From blocks and shakers to book clubs, EPL’s youth programs support both adolescents and their parents, encouraging literacy and learning. By Janice Vis
On a hot day in 2015, I developed a plan: a quiet afternoon of reading at Edmonton's West Henday Promenade library. Instead, I happened upon fifteen elementary-aged children gabbing unceasingly while forging through construction paper and old magazines. I watched with amused interest as the kids folded and cut, creating and decorating origami creations under the instruction of the library staff. It was my first glimpse into EPL’s programming for adolescents.
Library programs target older adolescents as well. For example, EPL librarian Mona Bacon recently wrote a short blog about Youth Talk, a program for teenaged immigrants and refugees that aims to help improve communication skills, cultural knowledge, and academic achievements in an uplifting space. The group meets for discussion, covering a wide variety of topics--anything from hockey to religion--while building their English vocabulary. Bacon notes that several of the youth were “keen to let [her] know how valuable the Youth Talk program has been for them” as they navigate an unfamiliar country and a new language.
But these are only a few examples; in every library branch, a full schedule suggests that the library is exploding with a wide variety of activities. Perhaps unsurprsingly, EPL reports hosting over twenty thousand programs in 2016, and the library saw a 25% increase in attendance for in-house programs.
But EPL’s plans don’t always end in glittering success. In early February 2017, I visited the Enterprise Square library to investigate Storytime. A table had been set aside for the event, but, come 2:00pm, nobody showed up. While a staff member spoke to a few children in the area, no one seemed particularly keen to join in. Notably, Storytime is merely a fifteen minute program, and, given that the Enterprise Square branch had only recently opened, the lack of enthusiastic participants can be forgiven.
However, I was left with more questions about programming at the EPL. What do youth programs look like, and how do they function? Which are well-attended? I started investigating more intentionally, and Elaine Jones, Manager of Youth Services and epl2go, helped provide some answers.
The Most Popular: Sing, Sign, Laugh, Learn
In recent months, I routinely visit the Woodcroft branch to check out what’s scheduled. On Saturday mornings, I always find the program room excited with toddlers and their parents. They’re often using shakers or other interactive props, forming a lively ensemble, laughing and singing while listening to stories. This program--Sing, Sign, Laugh, and Learn (SSLL)--is offered at every branch and is scheduled more than any other.
Elaine explains that SSLL is the library’s “most popular program overall (in terms of number of participants at all branches for all age groups).” She describes it as “an early literacy program... for children from birth to age three accompanied by a grown-up. Parents learn strategies to engage their child and enhance their child's communication and development through repetition, visuals and movement.”
This sounds technical, but from my observations, SSLL is a lot of fun. After all, who doesn’t like rhymes, jingles, bells, and blocks? No wonder it’s so popular. I ask Elaine for some more official reasons behind its success.
“SSLL is a well designed program that engages both children and their parents or caregiver,” she says. It may be a childrens’ program, but it’s not only about the young ones. “I think SSLL may also be popular because parents get more leave than they did in the past. So, if you are staying home with your baby for a year, you may be more likely to try to fill that time with activities to engage your child. SSLL also has ‘community time’ built in at the end (which staff promote) which encourages parents and caregivers to build connections with each other. This is also appealing to parents who may be missing face-to-face contact with other adults during the day. There is also more of a cultural understanding of the benefits of early literacy, so parents may be more motivated to actively support their child’s development through these programs.”
School-Aged Readers: Summer Reading Club and Young Readers’ Choice Award
As previously noted, EPL offers programs for a variety of age groups. Elaine mentions two programs popular among school-aged children: the Summer Reading Club and the Young Readers’ Choice Award YRCA).
EPL’s summer reading club is part of a larger event called “Summer Starts at EPL!” The program aims to keep kids reading while on a break from classes. EPL's website notes that “research suggests that children who read throughout the summer return to school better prepared to learn and read than other children.” Fun, of course, is still part of the equation, and library staff "want [participants] to be excited about reading,” so the program includes prizes for ambitious readers.
Elaine explains that the “Young Readers’ Choice Award is a popular fiction award decided by children in Grades 4-12 in the Pacific Northwest who read nominated titles and vote in 3 age divisions.” These age divisions are split into Junior (Gr. 4-6), Intermediate (Gr. 7-9), and Senior (Gr. 10-12) categories. The award began in 1940, making it the oldest children’s choice award in North America. It was developed by the Pacific Northwest Library Association, and currently runs in Alaska, Washington, Montana, Idaho, British Columbia, and Alberta.
However, despite the success of these programs, their attendance is slipping. “Summer Reading Club participation has dropped off markedly over the past 4-5 years with less children signing up and completing the 6 hours of reading,” Elaine tells me. The YRCA is also experiencing a downturn: “participation (as measured by voting) has also been declining in the past 5 years.”
When asked for possible explanations, Elaine confesses she’s not quite sure. “There are many variables that might be contributing. I suspect that there is more competition with other leisure activities and that reading books for pleasure is declining for many children. Reading program participation may be following the same trend.”
Information might also be a contributing factor to the participation in these programs. EPL’s 2016 Report "What Tweens Want" focuses on kids in the age group between nine and fourteen, and states that, during interviews, “both parents and tweens commented that they viewed the library as being a place ‘for little kids,’ and remarked on early literacy programs, yet had little knowledge of tween programming.” The report also suggested greater efforts could be made to make their programs for older children more visible, accessible, and desirable. When asking tweens and their parents about increasing participation, prizes and food were frequently suggested, as well as greater collaboration with schools to coordinate transportation.
