incomes to take advantage of such an event.

Add nostalgic music to the mix, perhaps some dancing. Why not have a Senior Prom? I know North Birmingham has done this to great acclaim but it doesn't have to be big. Everyone dresses up, photo opportunities, finger foods, perhaps a craft to make corsages and boutonnieres? Create a playlist, pick a theme, watch the fun begin! Here's some tips!

Back to senior story time ideas: collaborative stories, using pictures to stimulate the creation of stories, etc. Holly at Homewood said they do Seasonal Stories with Red Mountain Theatre groups Seasoned Performers - they come in and read actual excerpts from books. Perhaps create a story circle (like Irondale is doing in above advert) and build a topic to create a story. Here at Hoover, I invited veteran Moth StorySlam and creative writing professor at UAB Haley Cotton to teach a class on "How to Tell a Story" - it was well attended and I plan to bring her back sometime in the Fall.  Here are her contact details: Halley Cotton | English Instructor, SPARK Writing Festival | Director, Department of English, UAB | The University of Alabama at Birmingham, hmcotton@uab.edu.

Memory Care Kits:

If your library is interested, kits for caregivers or for individual check out can be a great way to connect to the elderly community. There are other libraries in the JCLC that offer these types of kits. Here are the ones I found using the term "memory kit" while doing a word search and limiting the search to "Kit." I don't know if the search pulled up all locations that circulate memory kits so there could be others. 

Article about memory care kits in AL libraries. 

Homewood
Trussville
Vestavia

BPL Locations:

Central

Southside
Avondale

Woodlawn
East Lake

Smithfield
Springville Road
Powderly
Pratt City
East Ensley
West End

Five Points West
North Birmingham

*It looks like some libraries have them as part of their Library or Things collection.

Some use the preassembled kits from Penworthy. 

Stay Sharp Kits from APLS, available to libraries throughout the state.

Thoughts after the meeting:

Older Americans are always concerned about their heirlooms and collectibles. Who will inherit/want them? Perhaps a library could have a swap or collectible trade and invite younger collectors to share in the joy? 

Show-and-Tell for Grownups! As mentioned above, people love their stuff! Why not have a time every month where everyone brings something valuable/memorable/precious to them and they tell the story of its meaning? 

What about an Adult Spelling Bee? Share your ideas!!!

Articles I stole from Programming Librarian:

https://programminglibrarian.org/programs/thank-you-thank-you-very-much-senior-citizens-day-party

https://programminglibrarian.org/programs/portraits-primary-schoolers

https://programminglibrarian.org/programs/community-engagement-healthy-living-outreach-seniors

https://programminglibrarian.org/programs/homebound-services-pilot-program

https://programminglibrarian.org/programs/arts-education-older-adults-brooklyn-public-library

https://programminglibrarian.org/programs/senior-speed-connect-igo

https://programminglibrarian.org/programs/obituary-writing-workshop

Other resources:
https://publiclibrariesonline.org/2024/12/best-practices-for-engaging-seniors-at-the-library/

 

From Movies to Meals: Senior Services and Spaces at Your Local Library

 

https://www.lapl.org/collections-resources/blogs/lapl/national-senior-citizen%E2%80%99s-day 

From Movies to Meals: Senior Services and Spaces at Your Local Library

 

 

 

Adult Program Swap 2025!!

ASRT Meeting Minutes
Monday, September 15, 2025
Topic: Adult Program Swap!

Attendees:
Ellen, Avondale
Molly, Titusville
Kiera, Titusville
Rebecca, Trussville
Reba, Titusville
Ashley, Gardendale
Romellia, Titusville
Laura, Springville Road
Lynn, West End
Leslie, Homewood
Sarah, Center Point
Christian, Trussville
Mary, Homewood
Holly, Homewood
Shannon, Hoover

NEXT MEETING: Monday, November 17, 10 am @ Birmingham Public Library downtown - Digital resources & tour 

Link to full video meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/rec/share/A4uUtVvNd97-fp9jP7SQ7KbtyCik2Hxi5QOO3KpmHyzuBA-G4MalFCHSvjYsdVbT.TgJ1c45nuON1e6Wu?startTime=1757948347000
(1.22.27)

Link to OneDrive Documents mentioned: Shannon ASRT program swap ideas.docx

Don't hesitate to approach people/patrons/friends about the opportunity to either teach a class, lead a discussion or prepare something more formal at your library! Lots of patrons have interesting hobbies and can bring them to your patrons - and Mary reminded us that our coworkers are also a valuable resource too.

