At Hiveclass, we worked tirelessly for the past 2+ years to build our vision into an actual product – a digital library of interactive sports videos that can be accessed by families anywhere, anytime. Yet, the Hiveclass Digital Encyclopedia is only half the picture. When you “zoom out”, it becomes evident that our library partners also play a huge role in providing access to the end user. Through a library’s website, patrons have an access point to the Hiveclass platform; Libraries also help in providing assistance to patrons so they may use the resource at its full potential! Hiveclass Library Business Manager, Elizabeth Lee, gives her take on the do’s of Digital Encyclopedia for your library.
If you know anything about Hiveclass or our Digital Encyclopedia, you probably also know that we offer programming for librarians to use. I knew these resources would be needed from the very beginning, because I too am a librarian who struggles to plan and implement fun & engaging programming for my library patrons – It’s hard! I wanted to help address this challenge for all the librarians out there, so I wrote those guides – one targeted for Children’s Services and another for Teen Services.
The best part about our Programming Guides is that most of the ideas are designed to introduce an activity or skill that can be practiced in both indoor and outdoor settings (including the library or at home); Families no longer have to rely on the park or playground to encourage moving and having fun doing it! So here are some questions that I often get from other librarians and my suggestions on how to best implement Digital Encyclopedia into your library’s programming:
Question: “Most children’s databases are meant for reference or homework help, but Hiveclass is new & innovative – I think my patrons would be excited to use it! How do I actually incorporate the platform into my programming?”
Answer: Great question! Does your library have an integrated projector in a program room? If yes, great! Grab a laptop, log into the Digital Encyclopedia platform with your barcode, use an HDMI cable to connect your computer to the projector’s AV system, and you’re all set! Plan a program focusing on our Dance, Yoga, or Mindfulness content. Hiveclass videos could take the place of an instructor while attendees follow along in-person. You don’t need any additional equipment and the content in each guided video is great for all age groups (hello, family)!
Or perhaps your library’s budget doesn’t allow for an integrated projector but you have a handful of laptops or tablets instead. You can plan a program that has kids break up into small groups while sharing a device to learn a skill at their own pace. Our Fitness,Volleyball, and Tennis videos all have great content for this type of set-up. Many kids already have some familiarity with these sports so they could focus more on interacting with each other & having fun rather than feeling pressured to learn something new & unfamiliar.
Question: “My library is small. It doesn’t have a program room nor green space outside for this kind of programming. What then?”
Answer: If you’re in a small library, or maybe a large urban library but without much space for group activities, you’re in luck! The amazing thing about Hiveclass is that our content is designed to only require about a beach blanket’s worth of space. Stretch your arms out in front of you and to the sides and that’s about the amount of space each person would need for the vast majority of skills we feature (unless, of course, you’re clocking in at Boban Marjanovic height).
And if the above options still don’t work for your library, you may want to recommend patrons to view specific Hiveclass content on their own prior to your library’s programming activity. Maybe you want to host a “Soccer Saturday” series at your local park, for example. Write into the description of the program that, prior to attending, patrons should watch on the Hiveclass platform the soccer lessons/videos that you choose. That way, everyone can start from the same point.
Question: “My library has a program room and a projector and green space and plenty of laptops and tablets to go around…but we don’t have sports equipment! Now what?”
Answer: Who says you need equipment to learn the fundamentals of a sport? In fact, many of our skill videos don’t require any equipment at all! There are the obvious courses like Dance, Fitness, Yoga, Self-Defense, and Mindfulness; but even our Tennis, Basketball, and Volleyball courses feature videos that focus more on movements & understanding concepts as opposed to practicing an activity using specific equipment.
And for everything else…who doesn’t love arts & crafts? 😜 Not kidding. For the younger kids, they may enjoy making their lacrosse stick just as much as they might like playing with it. Consider everyday items like wrapping paper tubes and cut-up plastic bottles to create the stick and segueing into learning a basic skill using their creation.
Do you see where I’m going with this?
No matter your library’s size, budget, or the community you serve, there’s no shortage of ways to integrate Hiveclass into your library’s programming. With Spring quickly approaching and Summer not far behind, now is the perfect time to shake up your library’s event calendar with something new and exciting!
We love to hear from our partners – Let us know how you use Hiveclass in your library’s programming for a chance to be featured in a future Hiveclass newsletter!