Location also impacts programming success. “We’ve had more success with literacy programs in the south,” Elaine informs me, listing Whitemud Crossing and Riverbend as two branches with high participation.
The Book’s the Thing: What Materials are Popular in these Programs?
When I ask Elaine about popular reading materials amongst youth, she returns to the YRCA, as the nominations and winners emerge from adolescents' voting. Notably, however, adults can, even unintentionally, impact the unfolding of the YRCA. Teachers might assign one novel as part of classwork (the EPL offers resources for teachers interested in these titles,) bringing that title more visibility. The discussions (labelled “booktalks”) lead by teachers or librarians also impact how youth interact with these titles.
“Because we booktalk all the titles in the YRCA program, a good booktalk can sometimes make it easier for someone to take a chance on something new - to pick up a book by a new author, or in a new genre, or a book with an unappealing cover,” Elaine tells me. “Of course, the opposite can be true as well…. Still, we find that promoting a new list of titles every year, featuring these prominently in the library, and creating a bit of a sense of urgency/competition around reading these particular titles within a class or peer group does influence their selection as reading material. It helps our staff to focus on what to recommend as well.”
Within the YRCA, Elaine says they’ve noticed “a trend towards more romance and more titles that are part of a fiction series, but it does vary from year to year.” A quick look at the previous winners confirms this observation--romance titles like John Green’s The Fault in Our Stars are listed along with books from the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series.
Young people may also be interested in books they relate to or titles written for their generation. The 2016 winning titles include the young adult romance This Is What Happy Looks Like by Jennifer E Smith, which includes and online romance young people may find pertinent to their own online experiences. Similarly, video games play a prominent role in the Junior Division winner, Escape From Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein. Other factors in popular culture influence reading practises and the contest’s outcome as well: the winning titles also include The Fifth Wave by Richard Yancy, a text recently turned into a film, which may have propelled its popularity.
Program Origins and Development
With more thorough understanding of popularity and reading materials, I began to ask more technical questions about EPL’s youth programming. How did these particular programs come about?
“It varies from program to program… SSLL was originally developed by the Edmonton Early Intervention Program at Alberta Health Services,” Elaine explains. “But others, e.g. Level Up Your Reading (a literacy program centred around Minecraft) was developed by a library assistant at EPL. Summer Reading Club and Family Storytime have been around in libraries for a very long time and they continue to evolve.” On such evolution is that of language. The Whitemud Crossing branch provides Arabic Storytime, in Bonnie Doon stories are told in French, and Punjabi speakers can attend storytime at the Meadows branch.
Sometimes, “evolve” means retirement, and new, more appealing programs are introduced. When I ask Elaine these decisions, she points to public participation. “We take a system-wide approach to programming at EPL, which means that we are most interested in programs that have broad appeal and healthy attendance in most locations.” Changing programs, while necessary, can be complicated. “We encourage new program development and have a process for piloting new programs, but it can take two years until a program reaches all branches. Branches are also required to deliver a minimum number of programs deemed ‘foundational’ which can make it challenging to find space in a branch calendar to deliver new programs.”
The ‘foundational’ programs are generally those which are particularly popular and well-received by the public: SSLL is an example of one of these foundational programs. Every EPL branch, no matter the size or location, offers it to nearby residents. Smaller branches with fewer rooms, or no separate rooms at all, understandably have a harder time finding both the time and space for new programs.
The Delivery
According to Elaine, “All programs are delivered by staff, although some have a volunteer component (e.g. Reading Buddies, Reading Rockstars).” Those interested in volunteering can visit the website to begin the application process. Some positions are meant for certain age groups; reading buddies pairs teenagers with kids in grades two to four.
“Program specific training is offered within EPL, led by EPL trainers for the most part,” Elaine says, adding that “We have one program, Daddy Boot Camp, which is supported by a local celebrity guest, Yukon Jack from The Bear.”
Tackling the Challenges, Encouraging Outreach
When asked about challenges, Elaine replies, “It can be difficult to reach the kids that need us the most. This is why we go into the schools and do programming in the community. We have to build familiarity in the hope that it will help make kids more comfortable coming to us in the library.”
EPL’s classroom involvement can take many forms. Staff offer to visit schools, host field trips to a local branch for free, and hand out library cards in the classroom. They’ve even developed a class presentation corresponding to grade eight social studies curriculum.
Additionally, epl2go literacy vans regularly make stops in neighbourhoods without easy access to a library branch. Bumping into an EPL booth in a familiar environment may be more a more comfortable introduction to the library for those who are unfamiliar with its services and mandate. It also increases accessibility for low-income families or individuals reliant on transit who may have a harder time travelling to a nearby branch.
I end by asking Elaine about factors central to her work, and she highlights accessibility, describing it as “crucial for young people and their families.” As a result, “programs are free and you don’t need a library card to participate. Even though library programs may build on and extend the formal learning done in schools the approach is different - more relaxed – with the focus on discovery rather than a particular lesson. This is the library’s strength.”
I would say it is only one of many strengths; EPL’s youth programs support both adolescents and their parents, encourage literacy and learning, and continue to adapt to best serve the community. For children of all ages, the library is a good place to be.
Last Updated: Mar 25, 2017
