Using Pop Culture to Create Great Library Programs

Using Pop Culture to Create Great Library Programs

Presented by Katie LaMantia

and Emily Vinci March 16, 2016

A Year of Programs for Millennials and More

Amy J. Alessio, Katie LaMantia, and Emily Vinci

American Library Association

Avengers Assemble!Q: Why are we so interested in pop culture

programming?

A: It’s our entire lives!

And also it...

●brings people together

●highlights the value of the library and its collections

●makes use of our own interests

Pop Culture & Fandom: What are we even talking

about?

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you

hear “pop culture”?Please tell us in the chat!

Pop Culture

• Culture of the people, everything that surrounds us

• Heavily influenced by media

• Arguably a driving force in social media and can change rapidly

• The heartbeat of the Internet

[FandoWWm continued]

What are these “meme” and “gif” things?

#MemeHistory

Pop culture changes rapidly!

Fandom – A Crash Course

Fandom: a subculture/community of people who share a common interest in a particular piece of pop culture (i.e. movie, TV show, comic book, etc.), often characterized, in part, for the feelings of empathy and camaraderie felt with one another over their shared interests

FANDOM TERMS

Fandom Art is important

(and beautiful)!

Get Inspired!

Additional Resources

And also…

Why do Pop Culture/Fandom Programming at all?

Brings people together, encourages engagement and participation in a real world community aspect● Engages library collections in an

exciting way ● Look at your mission/goals/values

statement/strategic plan○ If your goals include

all-ages/intergenerational programming, pop culture and fandom provide tons of opportunities!

● Promote your GN collection/increase circulation● Provide social opportunities - esp. if your library

isn't in a city or urban area● Show the library in a new light

Possible Program Goals and Outcomes

Bonus! If you're a supervising librarian, perhaps you can't offer your staff higher pay or many opportunities

to go to professional development conferences, but you can offer them the freedom to incorporate

their own interests into programming and outreach.

Because it’s fun!

Reaching New Audiences●New people, or people using the library in a new way●People who come to other pop culture events

○Online communities, Comic Con fans○Not necessarily interested in traditional library

programming●Engagement and activities are important

Strategic Timing ● Integrating pop culture

into your library programming provides great opportunities for tie-ins to media events.

● Going Viral! It’s not always possible to plan super far in advance - pop culture happens (and changes) fast! Some things become an overnight sensation.

Media Tie-InsLook ahead to movie releases and movie adaptations:

Ferris Bueller’s 30th Celebration

Back to the Future Part II

Anniversary Specials

Get Out (Of the library, of your comfort zone…)

Community Outreach & Engagement

The Power of Nostalgia“Nostalgia is recall without the criticism of the present

day, all the good parts, memory without the pain. Finally, nostalgia asks so little of us, just to be noticed

and revisited.” 

-Carrie Brownstein, Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl

Questions?

Programs

●Kids

●Teens

●Adults/NextGen

●Intergenerational

●Passive Programming and Displays

Kids

●Paddington Bear

●Wild Rumpus Storytime

●Magic Tree House

●Superhero Storytime

Teen: Books, Gifs, Movies and More!

●Trivia

●Games

●Challenges

●Crafts

●Snacks

Essentials of a Fandom Celebration

Divergent Party

John Green Party

City of Bones Party

Book BonanzaARCs + Teens + Butterbeer= Fun and Mess!

Fandom Frenzy

Adult/NextGen: Because Adults Like to Have Fun, Too!

● Hosted by Daily Herald film critic Dann Gire and award-winning author Raymond Benson

● Features an evening of film clips and discussion on individual topics such as Oscar picks, great sports movies, etc.

Dann and Raymond’s Movie Club

’90s Halloween Throwback• Pumpkin Painting

• DIY dirt cups

• Watching Goosebumps

• Fruit Roll-Ups, Gushers, Fruit-by-the-Foot

• Trick-or-Treating candy assortment

’80s Halloween Throwback to the Future ● Watching

Back to the Future II

● ’80s board games

● Making scrunchies

● Trick-or-Treating candy game

Young(ish) Adult Book ClubA book discussion for adults who like to read Teen/YA lit.

● Also incorporates trips to see movie adaptations titles we’ve read

● Fangirl and Carry On by Rainbow Rowell Opportunities to fangirl!

● Future: Into the Dim, pairing teen Scottish time travel novel with Outlander

Intergenerational●Author Visits

●Swordplay Guild

●Comic Con

Author Visits

Swordplay Guild

Comic Con

Passive Programming

●Anime Nights

●Fanfiction contest

The Happiness Project

Project Let it Go

Displays

•Hashtags

•Memes and gifs

•Relevant and applicable, but not just heavy promotion for programs

Social Media

Future Ideas…● Cosplay

● Shark Week

● Renaissance Faire

● Talk Like a Pirate Day

● Podcast listening parties ○ Welcome to Nightvale○ Serial

Budget & Marketing● Varies by library

depending on budget and size

● Marketing○ Social media presence○ Licensing agreements

for movies○ Photo ops, timeliness○ Marketing through

circulation and books for media specific program, i.e. flyers GNs, stand ups for Comic Con

●Pop culture and Internet fame can be instantaneous- keep up to date!

●Patrons will help guide you

●Get out of your comfort zone- take risks

Takeaways...

Questions?

