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Outreach services include any activities that occur outside of the traditional library setting. Outreach Services at the East Baton Rouge Parish Library typically fall into three categories: informational, community relations, and service delivery.Each year, Library staff make hundreds of visits to public, private and parochial schools, pre-schools, day-care centers, book clubs and adult study groups, community clubs and organizations. Some visits feature staff as formal speakers or presenters; others are short visits (infomercials) designed to simply advertise the library’s many free materials, services and programs.
Outreach designed to build community relations is generally part of a special community event or activity. During these events, library staff are usually scheduled to “man” some kind of booth or table and demonstrate special resources, including electronic resources. They hand out library promotional items appropriate for the intended audience, recruit new card holders, and sign people up for special programs such as the Big Read or the Summer Reading Program. When appropriate, staff make formal presentations as part of the event. Some events are more active, with staff serving more as street vendors than stationary table sitters.
Examples of book talks to area public, private and parochial schools by Teen or Children’s Services staff:
Examples of library informational visits by Adult Services or Reference Services staff:
Examples of research talks to area public, private and parochial schools by Teen Services staff:
The Library provides regular “delivery” service to several groups of patrons.
The Library’s Bookmobile makes regular visits to over 40 senior centers / retirement homes, to personally deliver library materials to residents. The Bookmobile is completely stocked with print and audio-visual materials, especially large print materials, appropriate for this audience. To supplement the resources of this 6,000 volume traveling collection, each resident has a special profile, and the Bookmobile Librarian and her assistant select books and other resources according to the profiles on file or by special request. This service dates to 2003.
Many visits take place inside the facility rather than on the vehicle, due to the health or mobility of the residents. The Bookmobile Librarian or Adult Services Librarians are regularly asked to provide special booktalks or presentations on topics of interest to the residents of the various facilities; these presentations take place in community rooms within the facilities. In years past, presentations have ranged from booktalks on the Big Read selection, to armchair traveling, to computer demonstrations of special health consumer databases and training for retirement center staff or other caregivers. Computer classes are sometimes arranged, as well.
Upon occasion, the Bookmobile makes an appearance in special events such as the Book Festival or Back to School Fairs, parades, and other community events.
Received in the fall of 2010, the Library’s Preschool Literacy Bookmobile, along with two smaller vans, will make regular visits to pre-schools and day care centers, to personally deliver library materials to the children, present storytimes, place and rotate deposit book collections in each center, and provide information for parents and care-givers. The Bookmobile is completely stocked with thousands of print titles specially chosen for this pre-school audience but also contains materials of interest to adults and teens. Fully equipped with computer technology as well, this 37’ bookmobile also makes appearances to other facilities, to not only deliver library resources but also provide free computer classes and instruction. Upon occasion, the Bookmobile will make an appearance in special events such as the Book Festival, Back to School Fairs, parades, and other community events.
The Library placed deposit picture book collections at all Head Start Centers in Baton Rouge beginning in 2005. Initially, a total of 1,500 books were placed at thirteen Head Starts for three to five-year-olds and two YWCA Early Head Starts for two-year-olds. Other centers have since been been added.
Books included in each deposit collection remain the property of the Library and are intended for use by staff and children at each Center. Every book has been carefully selected by the Children’s Services Division for appropriate age and developmental level. The deposit collections include standard classic books for children that have stood the test of time as well as new favorites and multi-cultural titles. Respected bibliographies of children’s books developed by the American Library Association and the Children’s Book Council were used in the selection process.
Head Start staff members read books to the children and listen to beginning readers as they advance through each book level. Even non-readers have used these delightful picture books independently. Library staff members visit each site, to model good techniques with staff, share stories, and to help parents and their children get library cards
Teen Services Librarians and staff make regular visits to the Juvenile Detention Center, located in a lock-down facility near the BR Airport. The JDC houses 52 young people ranging in age from 10 to 17. These young offenders are, by and large, low-literate, disenfranchised teenagers who have had minimal success in the traditional educational system.
Established in 2004, the Library’s Outreach Center provides a special deposit collection of print and non-print resources to help educate, improve, and enrich the lives of these at-risk youth. Working within the material guidelines for the Juvenile Detention Facility, the East Baton Rouge Parish Library furnished hundreds of new books, audios, videos, DVDs, and magazines, and also provided the Outreach Center with posters and new furniture.
Resources in the Outreach Center are crafted to focus on existing issues for at-risk youth. Fiction titles present stories of realistic pressures of modern day life, which encourage the growth of critical thinking and decision-making when dealing with these obstacles. Non-fiction resources contain facts about careers, goal-setting, events in history, and other related topics.
Small collections of light reading, large print, and children’s materials have been placed at a number of local community residences and day care facilities.
Community Organizations, churches, schools, daycares, and other interested persons that would like to schedule the bookmobile, or learn more about the bookmobile services, please fill out the request form below or contact Outreach Services via email at bookmobile@ebrpl.com