Shawn shared about her ongoing group "Having the Prime of Our Lives" and her efforts to develop interesting programs for them. In February, she did a "BiblioBash" 

• book match game, 
• classic book titles (mix & match), 
• made book page roses, 
• custom bookmarks,
• goodie bags with personalized stuff to leave with. 

This is a group that she sends information as to what she's planning. Another variation done by Holly at Homewood was an event they called "That's Lit!" where they had 

• guessing games for book covers, 
• "judging" a book by the cover, 
• book trivia, 
• book garland out of book pages. 

Here at Hoover, (our) Holly did a Book Tasting - it was fashioned like a high-class meal introducing people to new books, new genres, etc. (more on the handout on OneDrive).

Mary from Homewood did a book themed event for kids "Beyond the Book" that focused on food mentioned in books, serving the kids inexpensive items - this could be adapted for teens or adults - or plan something for parents to introduce them to children's book titles.

I mentioned my wish to have a Senior Prom for elders with music, dancing, perhaps lessons in line dancing or something. This could be done after hours or during the day (you know us elders like it early!!) 360 degree camera, photo backdrop, etc. Another library had a pre-school prom too!! Titusville did a senior prom!! It was very labor intensive but worth it. Reba caters to her VIPs and went all out - she had LIVE music! Another variation is to do a prom for your homeschool groups. Titusville also had a Senior Pageant with 5 participants and it was very well received but did require lots of work. Great community building and lots of fun - their platform was "brains and beauty"! They did interviews, performances, etc. A smaller library could take this idea and make it work for them.

Shawn saw something online called "Taste the Movie" where you show a movie and provide a taste as the movie moves along to match. For example if you showed Matilda, you could serve chocolate bonbons, cake, etc. An adult variety might use a movie like "Like Water for Chocolate" and serve all kinds of chocolate.

Speaking of movies, my favorite thing to plan is Movie + Craft - we've done four events where we show a movie and participants watch and do a craft while watching. It is labor intensive but worth it. Check Swank.com if your library has an active subscription - this database tells you which movies are allowed to be shown in public libraries and also gives programming ideas paired with movies too. You can browse "Ideas" for more information - even if you don't have a subscription. Tenth anniversary of Hamilton anyone??? December is 250th anniversary of Jane Austen's birthday, so get ready for some fun Regency program ideas!!

Mary has transitioned to the Circ dept at Homewood and is now doing adult programming. One fun thing she is doing is highlighting their Library of Things (LOT) through programming. For instance, they are having the Homewood ACE Hardware come talk about home repairs, etc. (high impact/low cost home improvement) and she will also feature Library of Things items that are available to the public. Other items in LOT might lend themselves well to finding people to do a program and promote this collection.

Laura at SR mentioned Sarah Neely from Smart Living Skills - she does adult programming on home organization (sarah@smartlivingskills.com, 205-504-6670).

Discussed possibly finding a female auto mechanic that could develop programs showing teens/adults the basics of car repair - breaking some stereotypes and making these things more accessible (what we can still do on our cars without a mechanic like changing tires, checking oil, etc.!) Both Homewood and Hoover have had very successful bicycle repair & maintenance programs using Redemptive Cycles (Hoover even did a bike collection drive for them too!) 

Discussed options for bringing yoga to the library - some yoga schools require community service and it might work to bring them in to teach at the library. This might be a free/low cost option as well. (I have at least three names and contacts for yoga on my handout. Frannie James Yoga does my chair yoga lessons at Hoover and at other libraries.)

