Tuesday, June 26, 2007
*NEWSFLASH* Record Breaking Registration Numbers Abound!
With summer officially starting 5 days ago, one library has been experiencing incredible numbers within the first 14 days of the start of their summer reading program. Two hundred & fifty-three kids (253) have enrolled in Seekonk's summer reading program and it's only just begun! Mary Ellen Siniak, Seekonk's Senior Librarian of Youth Services reported, "..that in my 11 years at Seekonk, we've never had that many kids register for our summer reading program in that short amount of time!"
We haven't heard the stats from any other library whose program has begun but we're looking forward to hearing similiar stories in the weeks to come. You're welcome to post your stories here if you've exceeded your branch's enrollment expectations.
We haven't heard the stats from any other library whose program has begun but we're looking forward to hearing similiar stories in the weeks to come. You're welcome to post your stories here if you've exceeded your branch's enrollment expectations.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
BIG E tickets are available if you want 'em!
The Eastern States Exposition "Big E" Tickets (Sept 14-30,2007)- Each year West Springfield's Eastern States Exposition awards two free passes to interested libraries to raffle to a lucky summer program participant. To order Big E tickets for your library's summer program, please submit a self-addressed library letter stamped envelope to the Cowgirls & Boys at the Western Region by Friday, June 22nd. Expect delivery of your raffle tickets by mid August.
Big E Tickets, WMRLS, PO Box 609, South Deerfield, MA 01373-0609
Thursday, June 07, 2007
We're going Hollywood baby!
Take a look at our local public service announcements filmed at the Duxbury Library.
If you want to share it with friends, you're welcome to via Youtube. We now have the short ad AND the longer ad readily available. Who knows, you may even want to add this to your library homepages or even in the cool link sections of your READSinMA.org site. *wink*
Many thanks goes out to the Project Catch the Beat TV committee members:
Nany Sheenan(Lucius Beebe of Wakefield), Karla Gartsu(Jacob Edwards of Southbridge), Maureen Ambrosino (CMRLS Youth Consultant), Cathy Livingstone(Oxford Free Library) and Sara Hodge-Wetherbe(Springfield Public) . A fun time was had by all in the creation and development of this ad.
Friday, June 01, 2007
Our ReadsinMa.org site is up!
Which prompts one to ask a question, "If a weblink goes live, will anyone notice it's there? *smile* Today our statewide portal goes "live". What does that mean? Anyone who offered to participate in this summer's debut of the online reading program receives a little commerical boost of their traditional summer reading activities. For some librarians this is quite exciting because it will help spread the word about their program, others may be a little fearful in promoting activities with the belief that going online would decrease foot traffic. No matter what your expectations are, neither will be proven until after the summer is over. And I can't wait to see what response we will experience as the summer rolls along.
Within a few days, the MBLC will post a tool kit for those of you who would like to submit a press release to your local newspapers about the ReadsinMa site. During the second weeks of June and July, newspaper ads will run in over 150 Boston Herald affliated newspapers. The first ad will feature the Catch the Beat theme while the second will promote the ReadsinMa.org site. Also in this press kit, there will also be two downloadable tv/internet ads for you to add to your library's website if you should choose. One strictly promoting our 2007 Catch the Beat campaign while the other promotes both the 2007 theme and the ReadsinMa.org site. Can't wait for you to see that!
In the meantime, we know that several of you will have created your very own press release statement extolling the virtues of your library's summer reading program. Care to share yours here?
