Improving children and young people's engagement with libraries

By Brian Pichman

SUMMARY

The Evolve Project is a US-based open collaborative platform that aims to change the way people see libraries. In this case study, Brian Pichman describes how The Evolve Project improved young library users’ engagement with the library’s children’s space by changing its design and putting in new technology and programming that encourages them to learn and interact in different ways.

The project was born when we noticed there was a drop of patron activity after the Summer Reading program at our library, the Mokena Community Public Library District in Mokena, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. During the summer, there’s a lot more engagement with programs and fun activities – so circulation numbers are up and library spaces are busy. We concluded that a complete redesign and overhaul of interactive technology would encourage more children to come to the library, all year long.

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Community Community engagement Engage Engagement Families Libraries Library Library users

Resource type: Case studies | Published: 2014