Adult Programing and Outreach McIntosh Memorial Library of Viroqua
Interactive displays and passive programs are a great way to engage the community inside the library. Uses include spreading information, encouraging creativity, and expression of oneself. The benefits of interactive displays are that they are relatively budget friendly while producing exemplary results. The McIntosh Memorial Library, serving a rural community, has utilized interactive displays and passive programming to encourage a community of kindness. The interactive displays have focused on different ‘acknowledgments 'or ‘histories’ giving voice to the community members. For instance, March was Women’s History Month and the display reflected creating a “Quilt” of Inspiring Women. Additional displays include a Poet-Tree for Poetry Month in April, a Thankfulness Tree in November, and an Open Book about what brings patrons into the library for National Library Month in September. Notably, in 2023, February was Random Acts of Kindness Month, and the interactive display was titled Take What You Need, Give What You Can. Patrons were able to grab a sticky note off the display that has a positive word or phrase on it that they “need”, and could write something down on a sticky note to “give” and leave it on the display for someone else. See how libraries of all sizes and shapes can create engaging and interactive programming and displays to encourage the community to utilize the library in multiple ways.