Working with what you have: Utilizing an event management framework

Library events provide opportunities for patrons to connect with collections, services, and library staff in meaningful ways. However, managing these events when programming and outreach are often only a small portion of library staff work presents many challenges. Recognizing these challenges, a Programming Team at an art library created a framework for library event workflows and group documentation; all of which maximized staff time, resources, and overall efficiency. While this framework was designed in a large, academic setting, the model and tools like the crucial event workbook and worksheet were later adapted to different contexts, including remote programming during the COVID-19 pandemic, a library committee’s event series, and at an art and design school with only two librarians managing the library’s events. The presenters will showcase this top-level model for coordinating events systematically, share customizable tools created using commonly available software (like the Microsoft and Google suites) and provide scalability advice for various institutional sizes. This model is built to be flexible, adaptable, and sustainable no matter how few or many staff are able to coordinate or support library programming. The application of this model and these tools will be shown in two brief case studies, which offer more complex event series as examples. One discusses hosting multiple in-person events in a one-week span, and the other discusses coordinating multiple guest speakers over a three-month span for remote, synchronous events. The presenters will conclude with a list of recommendations for librarians contemplating a similar approach for their events and programming