Develop relationships with professionals and warm them up to the idea of bringing their work/personal passion to your library - people love to share they just have never thought to do it in a public forum. Works great for community building - they will post on their socials and promote it themselves. Also develop relationships with nonprofits...

Center Pt library recently partnered with Grace Klein to bring a one-day drive-through food pantry. It was a lot of work but very successful. This was a first time thing for a library around here but working with GK, it was a success - an awesome way to serve the community.

Speaking of nonprofits, Reba mentioned that they have a monthly program working with Bundles of Hope to give books to the kids each month. The kids now come to the library ready to check out books. She said, "become an advocate for what your population needs." Very true! Making a meaningful impact is what programming in our community is all about.

Hoover is adding weekly "sound baths" with Dr. Lindsey Smith of SynapticHarbor.com in January of 2026. Dr. Smith has worked with several local libraries to do these programs and she pairs them with "mini" brain lectures. She provides all the supplies. We are registering up to 20 people for each weekly session. Each session is $75. They have been well attended and a different kind of program! (She also does a lot of promotion herself through her site and social media.)

Lynn worked with United Ability to make bird feeders with cheerios and pipe cleaners. Ellen shared some of her favorite arts & crafts items like "bookish stained glass" - lots of great in-library crafts which are always a staple and very popular no matter the size of the library. Speaking of crafts, Trussville has had several successful Craft Supply Swaps which I then did at Hoover to great fanfare. Swaps seem to be all the rage. Some, like a clothing swap, might be very labor and space intensive, but O'Neal library does that well. Others, like a craft supply swap, just need time to organize and collect. Coat swaps, art swap, puzzle or game swaps - all can work at your library. (Trussville's swap gives vouchers to anyone donating so they can come to the supply swap early to get first pickings!) Hoover tried an ornament swap around the holidays but it was ill timed with a very popular children's program and didn't have great attendance but it's still a great idea.

There is a new store called the Craft Room opening on W. Oxmoor in Homewood that will be a "community hub for sustainable creativity" providing a cozy cafe with secondhand crafting. Might be worth checking out if you plan programs and need supplies on the cheap! Their email is hello@thecraftroom.co (just .co not com). 

Holly shared a bunch of great ideas: 

• mason jar crafts, 
• marbled flower pots, 
• magnets, 
• card making, 
• pumpkin painting, 
• jute rope wreath making, 
• sun catchers,
• DIY mugs,
• Pinterest will give you tons of ideas
• or ProgrammingLibrarian.org

Hoover had a very successful program with the Volunteer Lawyers Assn in Birmingham. They've been to several area libraries and hope to do more. If your library is interested, contact Megan Cheek at mcheek@volunteerlawyersbham.org. This is free civil legal advice or referrals for your community.

Trussville had September Reed come in to do yarn pumpkins which can be an easy but nice looking craft. Her contact information is below. She does all kind of programming in area libraries and is easy to work with.

UAB Lung Health Center does a great program on Anti-Vaping that would interest parents, and hopefully, teens. Ours wasn't well attended but the information is needed in the community. Crystal Stevens was a great presenter, ctstephens@uabmc.edu.

Hoover has invited Vallean Jackson, the author of a self-healing through journaling book. She's been great to work with and has already been at a couple of libraries. Hoover is tying it to the new year/new you along with vision boards which are very, very popular January program. authorvalleanj@gmail.com

Hoover did a great Paint Your Partner program combined with after-hours cocktails - some very serious fun was had! Several couples used the opportunity as a date night (and some misguided souls thought they were actually going to paint ON their partner, goodness!)

For the winter, a library could do Warm Up Wednesdays and offer hot beverages perhaps with a community talk or a brain teaser. A local coffee shop might want to get in on helping with something like this.

Don't forget the intergenerational ideas too: in January, they have International Lego Day which might be a great way to get families involved. There is a Yellowhammer LUG (Local Users Group), yellowhammerlug@gmail.com, (850.803.9888) - Melissa Chanslor, Builder-in-Chief (President) - they have done exhibitions of their setups and they are quite a spectacle! Perhaps a Lego swap to coincide?

