Urban branches: 8 ways to increase circulation

Ohio Libraries, Winter 2003 by Dutton, Brenda

* We have the best deal in town! Services are offered without cost to teachers, care providers, adults, teens, parents and children. But resources aren't free. Make it known that the expectation is to have a card and to use it to check out materials. It's a bit hard to do the first time, and gets easier each time afterwards. Schedule and require time for browsing and checkout with all visiting classes. Drop off card applications ahead of time with a deadline for return so they are ready when classes visit.

BE OPEN TO IDEAS

*Anyone can have a winning idea. Encourage all your staff to find solutions.

* Every staff member does monthly materials displays. The array of interests in even a small staff is amazing. Many of our customers come weekly, so our goal is to change some displays weekly. Display areas can be a huge slat board, a desk point-of-purchase display, a cardboard book dump or the slat wall end cap on a range of shelves.

* Don't be afraid to try something crazy. The original idea may be a dud and still inspire a spin-off that is successful.

* Urban and suburban kids respond differently. The year there was a lanyard as a reward in the reading club, our kids were delighted. Suburban kids were not. About three years ago when there was an adventure themed reading program, the system tried "treasure books." Books were chosen and reserved to generate a "treasure book" message at checkout. The person having a treasure book got to pick a prize from the treasure chest. It was wildly successful at our branch and we continue treasure books each summer. In 2002, a teen treasure chest was added to reward teens for reading YA books. It was the success of treasure books paired with information from a workshop on counseling employees that got us thinking about reinforcing the behavior we wanted.

FIND CREATIVE WAYS TO REMOVE BARRIERS TO THE DESIRED BEHAVIOR

Goal = Circulation. Barrier = Urban customers often have cards blocked by fines.

* We use "work projects" to allow adults and youth to work off their fines. Projects like cleaning books, pulling holiday books for displays, cutting up rolls of subject labels, stamping library card applications and labeling CD hangers. Each spring we have a library team at the community clean-- up that picks up litter and works off fines at the same time. All those projects were still not enough to meet the need.

* We returned to "reward the behavior wanted". We wanted workable cards so people could check out books to read. We needed fine work that could clear large fines. Our most successful idea began with having kids read to and with our summer assistant. The kids loved the individual attention and were getting much needed reading practice. In the fall we decided to try a Fine Read Day. The program is open to independent readers who are paired with a buddy. They choose a book from a large selection and read aloud for about 35 minutes. The listener helps with hard words, sometimes talks about the books and can also "listen off" fines. When high school seniors needed community service hours, or an adult has big fines, we now have a work project. There is a short refreshment break (usually cookies and lemonade) to allow set-up time for a simple craft-the reward part of the program for the children. Readers and listeners work together on the craft. We collaborate with FYI: Franklinton Youth Involved teens who serve as listeners and who plan and provide either the snack or craft each month during the school year.