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SLIS 754 Library Programing for Children and Young Adults

Breakfast with Baba & Gigi is a proposed plan to organize a monthly gathering which centers on strengthening the relationship between grandparents and their grandchildren. The target population for the Breakfast with Baba & Gigi program will focus primarily on grandparents who are raising their grandchildren. In my home state of South Carolina you’ll find that 134,710 (12.5%) of children under the age of 18 are living in households with grandparents or relatives who aren’t their biological parents. The numbers will vary from state to state. Even though the target population is specifically grandparents who are legally raising their grandchildren the program will not be limited to them only. Parents who want to build stronger family connections will also be encouraged to partake with their parents and children to better help understand and remember the unique bond grandparents have with their grandchildren.

This program is geared primarily for elementary and middle school students, but high school level kids are also welcomed if also included in the family dynamic as well. On the South Carolina State Library’s website you’ll find a section called Grand family resources mapping out how SC libraries are establishing locations in comminutes where resources for Grandparents raising their grandchildren can be housed. The Breakfast with Babi & Gigi program would work very well as a monthly event in various locations. One programing idea that’s effective enough to put into action is to compile a list of books ranging from child to adult that’s geared towards grandparents. This list wouldn’t consist of the selected books for the initial program, however, but as a springboard and create a domino effect so after the target audience is introduced to the selected books for the program they’ll find more options and choices outside of that if they please to do so.

SLIS 754 helped me with the role of leadership and management. I was able to find a solid method to help reach out to the community and bring in more patrons to the library with programs and activities that would cater to the wants and needs of the aforementioned community patrons. Using methods such as this are key in bringing in the patrons. Looking back on this I realize how important things like this are in any community. There can be minor obstacles in achieving this however such as a lack of cooperating with the community, which in itself can get better once a level of trust and assurance is developed between them and the library. These are, however, expected as it’s been long known that there’s usually a barrier between getting more people to come to the library for reasons that range from lack of awareness that it’s even there to them simply not knowing of the different family oriented programs that are available through the library. This is one of the many reasons I think an event such as this would be great starting off small and then growing over time…after all, in my personal opinion, word of mouth is still the best form of advertising.