101+Ways


 * 101 Ways to Promote Your School Library Program **

How do you promote program, library services, new (or old) books, your own expertise? Increase circulation and library usage while promoting your school library program with these economical marketing tools and strategies. Try out some of these economical, but savvy strategies to have students and teachers racing to the library.

Six key areas of marketing school library programs:
 * ** Share compelling reasons. ** Give school administrators and teachers compelling reasons to engage with the library media specialist and use library resources (library research, library specialists & achievement links; circulation data analysis; map curriculum standards) This could include:
 * 1) collection analysis (size, items per student, age, etc.)
 * 2) circulation per student graphs
 * 3) curriculum standards mapped to info literacy
 * 4) School Libraries Work!
 * 5) Place graphs on wall outside library sharing library data (book fair numbers, circulation, collection data, Lexiles available, etc.)
 * 6) Place signs by all student products, linking products with content standards, teachers involved, etc.
 * 7) Principal's Manual for Your School Library Media Program brochure
 * ** Develop fresh social connection programs **** to introduce new & existing resources ** . These could include:
 * 1) book talks
 * 2) student online review blog
 * 3) twitter
 * 4) book clubs
 * 5) library wiki page
 * 6) School website that goes directly to library webpage, catalog search, student products, etc.
 * ** Offer reading programs with free prizes. ** This could include:
 * 1) Give-aways
 * free paperback books for those who participate in state voting
 * monthly –themed bookmarks from Upstart
 * Trading cards for reaching AR goal
 * 1) Daily fact drawing using library resources
 * 2) Accelerated Reader or Reading Counts! points & prizes
 * 3) state award / children's choice voting
 * 4) Corporate reading incentive programs
 * Braum's Book Buddies
 * Pizza Hut Book It!
 * Six Flags Read to Succeed
 * ** Distribute regular updates. ** These could include:
 * 1) monthly staff e-mails
 * 2) webpage announcements
 * 3) periodic newsletters of all kinds (see examples)
 * 4) email newsflashes
 * 5) Twitter feeds
 * 6) Phone messages (using school's automated dialing system)
 * 7) School newscast (web, video, podcast, etc.) with book reviews given by library book club members
 * 8) 10 word or 140 character summaries for parent meetings and faculty meetings
 * 9) Scrolling message sign outside library to share the upcoming day's events
 * ** Provide something unique and new ** . This could include:
 * 1) Unusual student products that engage students (and teachers) in real learning opportunities -- activities such as:
 * Skyping an author or a school in a different part of the world -- and getting the local newspaper to cover it.
 * Using digital storytelling to share what students learn -- and linking it to the school's webpage
 * 1) Software to create something new / unique
 * Trading Cards (try Big Huge Labs)
 * AutoMotivator Read posters
 * Infobook for teachers & students with library and computer lab info
 * 1) Unusual things to bring people into the library (and then you hook them!)
 * an encyclopedia bench
 * stuffed animal display
 * live snake or tarantula
 * aquarium
 * 1) Bookmarks of all kinds
 * purchased
 * customized with award winners, author title lists, etc.
 * If you liked , then try.
 * 1) Use Digital frames on the shelves and circulation desk
 * rotate through images of class activities in the library
 * rotate through student-selected images highlighting a particular title, genre, monthly theme...
 * highlight new books
 * share pictures of students using the library
 * ** Create an overhauled, welcoming space. ** This can include:
 * 1) Make it smell good
 * Yankee Candle plug in (Golden Pear)
 * Febreeze (Cranberry Pear)
 * 1) Make it look attractive
 * attractive displays of student work (include the standards & highlight the collaboration involved)
 * incorporate paintings, photos, 3-D objects, and books—book arts—show pics of what I have
 * create shelf vignettes to highlight special areas or topics
 * 1) Make it welcoming
 * literally—hang up a welcome sign (need one for display)
 * 1) Highlight books (new and otherwise)
 * Use countertop bookshelves
 * Display monthly themed books on easels on top of bookshelves
 * Advertise the books -- new, seasonal, topical, etc. and include student reviews or comments as well as quotes from the books..
 * Student photos with their favorite books (similar to ALA READ posters)
 * Guess the... -- Post staff members & favorite books; have students guess which ones match up
 * 1) Gather book title suggestions from students/staff (students love to feel like they are part of the collection development process)
 * suggestion box on circulation desk
 * URL for online suggestion form linked to website or online catalog; use iGoogle form.
 * 1) Invite staff and student gatherings in the LMC
 * Faculty meetings
 * Baby showers
 * School pictures
 * Board/Trustee meetings
 * Class meetings