Physical activity and libraries

Abstract

In Spring 2017, I distributed an online questionnaire on movement-based programs to public libraries throughout the U.S. and Canada. Libraries numbering 1,157 indicated that their libraries had offered programs that created opportunities for individuals in their community to engage in and to learn about physical activity. These programs include things like yoga classes, StoryWalks(®), community gardens, and much more. Even more notable, 41% of these libraries reported developing these types of programs with partner institutions or groups. Furthermore, 366 of these libraries specified in open-ended responses who these partner groups have been. For instance, describing how these types of programs emerge, one respondent wrote that “The Garden Club often hosts garden programs and Wellness In Motion provides the Yoga class, also local musicians … provide programs such as Jazz Story Times and an upcoming interactive music program”. The most commonly noted partner for these types of programs were Parks and Recreation Departments. Based on the results of this survey, as well as from follow-up interviews with librarians throughout the country, this chapter will also discuss some of the reasons why park-library partnerships work and also some of the reasons why they stall or fail to get off the ground. For instance, in follow-up research I discovered a group of public librarians in Iowa engaged in an online discussion on the topic of “Library programs vs. Parks and Rec programs” in which a librarian asked, “We have never had a booming Rec program in our town but we have a new Parks and Rec department head and she has great ideas and drive to start things. Unfortunately, I am afraid that we are going to step on each other’s toes a bit. We are so used to doing any program we think of that it is tough to stop and think - wait it this a Rec program instead? And even if it should be - what if they don’t want to do it? And vice versa? Has anyone had this problem and has some advice on how to determine what should be clearly Library and what should be Parks and Rec? Do resources exist for this?” There is evidence that many librarians throughout the nation are dealing with these same questions. In an interview, a librarian from Massachusetts noted that active programming “only works where one’s city Park and Recreation Dept. is willing and open to working with one's city Public Library. Where I work, that dept. gets decidedly angry that we are venturing into leisure education opportunities that they can feasibly raise revenue. We, naturally, would offer these classes for free”. This tension between the library’s orientation to offering programs for free and parks and recreation’s orientation to (frequently) charge for programs represents a frequent source of disagreement between parks and libraries. A different librarian noted that “We have a hard time with movement programs because our Parks and Rec department doesn’t like us offering classes for free that they charge for”. Another stated that a challenge is “getting other local government agencies to do programming free of charge for library”. This issue arose again and again in the survey and in subsequent interviews. However, in other places libraries have developed and sustained robust partnerships with parks and recreation departments that enable broader access to health and wellness in the communities those public libraries serve. One library with a strong partnership had this advice for others: “Roll-n-Read [a program in which kids read stories and then do some tumbling] came out of our desire to come up with something new and innovative for our families, but also expand our clientele. Our roles are not well defined, as in we don’t have anything written out. In terms of Roll-n-Read there have been times I have needed some new equipment; it comes out of P&R budget (it can also be used for gymnastics classes). Books I read come from the library. We use P&R space. I print materials needed at the library. There was a time we were out of laminating sheets and P&R gave me a stack to get materials together for the coming weeks. We just work together”. Based on the results of this research, this chapter will conclude with recommendations for forming and sustaining library-parks partnerships to contribute to population health and wellness. The main recommendations center on relationship building. The partnerships that have had the most success formed out of pre-existing personal relationships, which set the stage for inter-institutional partnerships.