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2020 Poster Sessions
Pop Up Library!:
Serving the Community on a Smaller Scale

 

Intended Audience

Public Libraries, Community Engagement & Programming Departments, Marketing & Media Departments
 

Poster Summary and Objectives

During the temporary closure of the Seminole County East Branch Public Library, we utilized Pop Up Libraries to serve the local community. A Pop Up Library is a temporary library set up with tables, bookshelves and library materials either indoors or outdoors advertised using social media and the web. Patrons checked out and returned materials; signed up for library cards; participated in crafts; and interacted with local library staff 1-2 times a week while their local branch was closed. Pop Up Libraries were set up at local stores, community centers, and the mall, allowing us to continue to provide library services, maintain community ties and reach patrons the library does not typically serve.

This poster will educate other public libraries and community engagement departments of a method of providing services during closures, as a supplement to existing library buildings or mobile libraries, or in underserved areas. Pop Up Libraries as temporary structures allow libraries to offer services and maintain relationships and ties on an individual and organizational level as patrons can come see their favorite librarians as well as see that the library is a part of the community. In addition, Pop Up Libraries allow us to expand our reach in the community.

The poster will provide statistics regarding engagement with the Pop Ups such as the number of patrons who visited or signed up for a library card alongside best practices and tips for those interested in having their own based upon our experiences and scholarly and popular material on Pop Up Libraries and Pop Ups more generally. The poster will also provide pictures of the Pop Up Libraries to illustrate layout and the materials needed and examples of the social media and web-based outreach used to advertise them. Copies of handouts, crafts, and such will be provided as examples of what can be offered at a Pop Up Library. The poster will also demonstrate the limits of Pop Up Libraries as temporary structures.

 

Presenters

Reema Mohini- Seminole County Public Library, East Branch

  • The presenter took part in setting up, staffing, and organizing a series of Pop Up Libraries for the Seminole County Public Library system. The findings presented in the poster are the result of implementing Pop Up Libraries in response to a branch of the library being closed for several months due to renovations in order to provide the local community with some library services. The presenter also has experience presenting at previous library conferences, having presented posters as well as papers.

Norma Medina-Ortiz- Seminole County Public Library System

  • Norma Medina-Ortiz is the Regional Branch Manager of the East and North Branches of the Seminole County Library System. She holds a master's degree in library and information science from Rutgers University and is a graduate of the Sunshine State Library Leadership Institute (SSLLI).