[Publib] re: Targeting Schools

[Maggie Bollar]

John,
   
  I would try to reach every school in your district with information/marketing documents about the library.
   
  Two things that have worked for me:
  1) I have a saved address list for each elementary school in our district, containing  the email address of every teacher teaching at that particular school.  I send an email to all the schools introducting myself, letting the teachers know that I am there to serve them, and also informing them that they may contact me by email or phone to request teacher collections.  (I get a LOT of email requests for teacher collections now!)  
   
  I also try to email the schools periodically with information about new books, library programs, websites that might help teachers, grant opportunities, etc.  The elementary teachers are very positive in their feedback (oddly, I have more luck working with the media specialists at the middle school and high school levels, rather than trying to reach out to individual teachers.)
   
  2) Having a contest which begins at the start of the school year and continues until a pre-set date.  Upon that pre-set date, the school that has the highest percentage of students with library cards will receive $150 for their school library.  (This idea originally came from School Library Journal). All the schools let me drop off library card applications which they sent home....I picked the completed applications up and the staff made cards.  I dropped the cards back off to each media specialist for distribution.  The schools really pushed library card sign up, because the media specialists all wanted the $150 worth of books - the winner gave me her list and I ordered them from BWI and delivered the books to her.  We have wonderful teachers in our district, and great administrators who really support the library...that's a big help.
   
  Take care,
  Maggie Bollar
  Children's Librarian / Webmaster
  New Carlisle Public Library
  http://www.new-carlisle.lib.oh.us
   
   
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