Potential Community Partners: AARP Advertising Agencies Advocacy Groups Afterschool Programs Airports Alternative Schools America Reads Amusement Parks Art programs at local colleges Artists Arts Councils/Organizations Billboard Companies Bookstores Boys & Girls Club Brownie Troops/4-H Cable TV Caterers Chamber of Commerce: Speak at next meeting Churches and Religious Groups City Hall City/County Government Civic organizations Colleges/Community College Community celebrations Community radio and TV Consultants Consumer advocacy organizations Corporations Daycare Centers Department of Labor Detention center Doctor's Offices Economic Development Council Elected Officials Environmental Organizations ESL/Immigrant populations Faith Communities Festivals Film Companies Fire Department First Steps Foundations Funeral Homes Garden Clubs Grocery Stores Gun Club Halfway Houses Head Start Health Clinics/Clubs/Department/Fairs Hispanic/Latino Community Historical and Genealogical Societies HMO's Home Schoolers Housing Humanities Councils Immigrant groups/organization/centers Internet providers Jails Job and Family Services Job Fairs Juvenile Detention Centers Kiwanis Legal Aid agencies Library Foundation/Friends/Trustees Lions Literary organizations Local Banks Local churches serving Hispanic populations Local enterprises Local Government Malls Medical Community Movie Theatres Multicultural Organizations Municipal Courts Museums Musicians National Funders Native American Tribes Naturalists Neighborhood Associations Newspapers Nursing homes Older American Council Online information providers Parks and Recreation Programs Philanthropists (individuals) Police Departments Political Organizations Prison Libraries Private Foundations Private Schools Public Housing Public Relations Agencies Public Schools Public Transportation Preschools Radio Stations Realtors (Libraries increase property values!) Rehab Centers Restaurants Retailers Retirement Centers Rotary School for the deaf and blind Scouts (Girl/Boy) Senior Organizations Service Organizations Spanish speakers Statewide Funders Students Teachers Teen Advisor, school counselors Teens Telecommuters Theatrical companies Tourism Transit Authority Travelers TV stations Under-served populations Universities Utility Companies Vendors Visitors/Tourists Wealthy summer residents Web Survey Sources Writers/Artists/Photographers YMCA/YWCA Youth Organizations Zoos Programming, Events, and Ideas for Library Promotion: College/Community College/University
- Work with local college student as Public Relations Intern
- Approach MS Media Library and School technology staff about summer laptop program
- Express Library www.learnatest.com which offers tests preparation in topics such as US Citizenship, GMAT, GRE, Postal service, and many others
- GED and ESL programs available at the library
- Library director could serve as proctor for college online classes
- Present tutorials in use of library databases at community college
- Student artwork on display from local schools
School
- AR (Accelerated Reading) program—work with school concerning labeling of AR books, possible tests
- Arrange a cooperative project with school teacher(s)
- Attend Career Day at local schools
- Connections with the variety of student school organizations such as the National Honor Society, FBLA, FFA etc.
- Contact middle school librarians about resources to compliment curriculum
- Contact superintendent of schools for an intro to the library before school starts each year
- Free refreshments for drop-by breakfast at the library
- Go to new teacher orientation in the fall to promote & network about library services
- Homework help-volunteer students from the junior and senior highs provide homework assistance to younger students at the library after school
- Homework supply box- glue sticks, poster board, construction paper, notebook fillers, etc...
- Host a homeschooler meeting at the library for local homeschoolers and their parents. Demonstrate library databases and available technology
- Link school and public library catalogues
- Long-term borrowing privileges extended to middle and high school libraries to supplement collection
- Free Family Movie Night in park/library using the school's equipment
- Present to the local PTA about the summer reading program and library services
- Presentation on library services to area towns without libraries
- Reading projects with schools across region
- Regular meeting time with school librarians- Share resources and ideas
- Story times for pre-K and Kindergarten students (in library/outside of library)
- Student artwork on display from local schools
- Take a bag of books to neighborhood agencies/childcares once a week and swap books each week
- Teacher breakfast
- Visit schools and talk about the library and summer reading
- Volunteer when they have special events. Wear library shirt and talk with parents
Senior Citizens
- Assistance in filling out forms, i.e. medicare
- "Books on the Go"-Homebound material service for customers
- Book talks and book discussion groups at other locations
- Bifocal Kits at senior centers, nursing homes, and assisted living complexes
- Bookmobile to senior citizen housing, trailer parks
- Do technology training at senior citizen center
- Games to help computer novices use internet & computers-solitaire (mouse/coordination)
- Go to nursing homes with laptops to help people with using internet to contact family or friends
- History Project- Film Seniors talking about memories
- Host joint events with the senior center
- Make posters for senior centers about library activities
- Meals on wheels to deliver books
- Partner with After 55 club to offer beginner computer classes
- Provide a 2x/monthly program—use age related magazines and read articles or stories to groups of nursing home residents—perhaps triggering discussion
- See Services to Older Adults on WebJunction
- Senior appreciation day
- Senior Book Club
- Senior citizen basic internet/computer class
- Speak at monthly senior citizens meeting 3 – 4 times a year
- Visit nursing homes;get drugstores and banks to pay for visits
- Volunteer readers
- Work with boy/girl scouts to deliver group loans to retirement communities and assisted living facilities
Teens
- Advisory committee, board or group
- Bookmarks to advertise Teen Advisory Groups
- Create a teen nook
- Dance Dance Revolution
- Dance party
- Discussion group
- Gaming in libraries
- Have a day where high school students teach senior citizens to use email and internet
- Have baseball game for teenagers (maybe against chamber of commerce members—community can pledge per run or hit for fundraising
- Hold a teen job fair
- How to prepare for college class for teens
- Invite teens to come and learn about poetry- Poetry Night
- Pizza night
- Movie night
- Revamp website-high school web design students to do as a class project
- See Services for Teens on WebJunction
- Show videos created by teens for teens
- Start a teen volunteer program
- Study Groups
- Teen reading/book club
- YA author visits
Children
- Create story time kits for parents/daycares
- Make space appealing
- See Services to Children on WebJunction
- Story hours at library and at daycares in the area
- Summer Reading Programs
- Take bookmobile to child care centers
- Take laptop to children's centers to show "tumble books"
Other Programming/Events
- Adult film series
- Adult book night
- Adult vacation/summer reading club
- Art exhibit on a bi-monthly basis, including a month or so for kids from local elementary schools
- Artist of the month
- Bag of goodies/packets/bibs with library name for newborn babies
- Banks could co-sponsor computer classes in group homes
- Belly dancing class in the library
- Bingo cards with genre in squares- win a mug or totebag
- Book cart drill team for parades- dress up as favorite storybook characters and create a book float
- Book Clubs (Adult, Businesses, Teens, Seniors, etc...)
