One good way for libraries to raise their own money is by writing an appeal letter. This is usually done once per year by the institution’s development officer and mailed to past donors.
Good appeal letters have five elements:
1. A defined project. This is your reason for writing the letter. Even if your letter’s purpose is primarily to support general operating expenses, be sure to call attention to a special concern, project, or event.
2. A personal story. Personal stories that illustrate how your library makes a difference is a great way to draw people into reading your letter.
3. The financial challenge your library is facing. Be clear about the costs associated with your project (see #1) and how donations can make a difference.
4. A reminder of your library’s overall mission and how your appeal fits into it. When you ask for a contribution at the end of the letter, it will be in the spirit of asking the donor to reaffirm his or her support of the library’s underlying mission.
5. A request for a donation. Always be direct in telling people what they can do to make your project (see #1) happen. If it’s money, ask for it. If it’s for volunteer help, ask for it. Depending on your technological capabilities, you may want to refer to the donor’s most recent contribution and ask him/her to increase it by a certain amount.
Appeal letters should be straightforward, simple, and one page in length.
The SWIFT Book Club has a new Book of the Month! Our March pick is The Choice by Nicholas Sparks. This novel details the beginning of a relationship sparked between new neighbors in a coastal North Carolina town. Travis Parker is good-looking, laid-back and enjoys a life filled with motorcycling, boating and grilling with his friends. Gabby Holland has just moved in next door and thinks she has her life all planned out. Years later, Travis is faced with a difficult choice that effects both of their lives.
Read a full review here. See all that the SWIFT Book Club has to offer here. There are currently 11 copies of The Choice available to check out to your patron and library book clubs!
73 public library sites will receive Summer Reading Mini-Grants. Each participating library site will receive $200 towards buying books for the library.
Public libraries in the U.S have been promoting summer library programs since 1898. Reading regularly during the summer helps students to prevent “summer set-back” where students can lose reading gains of the previous school year.
The State Library has been giving out the grants since 2004. Library sites receive $200 to spend on books and materials to support their summer library programming and provide a local match of 25% of the grant. The statewide summer reading theme for 2010 is “Make a Splash, READ!” The teen theme is “Make Waves @ your library.”
For a map of all library sites receiving a grant: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=109363614992294136015.000463611a1305f4ed830&ll=39.010648,-105.413818&spn=4.156806,7.03125&z=7
Does your library have a bookmobile? Celebrate the first annual National Bookmobile Day on Wednesday, April 14, 2010! ALA has free resources your library can use to promote your bookmobile.
It’s hard to tell what the future holds. At present, things look bleak. Whole library systems are being shut down. Douglas County Public Library Director, Jamie LaRue, wrote an excellent post on this topic a while back. One could easily argue that Americans don’t value their public institutions. Continue reading ‘Why Libraries Are Under Pressure: A Theory’
Pay close attention to your library’s homepage. In less than 15 seconds, does it tell you:
- Who you are?
- What your library is trying to accomplish?
- Does it have a tagline that explicitly summarizes what your library does?
The design and content on your homepage should address each question in a way that balances breadth and depth. Don’t overwhelm your reader with too much information. Install “read more” links that allow the reader to dive in deep should s/he decide to.
Keep your homepage content dynamic. Put a tickler on your calendar to change something significant on your homepage at least once per month. Consider using a modular or block design that allows certain features to be easily swapped out. So many of us are visual creatures, so build a library of reusable images that you can use to keep your homepage content fresh.
Simple, dynamic, and compelling content on your homepage will draw your donors in. Don’t forget to put a link to your giving page!
This posting is about Search Engine Optimization. It’s a techie term and usually of concern to marketing people and web developers, often in the for-profit sector. But I think it needs to concern all of us in libraries, even if we’re a small library without a lot of resources for marketing or for our website. And that’s because, in these difficult times for libraries and for our communities, it would be really beneficial if our relevant resources, programs and services were easy for people to find via Google.
Continue reading ‘Why Libraries Should Care about Search Engine Optimization’
Aspen Walker, Executive Assistant to the Library Director Douglas County Libraries
Smart leaders understand: you can’t run an effective organization from the confines and blind spots of an insular bubble. You have to reach out, compare experiences, and share best practices. In 2009, I interviewed 11 Colorado library leaders about the metro area public library environment: Shirley Amore (Executive Director, Denver Public Library), Eugene Hainer (Executive Director, Colorado State Library), Valerie Horton (Executive Director, Colorado Library Consortium), Paula Miller (Executive Director, Pikes Peak Library District), Eloise May (Executive Director, Arapahoe Library District), Sharon Morris (Director of Library Development and Innovation, Colorado State Library), Janine Reid (Executive Director, High Plains Library District), Pam Sandlian Smith (Executive Director, Anythink Libraries/Rangeview Library District), Mary Stansbury (Program Chair and Associate Professor, University of Denver, Library and Information Science Program), Tony Tallent (Library and Arts Director, Boulder Public Library), and Marcellus Turner (Executive Director, Jefferson County Public Library). Their insights about the economy and rising library use, staffing patterns, performance measures, and the big issues and trends of the next three years follow.
Continue reading ‘Trends, Tips & Techniques: Interviews with Colorado Library Leaders’
Posted on behalf of Babette Reeves
Do you know someone who cares for children regularly in his or her home? Do they live in or near Alamosa, CO? They could be a licensed home childcare provider or they might be what I affectionately refer to as a “Granny or Auntie,” a family member who cares for an extended family’s children.
If you are one of those special people or know someone who is, please get in touch with me (scroll down the left hand column for phone and email info). Why?
Continue reading ‘Storybox Special’
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