Kansas Reads...In Cold Blood

Kansas Reads...In Cold Blood is the second one-book/one-state project for adult readers in the state. It will kick off on January 27 at the Finney County Public Library in Garden City and run through February 29, 2008. The Kansas Center for the Book (KCFB) encourages every community in the state to read and discuss this classic by Truman Capote, one of America's greatest 20th century writers.

This blog has been created to help keep the Kansas book community informed about this popular statewide project of the Kansas Center for the Book. We invite postings to the blog about book discussions, programs, what works...just about anything that relates to the book discussion project, the book or related topics. So join us with your postings!

To inaugurate the blog, KCFB asked a participant in last year's project, Kansas Reads...The Learning Tree by Gordon Parks, about the secret to bringing in an audience for such programs. Joan Weaver of Kinsley Library replied:

"Secrets to Attendance
MAIN REASON:
1. We have very LOYAL patrons who want to see our programming succeed. They know how hard we work, and they want to support us and their library.
OTHER REASONS:
2. Serve homemade cookies.
3. We have regular Kansas Humanities Council book TALKS so we have a group that likes this sort of thing.
4. We promote in newspaper and posters, at Clubs, and also will do some calling when we think something will interest a specific person.
5. They have also learned that even a topic which may not sound interesting (Black newspapers in Kansas) will turn out to be fascinating--and it really was!
6. We are good at making programming relevant to our community. We use local people as additional resources and draw them into the conversation.
7. We have people like me who are starved for intellectual stimulation out here on the prairie. PBS only goes so far.
8. We had many more people read the book than could attend our programming. Our attendance would have been higher if it had not been spring break. We have a good relationship with the high school English teacher (he brings his classes to use and learn how to use the library) and he had his seniors study the book. I really wanted to have the intergenerational discussion, but they were all off skiiing."

Promotion, service, regular adult programming, making programming relevant to the local community, appealing to the audience that desires intellectual stimulation, timing, and a comfortable setting help develop loyal patrons and attract readers. These secrets work well at Kinsley Library. Maybe you already have such a following for your adult programming; if not, let Kansas Reads...In Cold Blood help you launch yours!