Holiday Fun Program Overview II

Target audience

  • Primary school students and their parents/ carers

Objectives

  • Increase attendance at holiday events
  • Promote recreational use of libraries
  • Increase loans in children's collection
  • Attract return visits by parents and carers

Strap Line:Looking for FUN @ your library?

Key Messages

  • Libraries are fun
  • You can use any library anywhere, even on holidays
  • Libraries are free and safe
  • Families can spend time together in libraries- no rush, no obligation
  • If you see something you like you can take it home
  • Kids can win and collect stuff at Holiday Fun activities

Measures of success

  • Attendance at children's eventscompared with capacity for attendance
  • Participation in Summer Reading Club
  • Enquiries and feedback about Holiday Fun program
  • Number of loans in children’s collection during program

How to make it work

  • Communicate with branch libraries to share ideas, prepare activities, displays and other promotions
  • Prepare local promotional material: booklists, event flyers, web links
  • Communicate great ideas and questions with other Champions
  • Send pre- and post-program media releases to local media
  • Provide advice and encouragement for staff
  • Provide feedback at the end of the program

Holiday Fun Target Audience

Target Audience: Primary school children and their parents

Primary Message:Libraries are fun

1. Our strengths and weaknesses as they appear to this target group:

StrengthsWeaknesses

FunFines and rules limiting use

FreeAging collections

SafeSome libraries are not child-friendly

CollectionsLibraries seen as quiet places

Friendly, knowledgeable children'slibrarians

Open to all

2. Major factors that will impact on our libraries:

OpportunitiesThreats

Media attention on early literacy/ readingLack of qualified children's librarians

Major Victorian government dept projects

(DHS, DVC)

3. Important target audience needs to be satisfied

Primary school children

  • Fun children's events/ activities
  • Reading advice services
  • Variety of children's recreational/ educational services: books, DVDs
  • Free/ easy to access
  • Cool reputation

Parents

  • Social opportunities
  • Free/ easy to access entertainment for children
  • Safe space for children
  • Convenient times
  • Information on parenting
  • Opportunity to spend quality time with no distractions

4. Major competitors in local area

  • Bookstores/ video stores
  • School/ kindergarten libraries
  • Commercial/ non-profit children's services (neighbourhood houses, Wiggles concerts)
  • TV/ web sites/ computer games
  • Non-use

Brainstorm starter for Champions

1. Write your own list of strengths, weaknesses, target audience needs and competitors

2. Rank your library and its competitors on relative ability to meet target audience needs

3. Identify 2-3 strategies to capitalise on your strengths and overcome weaknesses

Holiday Fun Ideas

Media Release Ideas

Advertise the Summer Reading Club using statistics about the benefits of recreational reading. Include the launch of Reading Rulz: December 4 from 10am at the State Library of Victoria.

Write a personal profile of a children’s librarian or Holiday Fun performer

Event/display/promotion ideas

Get kids to create a theatre production about their favourite books with a guest Director, and host the final performance (7-12 years)

Hold an outdoor event in an unusual place, eg sports ground, beach, or skate park

Run events that tie in to this summer’s blockbuster films, eg Polar Express, Ella Enchanted, The Incredibles, Lemony Snicket

Create a kids book review web site, and add links to reader advice sites

Pre-prepare packages of children’s library books to borrow at Holiday Fun events

Promote your library services by guest speaking atmaternal & child health centres and kindergartens

Run events with a sports theme, eg featuring books by sports people

Run a competition or promotion aimed at parents of children attending Holiday Fun activities

Conduct 'learn to read aloud' workshops for parents

Organise joint events with local organisations eg sports, drama, music, Scouts and Guides

Offer special deals for parents during your Holiday Fun program, eg discounts on reservations or email, or generous loan limits

Create brochures and booklists specifically for parents, eg how to create your own storytime for kids, best parenting books, best escapist reads

Holiday Fun Useful Contacts

Questions? Contact the Public Libraries Unit, State Library of Victoria

on 8664 7044 or visit

Reading Rulz (Summer Reading Club 2004-05)

YACINN(Youth and Inner Northern Network)

c/o Darebin Libraries

Phone: 1300 655 355

Agents (Author, Entertainers, Speakers)

Show and Tell Promotions

Bronwyn Bennett

Phone: (03) 9827 0511

E-mail:

Website:

Orators and Creators

Phone: (03) 9532 7440

Website:

Booked Out Speakers Agency

Lauris Pandolfini
Phone: (03) 9533 6717
Fax: (03) 9533 6810

E-mail:

Website:

Cathys Clowns Entertainment Consultancy

Phone: (03) 9719 7395

E-mail:

Website:

Nexus Arts

Phone: (03) 9528 3416

Fax: (03) 9523 6866

Theatre and Puppet Theatre

Don’t’ Move Puppet Theatre

John Evans

Phone: (03) 9397 0033

Mobile: 0419 346 731

E-mail:

Website:

Fairytale Puppet Theatre

Christien Assange

Phone: (03) 9584 3428

Mobile: 0408 531 095

Tony Bones Entertainment – Children’s Theatre by Qualified Teachers

Phone: 1300 308 311

E-mail:

Website:

Starfish

Phone: (03) 9718 0115

E-mail:

Website:

Flying Bookworm Theatre Co.

PO Box 124, Clifton Hill 3068

Ph: (03) 9489 4991

E-mail:

Website:

Kidz Fantasy Dress Ups PTY LTD

Phone: (03) 9876 5090

Mobile: 0425 749 859

E-mail:

CARP Productions

Caroline Smart & Phillip Linsdell

Phone: (03) 9428 0514

E-mail:

Website:

Historical

History Up Close

Robert Brooks

Mobile: 042 570 4545

E-mail:

Website:

Bygone Days

Ann Dixon

Phone/Fax: (03) 9457 2780

Music

Rhythms From Afar

Fredrick Abela

Phone: (03) 5966 5598

Mobile: 0438 075 896

Paul Jamieson

Phone: (03) 9762 2663

Mobile: 0413 246 809

Mike Jackson

Phone: (03) 9386 5550

E-mail:

Drumclub

Keith Hunter

Mobile: 0412 798 838

E-mail:

Craft/Cooking

Smiling Wombat Tours PTY LTD (Chocolate Making)

Natasha Chan

Phone: (03) 9850 9971

Fax: (03) 9852 3660

Masque

Melinda Capp

Phone: (03) 9419 1773

Animals

Wild Action nature up close!

Mobile: 0419 385 245

E-mail:

Website:

Storytellers

The StorytellingGarden

Phone: (03) 9569 6149

E-mail:

Website:

Film

Roadshow

Non-Theatrical Film & Video Hire

Phone: (02) 95528600

Fax: (02) 9660 3113

Website:

Science

Journeyman Starlab Portable Planetarium

Phone: (03) 9399 9089

Fax: (03) 9397 8239

E-mail:

Monash Science Centre

Phone: (03) 9905 1370

E-mail:

Website:

Media

Melbourne’s Child

Phone: (03) 9830 0877

Email:

Website:

Web Sites

Questions? Contact the Public Libraries Unit, State Library of Victoria

on 8664 7044 or visit