We are excited to announce that the Third Annual Ask a Librarian Day will be held on Tuesday, February 22, 2011!
The purpose of Ask a Librarian Day is to raise awareness about the service within the library and to your users. We have found that librarians and staff not actively involved with Ask a Librarian are not as familiar with the service, and that patron usage increases dramatically when personally recommended by library staff. Like last year, we have sent out Ask a Librarian stickers for every librarian who staffs Ask a Librarian at your library to wear. And like last year, we’re encouraging all libraries statewide to promote Ask a Librarian to staff and users.
This year, we’d like to present you with a challenge.
The challenge is for each of you to find one staff member who works at your library who does not staff Ask a Librarian – it could be another librarian, or a member of your circulation or youth services staff, or even a page or library administrator. That person will be your Ask a Librarian Ambassador. In the weeks leading up to Ask a Librarian Day, have your AaL Ambassador sit with you as you work a shift on Ask a Librarian. Explain the process of helping someone virtually; share with them the experiences you’ve had along the way. Let them see you in action while helping the user. And on February 22nd, Ask a Librarian staff statewide will pair up with their AaL Ambassadors to spread the word about Ask a Librarian.
Are you ready to accept this mission? Click here to join this statewide challenge!!!
What does this mission entail? Once your AaL Ambassador sees the incredible service Ask a Librarian provides for every Florida resident, you’ll team up to spread the word about Ask a Librarian on February 22nd. Create a local event in your library to correspond with the statewide day. Set up an informative (or wacky) display to grab the attention of everyone who visits your library. Plan raffles and contests; hang Ask a Librarian posters in unusual places. Hand out lanyards to every student asking questions that day; place a bookmark inside every single book you check out. Bake cookies, wear face paint – get creative! If you still have your t-shirt from previous years, wear it to work that day, and talk about the service to everyone you meet: coworkers, library users, the guy who makes the coffee at the 7-Eleven.
Important talking points to share:
• If you ever need help when you’re not in our library, visit http://www.askalibrarian.org (or find the link on our library’s website).
• Ask a Librarian is a website where you can go to get your questions answered by a real librarian.
• Ask a Librarian is open for live chat and texting until midnight ET Sunday through Thursday, and until 5 p.m. ET Friday and Saturday.
• You can use Ask a Librarian for free.
• If Ask a Librarian isn’t open for chat or texting, you can always email your question, and your library’s staff will get back to you within 24 hours.
Look out for the Ask a Librarian stickers we’ve sent you, and remember to wear them on Ask a Librarian Day. Have a few extra? Hand them out to your users. Want a few extra? Visit our marketing materials page and order additional stickers, bookmarks, lanyards, and other goodies to distribute here: https://info.askalibrarian.org/promotional.php.
Remember, Ask a Librarian Day is February 22nd… Join the challenge and mark those calendars today!
Traci