Promotion Ideas for March

Roberta Barton, Headquarters

From the "Marketing Library Services" newsletter, here are a few ideas to creatively highlight libraries in March:

March 8 is the 150th anniversary of the birth of author Kenneth Grahame. Celebrate this old favorite by creating programming around his book The Wind in the Willows.

March 8-14 is "Read an E-Book Week." An author-created website is set up for the event at http://www.ebookweek.com/. This is the week to showcase your branch's e-book collection and help people learn how to use the new technology. This week is also "Teen Tech Week" so come up with a unique way to combine the two tech-oriented observances.

March 9 is the 50th anniversary of the first Barbie doll appearing in stores. How about a "Bring Your Barbie to the Library" party? Kids AND adults (reliving their childhood) could have a lot of fun with this one.

And don't forget that we have our own promotion calendar too. In March, we will be promoting The Big Read and Cesar Chavez as well as Fit for Life. And, of course, as the economy continues to present challenges, we will continue to promote the value of the library as a free resource in tough times.