Our national Poetry in The Branches (PITB) services are based on a proven model, developed in collaboration with the New York Public Library System and the Brooklyn Public Library System. Through it we have mentored nine branch libraries in New York City, trained hundreds of librarians, tripled poetry circulation at our original target branches, reached thousands of new poetry readers and changed the way the branch libraries of these systems provide poetry services and develop poetry collections and audiences. Each week more than 30,000 people visit PITB branches and are exposed to this increased presence for poetry. More than 10,000 adults and teens have attended PITB events since the inception of the program.

The PITB Model has five major components:

Young Adult Programming

One of the most successful and important components of the PITB model is programming for teens. Together with librarians, we build the tools to bring writing workshops to young patrons. We find that offering at least two four-session workshops per school year, coupled with a publication of the students' work, is a powerful recipe for channeling the experiences and energy of teen library users. We hear from librarians across the country that poetry workshops reach teens when nothing else can.

Programming for Adults

Live experiences with engaging poets can create a lasting connection between readers and poetry. Poetry in The Branches gives librarians the tools to design and present an event, and connects them with poets who can reach their patrons. In the New York and Brooklyn systems, poets like Billy Collins, Sapphire, Joy Harjo and Philip Levine have drawn capacity audiences. We recommend holding at least three events per year to build an audience.

Acquisitions and Display

A commitment to collection development and display is at the core of the PITB model. Poetry in The Branches gives librarians the information they need to set and meet goals for updating collections, keeping them current, and making the books visible and enticing. In the New York Public Library, we estimate that poetry titles have circulated over 10,000 times since the inception of the project. A librarian at one participating branch reports that poetry books in her library circulate more often than any other genre, except for computer manuals!

Librarian Training

Through group training and one-on-one interactions, librarians set goals, become oriented within the landscape of contemporary poetry and address "the poetry anxiety" that many adults feel. Our training sessions balance nuts-and-bolts information, hands-on experience writing and reading poetry, and empowering interactions with live poets. Trainings take place during system-wide in-service sessions, at the ALA Annual Conference, in individual libraries and at conferences offered through regional organizations, and at our PITB National Institute. The institute is a two-day intensive in our own library, drawing on its extensive resources and the rich poetry life of New York City.

These components form the basis for our work with libraries. They are interlocking and flexible, and can be taken as a whole or in parts. Each component can be tailored to fit a library's needs and capacity. Taken together, they can transform any size library or system into a place where poetry and patrons grow together and thrive.

Questions about the PITB model can be directed to Marsha Howard at (212) 431-7920 x2213 or marsha@poetshouse.org.