Young Professionals: The Missing Link

1. Young Professionals: The Missing Link SI 643: Winter 2012

2. Your Presenters: Caitlin R. Halley T. Mariah C.

3. Agenda • Barriers to participation • Potential problems • Programming case studies • Questions

4. Learning Goals • Define “Young Professionals” as patron group • Understand why they are underserved • How we, as librarians, can better serve them

5. Who are “Young Professionals ? “The term young professional generally refers to a young person not in school who is employed in a profession or white-collar occupation.” Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_professional

6. Importance • Advocates • Volunteers • Specific Committees • Event Planning Ideas

7. Importance • May have used libraries before • Have specific information needs and problems

8. Why are they underserved? • Not a large population of young professionals currently use public libraries • Several barriers that prevent them from participating in library programs

9. Barriers to Participation • Most library programming is oriented towards families with kids • Timing of programming vs. library hours • Lack of awareness/specific marketing • Planning/time constraints for librarians

10. Polls! • When was the last time you were at the library? (for yourself, not for school!) Please reply to this question in chat 

11. Polls Cont. • What was the last library programming you attended? • How did you find out about it?

12. Polls Cont. • How would you feel about meeting up with a librarian and a group at a: • coffee shop • bar • movie theater book>movie discussion

13. Information and Social Needs • Can be very mobile, sometimes because of careers • Info needs -- decisions to make • Learning about cool local places (ex: craft breweries, cider mills) • Tax/financial decisions & needs • Social needs -- a group that’s not their co-workers

14. Determine needs, then develop programs…

15. Case Studies: Three examples of libraries successfully developing programs to serve YPs

16. Multnomah County Library Portland, OR Realized they needed to meet their potential patrons where they were: Interest-wise Physically image: mcl

17. Response: Planning library visits to events and locations where potential library patrons are already gathering and talking Stumptown Comics Fest Keep Portland Weird Fest Events & programs tying into print/lit culture not previously seen as “library-like” Zine library and related programming Looking at ways to make events library already hosts more friendly to those patrons sans-children Central Library Block Party – adjustments to format images: DIY Stumptown Comics Fest & MCL

18. Results Connection to patrons in the “YP” demographic who are interested/engaged in reading, producing and sharing media, but perhaps doing so in less traditional formats images: DIY alert

19. Kansas City Public Library Recognized that the library could provide programming that wasn’t necessarily being provided by other organizations… image: david king

20. Response: Tailoring programming to show that the library understands needs & wants of this demographic: Rooftop movies, “New Cult Canon” Food/”Eclectic Eats” Specific local interest in military issues image: programming librarian

21. Results In addition to connecting specifically with this tricky demographic… Library has also been able to secure media and build local media partnerships/relationships image: AV Club

22. Henderson LibrariesNevada, outside Las Vegas Library leadership initially presumed:service area = mostly retired seniors and young families Market research showed:Many young professionals in the service area without children. In fact, only 35% of households included children image: we are imagine

23. Response: Addition of on-demand database services in Business Consumer Health School Support/Scholarships & Grants Broad-based ad & PR campaign Boosting general awareness of the library and its services/programs High Quality Brochures and Print Materials Telling library’s story via benefit statements relevant to specific segments image: we are imagine

24. Results: Library has seen increased usage across: # of patrons (card-holders) Checkouts Visitors/”gate-count” Recognized as willing to try new programs, experiment Redbox example Image: Las Vegas Sun

25. Questions & Answers Thank you! Evaluation here: http://bit.ly/IbIeUh

26. References & links • Brewer, Amanda; Kirk, Kristen; Latalladi, Portia; Sajones, Sandra; Shorr, Manya. "IfYouDidn’t Work Here, Would You Come Here?" Slideshare. Presentation deck. Web. 6 Apr. 2012.<http://www.slideshare.net/gueste89715ad/if-you-didnt-work-here-would-you-visit-presentation> • Futterman, Marc. "Finding the Underserved." Library Journal, 15 Oct. 2008. Web. 6 Apr. 2012.<http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6602835.html> • Oder, Norman. "PLA 2010 Conference: Reaching 'Quarter-Life'; Adults and Young Professionals" Library Journal, 29 March. 2012 Web. 6 Apr. 2012.http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/community/publicservices/884337-276/ pla_2010_conference_reaching_aposquarter-lifeapos.html.csp> • Tarski, Elizabeth. "Young Professionals: Underserved at Public Libraries." Diversity Pathfinders. Web. 9 Apr. 2012.<http://diversitypathfindersli8332010.pbworks.com/w/page/31331903/Young%20Professionals%3A%20Underserved%20at%20Public%20Libraries>. • "Young Professionals." Wikipedia. 1 Apr. 2012 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Young_professional>