Serving Grandfamilies in Libraries

A Handbook and Programming Guide

By (author) Sarah Gough, Pat Feehan, Denise Lyons

Paperback - £56.00

Publication date:

26 November 2013

Length of book:

162 pages

Publisher

Scarecrow Press

Dimensions:

227x153mm
6x9"

ISBN-13: 9780810887633

Gough, Feehan, and Lyons have taken everything learned from their research on developing GrandFamily Resource Collections and leading grandfamily programming in several states and put it in this easy to use guide. They share the successes and failures of existing programs so other librarians can hit the ground running rather than trudge through a time-consuming and costly period of trial-and-error. It’s a lot more efficient to learn from someone else’s mistakes than to make your own.

The target population, grandfamilies, and most specifically, grandparents raising grandchildren have become a statistically-significant group worthy of attention in many communities but library practitioners may not have explored further due to a lack of resources and money.

Special features include:

  • List of Web resources (government agencies, support groups, etc.)
  • List of grants and funding opportunities
  • Sample grant applications
  • List of possible community partners for the library
  • Sample surveys or some tactic for getting to know the needs of one’s target population
  • Sample marketing plans
  • Sample promotional materials
  • Sample activity sheets
  • Sample release forms, etc.

With this practical and comprehensive guide, your library will be ready to jumpstart or easily expand a stellar program for the grandfamilies in your community.
Written for the librarian looking for inspiration on how to provide outreach and programming ideas for the growing number of grandparents raising their grandchildren, Serving Grandfamilies in Libraries: A Handbook and Programming Guide truly presents the reader with a comprehensive overview of how to develop an outreach program to this special population. This book provides insider advice from other libraries that have implemented these types of programs into their libraries, highlighting both the successes and the failures they experienced. Beginning chapters provide an overview of this demographic and their needs, the benefits to having a grandfamily resource center in your library, the challenges in developing a program for this population, and a sample of model programs. Appendixes include a bibliography of resources for more information on the subject, planning and curriculum resources, online resources, and promotion and publicity resources. Special topics covered include some information on grants and funding opportunities and ideas for potential community partnerships. This text could easily be used by the new librarian put in charge of heading or creating a program for this population as well as the seasoned professional who is new to this role. The work is a great review as well as introduction to the life of a librarian, illustrating both the positive and the challenging situations.