Santa Monica Public Library
What is it?
- @SMPL: 57 How-To workshops in 5 hours in 5 locations -- WOW!!!
- Discovery learning
- Offer fun, educational, and creative workshops
- http://smpl.org/howtofest/
Types of programs (some examples -- there were LOTS!)
- How-To...
- Yoga
- Book Art
- Cooking
- Talk Like a Pirate
- De-clutter
- Wrestling
- Self Defense
- Tai Chi
- Tell a Story
Development
- Target audience: Young professionals, adults, families
- Inspiration: Louisville Free Library (KY)
- Began planning in Nov. 2014 for May 2015
- 6 months - brainstormed the dream list of workshops
- 5 months - recruited and booked presenters
- 4 months - secured funding; added additional staff
- 3 months - developed media plan including promotion through social media
- 4 weeks - added workshops to Library website; began social media campaign
- The Wellbeing Project (Santa Monica City Grant) partner
- Go beyond basic demographics - wanted more interaction with neighbors, healthier living
- Debriefed Day Of
- Budget
- Most people volunteered time (cut budget in half practically!)
- Cost of supplies
- T-shirts for staff
- Overall cost: ~7500
Benefits for the Library
- Promotion of library programs/services
- Fostering community partnerships - professionals, community members, library board members, medical/health professionals as DIY facilitators
- Encouraging peer to peer engagement
Marketing/Promotion
- City TV Coverage
- Comprehensive Brochures outlining all events throughout the system
- Available online and I also have a hard copy
- Social Media
- FB, Tumblr, Twitter, Periscope
- One post per week
- A lot day before and day of
- Highlight visually interesting activities
- Linked to other publicity outlets
- Tailor post for the platform
- # morphed
- Periscope for day-of event so that they could still feel like they were attending
- Newspapers - Library has a regular column in the local paper
- Mini How-to at Santa Monica Festival w/How to Decorate a Cupcake Booth
- "What Do You Want to Learn Today?"
- Post publicity through social media, etc.
- Created a media kit - press release, FAQs, brochure, contact info.
Logistics
- Always have something to interest the kids while the adults can focus
- Avoid scheduling similar workshops at competing times
- Titles of workshops all start with "How to"
- Workshop proposal process (even for staff)
- allowed for quality assurance, save decision making for later, focus on actively recruiting
- Scheduled communications -- event reminders, updates, etc.
- build in the opportunity for other person to indicate they understand what's happening
- E-mail templates
- Trained help/Delegation so that someone else can help if you're pulled away
- "Stage Managers"
- Greeters
- Floaters
- Relief Staff
- Photographer
- Orientation
- Packets w/instructions & clipboards
- Green Room w/Refreshments, etc. for staff and presenters
- Run Through
- Not with everything actually set-up but to stop and imagine and visualize where everything is, is everything gathered, etc.
Note: Soft promotion allowed (i.e. business brochures - no selling products, etc.)
