Barbara Martin

South Haven Public Library employees put plans for a faux soup kitchen on a back burner after too few children showed interest in a program tied to a popular book series.

Only six youngsters signed up for the library's American Girl Club, which was going to focus over four sessions on Molly, an American Girl growing up in the 1940s. Among the activities was going to be a faux soup kitchen. Library staff members planned to invite older residents into the library for the event, said Kathleen Blackburn, children's librarian.

The soup kitchen was just one of several activities planned for the program. Pulling together the elaborate activities associated with the American Girl Club takes a lot of time. Usually, that's not a problem because the American Girls always have had a faithful following among South Haven youngsters, Blackburn said.

In the past, the library has had to cap registration in its club to 20 children. This time, though, the youngsters just didn't show much interest. Library employees figured they needed at least 10 youths registered to make the program work, Blackburn said.

They didn't even get that, so the library workers closed the book - for now - on Molly and her friends.

This isn't the first time a South Haven Public Library program has been plagued by poor attendance. Some of its summer offerings last year failed to find an audience. Even its February family night, which has been a popular draw in recent months, didn't get quite the crowd expected, Blackburn said. Attendance at story times has slipped, too, she said.

Nobody expects every event to be a hit. During my days as a community relations coordinator for a bookstore, I had events that attracted hundreds of participants and more than a few clinkers that had me trolling for friends and family members to fill the empty seats.

One thing I know, though. If residents don't show enough interest in events at community venues such as the South Haven Public Library, pretty soon there won't be events to ignore. After all, planning and organizing events only to find your seats and room empty can be pretty discouraging. Who could fault them if they quit trying?

Support your local library. It offers more than just good books.

For information about programs and services at South Haven Public Library, call (219) 759-4474.

The opinions expressed solely are those of the writer. She can be reached at (219) 762-1397, ext. 2227, or by sending an e-mail to bmartin@nwitimes.com.