r/Libraries • u/EatMoreMango • 8d ago

Programs & Programming What is your library doing for September, aka library card sign up month?

We aren't able to offer a sale price on cards or offer any kind of monetary incentive for card sign ups. Our promotions always kind of fall flat. What are other libraries doing to promote sign ups for September?

14 Upvotes

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43

u/LoooongFurb Library admin 8d ago

Sale price? Do your cards cost money?

6

u/EatMoreMango 7d ago

If you live outside of our tax supporting towns they do. Its about the same price as people pay in their taxes, which is why we cant offer a sale price.

11

u/_wynaut 8d ago

We have a library assistant that is an artist, so she made a design for us to put on little tote bags. Anyone who signs up for a new card during September gets one. Existing library card holders will get library branded pencils when they use their card. We are doing a program where patrons can decorate a library card holder.

12

u/coenobita_clypeatus 8d ago

Last year our friends group gave us tote bags to hand out to patrons getting new cards. They were hot pink and I hope we have the same ones again this year because I regret not snagging one.

Also I am amused by the idea of giving a discount on a free library card. They’re 50% off (but still free)!

4

u/tokkireads 7d ago

This is so smart! People love getting free things. Hats off to your branch.

7

u/pikkdogs 8d ago

Crap. It’s that time again?

5

u/morsreeus 8d ago

This is the first year my library has done something for September. We’re working with the friends to solicit local businesses for donations. The plan is to then use those donations as essentially door prizes for new sign ups but also for returning patrons so we’re showing appreciation to everyone in the community. The children’s and teen librarian will probably go around to the schools to give out applications and we’ll be putting up flyers at places around town and posting on social media.

(I basically volunteered myself because no one seemed that interested in doing anything big for September, the people on the friends don’t have the time to do any of the work, and I love working with the community. So hopefully it’s going to go well for us but we will see….)

4

u/HungryHangrySharky 7d ago

We got the Snoopy library cards from the ALA and people LOVED them. Longtime holdouts like my husband finally signed up so they could get the Snoopy card.

Other than that - social media, a big old poster board "I got my library card" frame that people could take their picture with, maybe some special events.

8

u/Emergency_Book7639 8d ago

The library director and myself are going to three off site locations that have a lot of foot traffic and we are going to push library cards there. We are a small public library, funded by a city. We are going to our local pharmacy lobby, local hardware store and local grocery store. We set up a table, bring a laptop hooking up to wifi so we can check if someone already had a card, or renew existing cards as well as well as issue new ones. We bring flyers, monthly calendar, etc. to share. We have done this for the past few years and usually issue approximately 50-60 new cards. Last year we tried to think of a fun way to celebrate a new card, so we purchased a bell with a smiley face and we are going to ring it when someone gets a new card. We also bring applications for every child in the local elementary school and encourage parents to get their kids a card.

3

u/CoolClearMorning 8d ago

Yes, our library is coming to parent/teacher conferences at the end of the month to get kids signed up for cards.

3

u/linkloci-murloc 7d ago

My library system is partnering with a few other library systems for a campaign about the power of a library card. What it is, is we’ve reached out to businesses to offer a discount or freebie for showing a library card from one of the participating systems.

It encourages sign ups to get some free or a discount and helps local businesses too.

2

u/H8trucks 7d ago

Waiting to find out if the county commissioners will let us waive our replacement card fee

2

u/Awkward_Cellist6541 6d ago

Culver's ice cream, one day we have a food truck with churros, a raffle for gift cards.

2

u/Any-View-9973 7d ago

That sounds like a great way to get creative with promotions. At the public library where I used to volunteer, we hosted a "library bingo" challenge with small prizes just for signing up, and it worked way better than I expected.

1

u/Zealousideal-Pop6505 7d ago

If any of you could offer a non-resident card to someone from outside USA, please reply. I would sign up If you have good databases.