What's the Smartest Card in your wallet? Your library card of course!

The posters and postcards for smartest card are currently being packed and will be with you mid next week. My apologies for the delay which all leads back to holiday closings.

You might have seen the poster on the web site. It features the hands of Isabella Livingston holding a library card. For the photo shoot we had a room full of "hands" (including Isabella's twin Hunter), but in the end we melted when we saw that photo. Kira from Sauce Design also designed and made the library card, I think she's secretly hoping that someone will want the design for their library, it certainly is very striking.

A number of libraries have been in contact to say that they're using this campaign as part of a membership drive (Hi Carol at Maitland) and the beginning of the academic year is a wonderful time for that. If you let me know what you're up to I'll post it on the blog.

Best wishes

Jan

Happy New Year

We've got lots of exciting projects planned for 2008 so if you haven't already done so subscribe to this blog so you know what's happening.

There are a few new campaigns planned for this year with 2 of them happening in February (Smartest Card) and March (Sensational Seniors).

Smartest card @ your library is about membership (i.e. the smartest card in your wallet is your library card). This is a great opportunity for you to promote membership in conjunction with the new school year.

Sensational Seniors @ your library is a prelude to Seniors' Week which is in April this year.

We did the photo shoot for both campaigns earlier this week and we're thrilled with the results. We'll be a little late in getting info up on the web site due to holidays; look for it in the week starting 21 January.

Don't forget the calendar for this year is available on the web site so you can plan well in advance.

With every best wish for a wonderful 2008

The NSW Readers Advisory Working Group and Marketing Group have planned a state-wide Readers Day on November 20th this year, to coincide with the NSW Public Libraries read @ your library campaign in November, (they are such a dynamic group they make me gasp) This will be similar to the now nation-wide Library Lovers Day campaign on February 14th, except that the aim is to celebrate readers and reading specifically, and the role that libraries play in helping people read for leisure more generally. As part of the Readers Day festivities, there will be a state-wide Simultaneous Book Discussion Group, the concept has been modelled on the Simultaneous Storytime held each August but will be groups of people meeting all over the state on the same day to talk about books and their reading experiences. The simultaneous book discussion group will be called The Big Book Group. For more information and ideas go to the NSW Readers Advisory Working Group Wiki (http://readersadvisory.wetpaint.com)

Hi everyone

We're looking for some input in designing the posters for our Sensational Seniors campaign which will be in March next year. We want a concept that demonstrates the theme - we know how fabulous our older users are but how do we portray that?

If you've got some ideas please post comments to the site.

Cheers

Jan

Let's think laterally, Treasure, maps, pirates! Well that's my way of linking "Talk Like a Pirate Day" 19 September to Treasures @ your library.

What licence to be silly, bring your stuffed parrot and practice strange voices (not to mention the chance to watch Johnny Depp over and over and over againl). Check out the official "Talk Like a Pirate Day" website and do let us know what you get up to.

http://www.talklikeapirate.com/piratehome.html

The next meeting of the Marketing Working Group will be hosted by our very good friends in the Blue Mountains, on Monday 26th November. To make the day (and the trip!) even more valuable, the Group has decided to combine its regular meeting with an @ your library champions' workshop, and an informal dinner and get together the evening before. We'll get more details out to you soon, but please note the date in your diaries now. The proposed agenda: Sunday 25th November, 6.30pm Dinner at the Grandview Hotel, Wentworth Falls Monday 26th November, 9.30 to 12 Marketing Group meeting, Wentworth Falls School of Arts and Library 12 to 1 pm Lunch (most important) 1 to 4 pm Champions' workshop, Wentworth Falls School of Arts and Library. We will looking at sponsorship, partnerships and contra deals!!

We're taking the escape theme to heart, have packed the @ your library banner and are heading off to Adelaide.

Why? Well we've decided that it's selfish to keep a great product to ourselves and so we're offering to make our posters and bookmarks available to colleagues in other states (for a modest sum).

Consequently we'll be an exhibitor at the Public Libraries Australia Conference in Adelaide. If you're going to be there do drop by and say hello.

Before you ask the posters and bookmarks are on their way, a small glitch with the distribution house and too much focus here on the Public Libraries NSW - Country AGM.

Sorry.

Jan

The first of August (happy birthday horses) and the start of Escape @ your library. Wouldn't you just love to escape yourself!

There are heaps of great ideas on the web site so if you haven't done so do have a look. As always you can use them all year round, not just in August.

Remember August is also "Books Alive" month so tie into some of their initiatives. As in previous years here at @ your library HQ we're using the Books Alive guide to plot our personal reading for the next few months. So many reads, so little time.

Hope you're all well

Cheers

Jan

You may remember me asking for feedback regarding reduce, reuse and recycle @ your library. This one wins for me hands down! Congratulations to Judy Atkinson and the team at Coffs Harbour.

"We had a "Recycle" chocolate wheel raffle at our staff meeting. The "wheel" is an old bicycle wheel, and the prizes were all second hand."

Clever eh!