Back in Circulation Again 2024

What kind of "personality" does your academic library have? If it is anything like Fondren Library’s was pre-pandemic, it might be described as traditional, quiet, serious, or staid and the events offered by the library would probably fit into that description as well. That is until Fondren staff got the library party started by creating an events’ committee for promoting library resources and services! This session will explore the evolution of Fondren’s library events and events’ committee beginning with our offering of minimally planned "study breaks” organized by the Circulation department, to scheduling online events during the pandemic, to planning and implementing major year-round fun events involving all of the library staff and departments for library promotion. We will also discuss how to bring often introverted library staff together to form an events’ committee and provide practical tips as to how any library can get the party started! We will also review what events have been wildly successful at the library as well as some of our “duds'' and why the events turned out that way.

Session participants will learn how to plan and implement small to large events, how to make the events more inclusive, how to truly listen to students for the kind of events they would like to have, and how to include non-patron facing library staff in collaboration for the event.