[Publib] Library & off-site community events

[Lise Chlebanowski]

What do you want to accomplish? Do you want to get word out about what the library has to offer? Or do you want to simply provide an activity? Sometimes recreation departments take advantage of the "meagerly staffed" library to provide activities so they don't have to plan as much! Watch out! 

If you want to increase library card holder numbers, maybe you can bring all the makings for library cards and issue them at the fest. We have been very successful with that. They can "activate" their card by coming to the library - that way you don't have to worry about them having the proper ID's. For straight activities, if you can bring a laptop computer, you can have "contestants" play library jeopardy for prizes. If you have an ongoing book sale, your prizes can be money off coupons for sale books at your library therefore increasing gate counts. We have done that and it can be fun. If you have a library animal or can borrow someone's pet (safe and well behaved of course) and do a display of animal books, an animal always draws a lot of people to the table. Hope these ideas help. Good luck! 

Lisë Chlebanowski
Library Manager
Avondale Old Town Library
328 West Western Ave.
Avondale, AZ  85323
623-333-2611 d
623-333-0260 f
e-mail: lchlebanowski at avondale.org
website: www.avondale.org/library
 
Now Reading: Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner
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-----Original Message-----
From: publib-bounces at webjunction.org [mailto:publib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of Cab Vinton
Sent: Friday, April 18, 2008 8:39 AM
To: publib at webjunction.org
Subject: [Publib] Library & off-site community events

Hi, All:

Our local recreation department is throwing a "Spring Fest" at our
local elementary school this May and has invited the library to
participate.

I'm wondering what types of off-site activities other libraries have
had good success with during events like this.

We have a staff of two and our other librarian is on leave, so the
brainstorming committee is pretty meager at this point :-(

There's always a craft or some kind of game with prizes ... I'm
looking for something fun and out-of-the-box. Thought of a dunking
tank, but it's still too chilly here in New Hampshire for that!

Happy to compile any suggestions for the list.

Best,

Cab Vinton
Sanbornton Public Library
Sanbornton, NH


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