Since you're doing a "birthday book club" maybe you can send out an "invitation to
a Birthday Party" during an Open House evening --- all parents and students who
attend will get a piece of cake, play some games, etc., and pick up some
information about your Birthday Book Club. For the middle schoolers, I'd make sure
it was an age-appropriate party theme with some packages wrapped and some book
wishes (lists) that could be purchased by parents who want to make a book donation
at the party. Parents could be allowed to make "installments" on payments, if
needed, to purchase books---if your community is "cash-strapped" and buying a $20
book seems extravagant.
You could announce the party on your library's website, as well as word of mouth
and paper invitations that go out at the beginning of the school.
If you want to make it an event that could be extended throughout the year, maybe
you could provide different types of promotional events that would remind parents
all year that they could donate to the Club. Hosting special events during
Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's Day, Valentine's Day, Easter, etc.,
could be reminder points to share the gift of reading with others through the
purchase of great books for your library on behalf of your students (and their
parents).
Have fun!
~Shonda
Shonda Brisco, MLIS
US / Technology Librarian
Fort Worth Country Day School
Fort Worth, TX
sbrisco@fwcds.org
>>> Theresa Nelson <theresa@MSNTAN.COM> 07/28/05 7:18 AM >>>
Last year was my first year as a middle school librarian. I heard about
birthday book clubs & alumni book clubs and decided to try it.
Information went home during the first PTA & with the report cards, but
the response was very minimal (3 donations).
This year I want to do in a way I get a better response. I plan on
sending something with the students on the first day of school to get
all the parents when they are going through all those other forms, but
I would like the 'idea' to be 'catchier'. Last year I went with the
"Alumni Book Club" letter that the Jr. Library Guild puts out due to
lack of time to put anything better together. I was wondering if
anyone has any ideas for a catchy title and/or ideas to make it cool to
donate some $ to the library for a book.
Thanks for any ideas you can offer!
Theresa Nelson, Librarian
Tom Browne MS, Corpus Christi, TX
theresa@msntan.com (home email)
tanelson@ccisd.us (school email)
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