How to Get Your Programs Noticed Gwendolyn B. Guster Welch Immediate Past President Birmingham (AL) Public Library Board of Trustees

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2 How to Get Your Programs Noticed Gwendolyn B. Guster Welch Immediate Past President Birmingham (AL) Public Library Board of Trustees How many mes have you looked at other nonprofits and wondered how they got the media or public to a end their events? Or how many mes you have seen a packed house for another organiza on's program, and thought your own programs could have had just as many a endees but it didn't. Well, to get people in the door, you have to show them what you have to offer. Here, I offer a few easy ps in ge ng no ced. 1) Make friends with your local media Do you know who covers arts and literature, libraries or other book-related topics at your local newspaper or television sta on? Take note of reporters' stories. If they are repor ng about another library in a nearby community, chances are, they'll report on your event. It's all in knowing which person to contact. 2) Know what makes a good story If award-winning chess players are being trained at your library, that's a story. When is the next chess tournament for youth? When is the next chess training? Send a schedule to the reporter, le ng them know that you have a champion teacher in your midst and he or she is training students for the next city, county or state tournament. If your team has a winning streak, that makes the coverage even more special. 3) Don't forget bloggers, the radio and social media Be sure to include area bloggers and radio personali es in your press release list. They tend to have the flexibility to turn around a story in a short amount of me. Follow them on Twi er, Facebook, Instagram, etc. Put out interes ng social media posts so that they'll want to follow you. 4) Know what it takes to get your press release read If you send out press release upon press release and the media is not showing up to your events that could mean one of several things. They could be busy and just can't a end, they received the no ce too late won't be able to fit it into their schedule or they just aren't interested. That last one hurts the most. When sending a press release, make sure it s relevant to a wide audience. Something like a yard sale to raise money for cancer awareness is huge. Announcing that you have five new book tles isn't as exci ng. 5) Get out in the community and network Make a point to a end luncheons, workshop, business recep ons, etc. and network. You can't meet new people and let them know about your library if you are always stuck behind a desk. Introduce yourself to people, tell them about what your library is doing and why having a library card is important. Our library recently had a breakfast networking event for the area business school and its business membership. When members came to the library to hear the mayor speak, many said that was their first me being in the downtown library. We received posi ve feedback from the event and also a lot of media coverage. The event would never have happened had our public rela ons director not a ended a Veterans Day breakfast mee ng and struck up a conversa on with one of the organizers. A er a few weeks of correspondence, the pr director and organizer set up a breakfast networking event at our downtown library. Everyone enjoyed themselves. Book Layout and Design By: Lisa Mitchell Smith, Birmingham Public Library

3 Bards & Brews The Birmingham Public Library is hos ng a series of poetry slams. Held on the first Friday of each month, each slam will be emceed by a performance ar st or poetry slam events director. Each contestant contributes $5 to the pot, and winner takes all. Southern Fried Slam rules will be observed. A vendor with a liquor license will provide free beer for sampling and bo les for purchase. Par cipants must be 18 years or older. Musical performances before each show. Word up y'all!

4 Fashion Friday 'Tis the season for parties and social gatherings. But what do you wear? Birmingham fashion blogger Alexis Barton wants to put minds at ease by offering style tips. There will be door prizes from Belk, Betsy Prince, designer Roxy Rabb and more. Library fashion books will also be available. Barton will answer lots of questions. Some will include: How do you take office attire from day to night? How can you sparkle and shine without breaking the bank? What does dressy casual really mean? "I hope this event will calm people's anxiety around dressing for \ social occasions and help them see that there are a variety of options for pu ng together their own looks,'' Barton said. "Sequins will be involved.''

5 Word Up! High school students (grades 9-12) enrolled or home-schooled in Jefferson County are invited to celebrate their voices through a poetry slam. The students will write and perform an original work inspired by a theme selected by the Word Up! Committee. The participants in WORD UP! will be the winners from each school s contest. Each school is responsible for holding its own contest. Cash prizes will be awarded.

6 Night BPL@Night is a series of high quality evening performances offered free-of-charge by Birmingham Public Library in an effort to bring enriching cultural programs to downtown Birmingham and the city s neighborhoods. BPL@Night highlights local and regional performers that reflect the diversity of our community and draw from a wide range of personal experience. Through programs such as these, the library seeks to provide Birmingham citizens of all ages opportunities for entertainment, ongoing education, and personal growth.

7 Local Authors Expo The Local Authors Expo is an annual program that provides opportunities for local authors to promote their books to the public and to network with each other. Featured authors' works run the gamut from children's to adult fiction, nonfiction, humor, and stories of inspiration and personal triumph.

8 Eat Drink Read Write Festival The Birmingham Public Library (BPL) and partners present the Eat Drink Read Write Festival. We re bringing food, culinary arts, and literature to the table in a format that will help foster community in a diverse city. Everyone eats, savors favorite foods, and enjoys food memories. By engaging folks in conversations around food we re able to bring everyone to the table, sharing interests and, experiences, by creating a common bond.

9 Ghouls Ball Teens and Tweens Get Ready to Scream at the Annual Ghouls Ball at the Birmingham Public Library! If you are a student in grades 6-12, start designing your costume for the Birmingham Public Library s Annual Ghouls Ball. Prizes will be awarded for the best costumes in the following categories: SPOOKIEST, MOST CREATIVE, and FAVORITE BOOK CHARACTER. Get ready for music, a dance contest, Wii games, a bungee run, good eats, photos, and more.

10 Blast Into Fitness/Get Fit For Free If you've already cheated on your New Year's resolution to get fit, don't give up. The Birmingham Public Library has something to keep you motivated. Russell Lee, a certified group exercise instructor, a skilled YMCA instructor, and a BPL Library Assistant 3, will lead a free exercise class. Be sure to bring bottled water and a towel. Also, check with your doctor before starting any fitness program. Throughout January, we'll be posting fitness and exercise tips from Russell and other sources. So, don't lose hope with your battle of the bulge in There's always tomorrow to start anew. The class is part of the city's Let's Move Birmingham health initiative.

11 Explore Your Family Tree The Birmingham Public Library presents an Introduction to Family History and Genealogical Research. Genealogy is the study of family history. Tracing your own family s history is a journey of discovery that can be as exciting as hunting for treasure and as satisfying as solving a puzzle. Clues in the information you already have will help lead you step-by-step to new facts and revelations on each generation. The search is fun and exciting. The results will help you understand the past and leave an extraordinary gift for future generations.

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