Opportunities with Summer Reading Programs

What does the annual Summer Reading Program mean to the Library?
This is an opportunity to for programming to show what the library has. It brings non-library users in the the library for free programming. Parents often have forgotten the value of free things to do with the kids. Take this opportunity to remind them. Once in the door, we have an opportunity to show them other services and materials of interest.
This is an opportunity to win new library users through exceptional customer service. While most libraries are very busy during this time of year, we can take advantage of higher attendance to allow the public to see just what they get with their tax dollars. It is also an opportunity to work with our staffs to provide them with scripts and scenarios to use. It is vital that we, as managers, make sure our staff understands the level of customer service that we require of them.
This is an opportunity to outreach to the community, people, schools and businesses. It's an opportunity to partnership with other government agencies. It's an opportunity to create partnerships that can be useful for both parties, not just during the summer, but throughout the year.
This is an opportunity to market the library. We are able to make library services known in the community, schools and business. Everyone is for reading and giving kids a help up to better education. Just about everyone would like to be associated with these efforts. Talk about what the Friends of the Library do. Talk about what a difference the library makes not only in the community, but also in individual lives. Talk about the library to everyone and everywhere.
There are endless opportunities I won't take time to mention here. The first to come to mind are opportunities to promote reading, career opportunities, volunteer and community service opportunities, but there are many, many more. During the hustle and bustle of this busy time of the year, take time to think of all these opportunities at your finger tips and how you can take better advantage of them. Remind you staff, particularly after the most hectic days, that they make a difference each and every day. It never hurts to let the staff know that you appreciate their hard work with moral boosters. We had a staff ice cream social to kick off the Summer Reading Program and we'll have another moral booster to celebrate the end of the Summer Reading program.