Facebook Groups:• Programming Librarians• Teen Librarians• Millennial Programming• Libraries and Social Media

ALA:• Games and Gaming Round Table (GameRT)• Comics and Graphic Novels member interest group

Additional Library/Pop Culture Resources

Contact Us Katie LaMantia

klamantia@stdl.org

Emily Vincievinci@stdl.org

Join us September 14 for an in-depth look at how to put on your own library Comic Con during our workshop “Hosting Your Own Comic-Con: Bring Patrons to Your Library with Comic Books”

Thank you for attending!

Image Creditshttp://giphy.com/gifs/oh-muppets-d23-13EOgFTzFfiUMhttp://pyxurz.blogspot.com/2012/09/anchorman-page-5-of-7.htmlhttp://45.media.tumblr.com/62e4b518ffc952aff41b812fd2ea88d6/tumblr_n3zvsuBDP91r5rwh1o3_500.gifhttp://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/5163YHRt18L._SY344_BO1,204,203,200_.jpghttp://www.hotkeyblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/FangirlWIP.jpghttp://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ebdPpKiMNv4/U7ayZQGowBI/AAAAAAAABSc/nU1Tw6l1tis/s1600/fangirl2.pnghttp://d.gr-assets.com/books/1413576254l/23149938.jpghttp://d.gr-assets.com/books/1363656341l/17568806.jpghttp://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51XfbTo2iOL._SX323_BO1,204,203,200_.jpghttp://www.perpetualgeekmachine.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/the-nerdist-logo-wide-560x282.jpghttp://www.theroyalfrontier.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Internet-sq.pnghttp://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/harrypotter/images/c/c5/Wizarding-world-of-harry-potter-logo.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20121218193904http://images4.fanpop.com/image/photos/19100000/Star-Trek-Logo-star-trek-original-series-19173893-1440-900.jpghttps://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/b/b9/My_Little_Pony_G4_logo.svg/1024px-My_Little_Pony_G4_logo.svg.pnghttp://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/tardis/images/6/69/Doctor_Who_Logo_without_BBC.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20111006032934http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/logopedia/images/6/66/Naruto_logo.gif/revision/latest?cb=20101019010717https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/6/6f/Adventure_Time_logo.pnghttps://45.media.tumblr.com/95c8b7d28a10201b0cfba80ed8f1783e/tumblr_mghwcwHfaO1r4gzfro1_500.gifhttps://thenewcollegeprofessor.files.wordpress.com/2014/08/pop-culture-meme.jpghttp://www.quickmeme.com/img/38/383bf2332cf56227a81cc2fa28f6f1dbf3d4483cfb3b59d02cc8596ed8e04d7b.jpghttps://istepani.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/fangirlheartgrave.png?w=502

Image Credits Cont’dhttp://hardcoverradio.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/fanfics.pnghttp://talkingcomicbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/en-akademisk-kvart-fanfiction-english-language-learning-2-638.jpghttp://www.waterfrontpgh.com/wp-content/uploads/Pop-Culture-608x500.jpghttp://erikahoward.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/You-can-do-it-BABY.jpghttp://www.quickmeme.com/img/5b/5bbbd88e43ca7ad7cf4d210efec4dc3fd0244b833751bdbf2b6ed3d18c66e4eb.jpghttps://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/9/9e/Free_Comic_Book_Day.jpg/240px-Free_Comic_Book_Day.jpghttp://geektasia.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/may4th_featured.jpghttp://4.bp.blogspot.com/_mdBum3q8hE0/THGDpCywe7I/AAAAAAAACpM/v2XLdmvN9Pg/s400/health12.PNGhttps://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/6a/0e/31/6a0e31f17d089a724da48cef64c8440d.jpghttp://static1.squarespace.com/static/52cafb80e4b0aeb5eedf6291/t/54ecf6cce4b012d8652aa867/1424815822482/http://shirtigo.co/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/everythingisawesome.jpghttp://www.cinemablend.com/images/news/99827/_1450048116.jpghttp://s3.foxfilm.com/foxmovies/production/films/102/images/posters/426-asset-page.jpghttp://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/angrybirds/images/8/85/ABMoviePoster2.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20150922213759http://cdn2.denofgeek.us/sites/denofgeekus/files/styles/insert_main_wide_image/public/3/00//finding_dory_poster.jpeg?itok=hfTvlsCGhttp://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/81-DFVziuwL.jpghttp://www.dafont.com/forum/attach/orig/4/2/428050.jpghttps://img.buzzfeed.com/buzzfeed-static/static/2015-04/23/12/enhanced/webdr06/enhanced-19465-1429806575-15.jpghttp://hellogiggles.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/08/sharkweek.jpghttps://www.currencyfair.com/cf-content/uploads/2014/08/viral-marketing-meme.jpghttps://clawingmywaytothetop.files.wordpress.com/2013/07/3q8q76.jpghttp://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eymTwNBMQgc/TzXRvOV4bVI/AAAAAAAAATk/0wzsVoPtrzM/s400/ai1.pnghttp://www.troll.me/images/x-all-the-things/i-will-love-all-the-fandoms.jpg

http://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/z32tbgoi5vmllxer555n.jpghttp://www.ala.org/aboutala/sites/ala.org.aboutala/files/content/contactus/rights/files/ala_ID_websafe.jpghttp://www.glutenfreegigi.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/google-takeout-box.jpghttp://1.bp.blogspot.com/_bKoAd4YrGgM/TMDXk3GYvDI/AAAAAAAAG9A/v5qLb7ISI-g/s1600/FLASHBACK+FRIDAY+%233.jpg

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Image Credits Cont’d