[Publib] Birthday parties @ the library (for a fee)

[Judith Turner]

Hi, Leah --

In late January there was a discussion about using a library staircase for wedding photographs.  You might want to look at that thread in the publib archives as some of the same concerns would apply.

More generally -  special events (like parties for all sorts of occasions and wedding receptions, etc.) have been popular fund raisers or revenue producers for museums, botanical gardens and historical house sites for years now.  Organizations that get into this activity seriously often create new positions on staff -- generally known as events coordinators -- because doing it well requires a special set of skills and a big commitment of time.   (Connecting to another thread, I wonder if Wausau considers such non-traditional activities part of the justification for describing the library as a community center and, hence, deeming the work of librarians less complex.)

I'd recommend testing the birthday part concept in a small and informal way to determine if the library really wants to get into this activity.  Perhaps you could start by offering parties as a special service to a limited group (donors or sponsors, members of the Friends organization, Board member families and (gasp!) staff members. )

How much work the library takes on vs. how much the person throwing the party does is really your choice. You can offer more or less but be sure to charge accordingly.  As far as liability and insurance go, check with your insurance provider to see what changes need to be made to your current policy, both for personal injuries and damage to the library's facilities or equipment.

Prices will vary depending on what you decide to offer.  Unless you have to use a caterer from an approved list, or the library has extremely good food preparation facilities (and a certificate from public health inspectors), it would be a good idea to let the party hosts bring in food and refreshments.  

Restrict what the library offers to providing an appropriate space (where the party will not affect library users) and possibly a story hour or other library program that you're already doing (just remember to charge for the employee's time), set up of tables, etc. and cleanup after the event.  If it does not stay very library related, you may have to consider the income generated as taxable because it is outside the scope of a normal mission (unrelated business income or UBI).  Check with a tax specialist (attorney or accountant) to see whether this applies and how much leeway you have within established guidelines. 

Years ago the IRS discovered they could require museums and other cultural organizations to pay taxes on those portions of revenue (such as selling gift items not related to the museum's collections).   Some began restricting their offerings to  collections- or exhibit-related items, some opted to pay taxes.

The actual space you can provide may determine age limits.  Is the area safe for toddlers? There's probably an upper limit where kids really wouldn't be interested in a party at the library because they are going there to do school assignments, etc.  But parties for adults at novel venues are popular so consider that market, too, which gets into the possibility of liquor licenses (and can generate a lot more revenue if that's your aim.)

For kids, you will need to specify the number of adult chaperones per child attending the party. 

If parents want to show videos or play recorded music during the event, there are licensing arrangements that will need to be made since the library is the public place.

I would expect the party's host to provide the favor bags. How will you know if people have food allergies?  What's age appropriate? What's a bit different from the last party all the kids were at?  I suppose if someone on staff adores the idea of "shop 'til you drop", you could offer this for an extra fee but it's going afield from normal library practice quite a ways.

As far as pricing goes, if you've determined cost figures to operate your library on a per sq. ft. basis or something similar, start with that.   Add the direct costs of staff time for setup, cleanup and special programming (if any), food, beverages and supplies you provide, insurance if that's extra.  Also add in an amount for depreciation of the equipment you're providing.  Figure out how much "profit" you want to make above covering your actual costs.  It would be a good idea to check with established venues in your area to see what they are charging. Unless you can price your location competitively, you may be putting a lot of effort into a chimera (which has been the case for some cultural organizations that have gone into the events business in a big way.)

Hope the above helps.

Judy Turner
Whitefish Bay, WI 

   
Leah Ducato Rudolph <lrudolph at albright.org> wrote:     Birthday parties @ the library (for a fee)     Has anyone had any luck with these? I've had requests from patrons to allow them to have a party @ the library.  I want to approach my board and staff about the possibility but need some information such as: what do you charge for use of the room; do you supply the refreshments; do you need an insurance waiver; does your staff supply the storytime/craft; do you provide a goody bag; who is responsible for clean-up; do you have upper and lower age limits for the birthday girl/boy?

 
       
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