- Book discussion groups
- Book exchange in the local regional airport
- Bookfairs
- Blood Drives
- Businesses showcase their work by doing free programs (win/win for both)
- Career research Center- wireless lab
- Cemetery project- Youth project of local genealogical history
- Charitable collections (e.g. collect pet food for local shelter-tie-in to summer reading program theme)
- Cocktail Hour/Wine tasting
- Community Events
- Community presenters, such as, local mechanic offer basic auto maintenance; banker offer basic financial planning checkbook, monthly budget, etc.
- Family Nights
- Farmer's market
- Games to help computer novices use internet and computers
- Geocaching
- Grant writing workshop
- Guys Read Program
- Kite festival
- Language Classes
- Literary Events
- "Meet the candidate" Night
- Mexican restaurant owners and industries which employ Hispanics
- One Book, One Community
- Online Scavenger hunt (to teach search skills)
- Open library during town events
- Place a paperback rack in a doctor's office, a service department for a car dealership, etc...
- Preschool lapsits once a month
- Programs at historical museum
- Resume Workshop for Job & Family Services
- RSS Feeds- i.e. Fun fact of the day
- "See the movie and read the book"- Ask the theatre to donate the advertising time as a public service
- Self guided tour of area libraries (joint open house) prize for visiting all libraries
- Share your memories reception
- Story time in a Doctor's office or hospital waiting room
- "Stump the Librarian" during National Library Week
- Suggestion Box
- Tax workshop
- Technology Fair/Open House- Invite local businesses
- Theatre Groups
- Wireless outside of the building (24 hours)
Staff To Do List
- Accessibility: Make the library accessible
- Advertise library services such as databases that anyone can access from home
- Advertise what services the library has for the blind, low vision demographic
- Book deposits in schools, Doctor's offices, hospital waiting rooms
- Bus kids into the library that cannot make it otherwise
- Cater breakfast
- Contact churches in the area about the Latino attendees
- Contact real estate business in town-tell them about library
- Create a computer geek club with a community service project
- Deposit old books in local areas that you don't need back- advertise for library
- Develop Digital Friends Group
- Do demo of library resources at Chamber, City Commission, etc.
- Film storytimes and place on cable TV
- Get wireless internet
- Hold storytime for children at prisons while parents have visitations
- Include library information in a community welcome packet
- Invite other organizations and businesses to use the library facility for meetings
- Leave library brochures with local realtor, town office for newcomers
- Let homeschool groups know that the library meeting room is available
- Make business cards for each librarian with phone #'s, hours, etc...
- Participate in parades, county fairs, etc...
- Promote library during "Tour of Homes"
- Reach working people by extending library hours
- Relay for life library team
- Research coffee bar in library
- Set up Kiosks/labs all over the county with computer access
- Share programs with other community libraries - including summer programs
- Start a careers research center with wireless lab
- Start a program for adults on health issues
- Take storytime to the civic center or a community event and take your wish list with you
- Visit new residents as part of a welcome wagon group
- Wave out of county fees for workers who commute
- Welcome new people into town with a library card & information about the library and work with other businesses to create the welcome wagon (Assessor's office has lists of new homeowners)
- Work directly with department of social services to organize a day for families receiving social assistance to come in for a special story time event. The library can share information about programs available at the library for young children that can help with growth and development
- Work with Department of Human Services to see how to draw in more "loners"; work with Crisis Center to get out word of available services in library
- Write letter to business to invite employees to join library
Marketing
- Advertise location and services - Send it to entire service population
- Advertise in Spanish, other languages the library services
- Area improvement associations
- Become a "center" for community news & events- especially with no local newspaper
- Billboards
- Bookmarks with library information in various languages- put in markets, banks, public buildings, etc...
- Create @ your library posters and bookmarks using local leaders, celebrity photos
- Electronic mail delivery notice of new items
- Go on a radio show to talk about library services
- Have a "my favorite recipe" from the staff in the library column of the local newspaper highlighting cookbooks in the collection
- Let city council know what the library is doing
- Local buses
- Magnets
- Many libraries have weekly spots in the newspaper to highlight events or resources available at the library
- Partner with coffee houses
- Place laptops with slide show in restaurants
- Post blog on website to keep patrons informed about technology needs and changes
- Post wish list in library
- Press releases- send them to all press outlets serving in various languages and to different users
- PSA's in English and other languages
- Pursue all advertising options - newspaper, TV and radio, Internet
- See Marketing on WebJunction
- Use church bulletins to communicate happenings at the library
- Use doctor's offices to place materials
- Website – use as a tool to market events and activities at the library (eg. http://www.plinkit.org/)
- Write a column in the newspaper
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