At Hoover, we are doing a Sourdough Clinic where I have a friend/chef leading the discussion on upkeep for sourdough starter plus recipes and everything. It will be a chance to highlight our cookbook collection too. Plus, everyone will leave with the dry ingredients for starter in a mason jar! I found this idea on Programming Librarian (here's the article).

Center Point has been doing a Spice of the Month club, as well as Avondale library. Seems to be very, very popular with patrons. Staff takes time to bag up bulk quantities, recipes are included along with maybe the history of the spice. Not sure if it would work for a bigger library but this is such a wonderful idea! Could maybe work with teas or something similar too. Patrons wait to see what is posted on Facebook about the upcoming spice and come to pick them up.

We had a short discussion about the explosion of Mahjong and the need for teachers. If anyone knows teachers, please share contacts. O'Neal has a teacher that introduces the concepts but not outright classes. Hoover is having lessons for a lucky 8 people using volunteers from the community to teach. Seems to be very popular right now!

Ideas were solicited for Christmas programs, perhaps a Wrap & Yap? People could hang out together and wrap gifts. Hoover does provide a table where we provide wrapping paper and accessories if patrons want to wrap them on site. Others plan cookie swaps. At Hoover, I teamed up with the Youth department on a Yule Book Flood, officially called Jolabokaflod. It's based on the Icelandic tradition of giving books to loved ones the night before Christmas. We planned it as a "cozy" event with cozy crafts and activities. I took over the library plaza area and set up three couches with comfy blankets and pillows and a big screen tv tuned into a roaring fire. I also provided hot beverages and cookies and two adult crafts. It was a huge success - so I'm doing it again this year just for the adults! We also included what was essentially a "blind date with a book" element to the event too that proved to be popular.

Shawn shared her plans for Holiday Hoppers - the idea is to hop around the globe and explore different cultures - there are new foods and traditions from other countries. There is usually an icebreaker activity with, like, the 12 Days of Christmas, along with rebus puzzles and it ends with "global bites" catered by KFC (because that is a huge tradition at Christmas time in Japan!) and wassail, churros, gingerbread and more. They also get to learn about the different cultures and customs! What a great idea!!!

How many of you are using AI to generate ideas or program titles? I will be from now on!!!

Shawn was seeking more ideas for her senior group, planning ahead. Anything specific to seniors like fraud avoidance, dealing with grief and depression, help with finances, all have been successful but it's hard to get the group to give input for what to do next! Also a good angle would be to have tech classes specifically tailored for seniors too. Perhaps something on self-defense or disaster preparedness would work. And don't forget the Alabama Cooperative Extension Service - it's not just agricultural programs either. Homewood had something called "Masters of Memory" that was very well attended - about strengthening your memory for all ages.

Alabamahistory.net (Alabama Humanities Alliance) has lots of program ideas for bringing history topics to the public and their funding was cut but their lecture series is back up and running. One library had a speaker come talk about the Tuskegee Airmen and that was popular. (Dr. Lisa Bradden, I believe.) 

More ideas:

• Jan Mattingly "The Science Lady", Dynamic Education Adventures, science programs for teens or adults
• Ivy Brook Apiary - will bring bees and honey / contact: ivybrookaplary@outlook.com also on Facebook @ www.facebook.com/ivybrrokaplary.  Looking to book them in Spring/Summer 2024
• Live Well Alabama - AL Extension Service - lots of ideas for bringing them to the library.
• Dr. Andy Coleman @ Urban Turtle Project, atcoleman80@gmail.com - great for all ages.
• Mandy Trott, Astrologer, contact: ecstaticastrology@gmail.com, works with libraries.
• Jessica Watts from Houseplant Collective, 256-283-5157, jessica@houseplantcollective.com
• Joe Hobby, comedy writer and storyteller (adults and teens) contact: 205-568-2559, mylifeasahobby.blogspot.com
• September Reed, artist, (recent program creating yarn pumpkins) zentangle & henna programs at various libraries, www.whimmmsy.com