Activities of SOUL Public Library
1. Children activities
The library is serving the local community around, specificallythe youngsters. Main objective of children activities is to attract children to be frequent users of the library and to promote their reading habits. Activities as an approach to this goal, stimulate the children through interesting recreational, artistic and educational subjects. The following description of cultural activities addressing children is adopted.
Child clientele
The library is serving groups of youngsters starting from the middle years (7 – 10 years) and the Youth (11 – 15 years). Each group has unique needs to which the library responds.
Middle years (7 – 10 years)
Group characteristics
This age group comprises children of primary school age. They recognize the library through parents’ orientation, school friends and school visits. During this period the child becomes more independent and encounters an increasing knowledge of social experiences. The child is undergoing a formal education at school and developing a wider range of reading and new literacy skills. There are new information needs emerging during this stage of the child’s life which should also be acknowledged.
Type of activities
There are activities addressing the needs of the children in this age and other activities with a common spectrum of abilities within the ages from 7 to 10 years old. The recognizing factor is the degree and standard of the conducted activity with the variation from simplicity to complexity.
Activities are like:
- story telling/ narration;
- theatrical performances
- painting, drawing
- innovative handicrafts
- creative workshops
- hobby clubs
- contests in science, language, art …….
- group plays
- computer games
2. The Youth (11 – 15 years)
Group characteristics
Young adults perceive themselves as being different from the middle years because they are more independent, have different sensibilities, and have more understanding to social life. They also have different information needs associated with formal education, health, recreation and sport. There is an observable teenage culture which is manifest in fashion, computer technology, hobbies and pastimes.
Type of activities
- film/ video shows
- group plays
- contests in science, language and art
- theatrical performance
- hobby clubs
- literary club
- Seminars
- creative workshops
3. Adults clientele
This category can be divided to youth and seniors.
3.1 Youth (16 – 25 years)
Group characteristics
Students in secondary schools and university education. Formal education has become an important and dominant part of their life. Self-development, career, formation of their own existence is most important and vital for this age group. There is a tendency for this age group to focus their reading on the educational subjects, hobby subjects and much sought after materials as appealing subjects. The attraction to use the library as a place for cultural activities, entertainment and recreation has reduced relatively, as they find other alternative society gatherings which attract them.
3.2 Seniors (from 25 years old and above)
Group characteristics
This group age build 25 % of the public library users. The grown-ups from 25 until 40 years old are mainly concerned with career building and post graduate studies. They attend library activities if these are related in a way or another to their projected self-development.
Seniors above 60 are not using the library consistently. Therefore, they are not also regular and expected attendees in library activities. This age group build a very small number of the total library members and visitors. When they visit the library, it is mainly for reading newspapers and sometimes for the search in some references.
Type of activities
The library offers a number of activities which can attract the seniors mentioned above as a wider adult audience. For this group general activities are designed to accommodate their requirements – mostly in forms of lectures and exhibitions. These activities are held in the first floor of the central library, as an exhibition area.
Type of activities offered are:
- discussions about books and authors
- talks with authors, poets, intellectuals and prominent figures
- exhibitions and art displays
- Theoretical presentation on current topics
- video / film showing
