Our library has in recent years seen a dramatic increase in the number of groups of caregivers and their clients visiting the library due to a change in law that required that these day groups be integrated in the community. Often, these groups would visit and sit quietly or have minimal engagement with the library’s space and resources. Staff really wanted a way to more deeply engage these groups while at the library, but due to the large number and variety of groups, staff-led programming could not meet the need.

We consulted directly with the care providers to develop an alternate solution in the form of group activity kits. These kits are intended to be easily adapted to meet the different abilities and needs of the adults who visit us and help the care providers fulfill their mission of providing engaging community-integrated experiences for their clients. These kits have themes such as crafting, sensory experiences, adult coloring, puzzles and more. A local group will also make fidget quilts for each kit.

We are rolling out a pilot set of a small sample of these kits in July. Once we can gauge success we will explore a slow expansion throughout the library system. Our anticipated outcomes are that participants will:

• Feel welcomed and engaged in the library.
• Participate in activities that support social, emotional and cognitive learning.
• Feel more comfortable bridging from these kits to other library resources that support their needs, such as job skill development, creative skill-building and entertainment.