BIG IDEAS ON A SMALL BUDGETBrian Pichman | Director of Strategic Innovation | Evolve Project
Computers in Libraries 2015
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FURNITURE FOR YOUR LIBRARY
• Maker Spaces
• People pay a membership to be part of a“MakerSpace” where the tools are provided for them to build
• Community Out Reach
• Ask your community for help
• Ask local businesses to make monetary donations towards new furniture/rooms and let them advertise on it
• If Fifty People Donate Fifty Dollars =2,500 = Very Nice New Couch.
SHELVING IDEAS
• Find books that covers are colorful, and choose the books that coordinate with that season
• Red and Green Books = Christmas
• Orange and Black = Halloween
OFFER OTHER ITEMS FOR CHECK OUT
• Guitars
• Patrick Sweeney was able to get guitars donated for circulation
• Also started a program with them
• Fishing Poles
• Pots and Pans
MUSIC
• Ask your local artist to…
• perform at your library
• teach others how to play
• Do a “Battle of the Bands Event”
MOVIE NIGHT
• Check out Amazon for Movies
• Sometimes can show a screening before movie theaters do
• Start a “Film Festival”
• Encourage local talent to create or share a movie the created and play it during the film festival
VIDEO GAME NIGHT
• Ask local Video Game stores to borrow equipment to set up a gaming night
• Ask your patrons to bring in video games
SNAPCHAT
• Have people add your library snap chat
• Create a “Guess What This Is” Game
• Take a picture of something close up
• Set the timer for 5 seconds.
• Allow people to post on twitter,facebook, etc to your post
SUMMER SCHOOL?
• A library in Kankakee, IL started a summer educational program
• They had limited space, and all the spots filled plus the waiting list was maxed out
• Offered courses on Art, Math, Writing and Video
• Art – Walked through the different art forms through the years
• Video – Used free Claymation and used Flip Cams (Very Inexpensive Cameras)
• Math/Writing – used iPad apps to engage the participants with learning
TEACH KIDS TO PROGRAM
• Hopscotch
Programming made easy No typing. No syntax errors. Just drag and drop blocks. Hopscotch is an intuitive, friendly programming interface designed for everyone.
UPCOMING EVENT TICKER
• Typical cost to have an “upcoming event ticker” is in the thousands. But all you need is a
• Wall Mounted TV (Buy Refurb)
• A Cheap Computer (Buy Refurb)
• Hook the computer up to the TV and run a PowerPoint slide show.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Most of the time, try to remain positive when
talking on twitter
When Asking For Things
• Sell your idea to them. Don’t let them sell their
product to you.
• You are picking their product to be in your
library.
• Explain your market share (IE patrons, how
many visitors each day, etc)
CROWD-SOURCE FUNDING
• People across the world group together to fund new projects and ideas
• People are encouraged to donate towards “awards” based off the amount they donate.
• Kickstarter.com
• Indiegogo.com
BONUSES FOR YOUR PATRONS
• Comcast Internet Access $10 a month (Internet Essentials)
• http://www.internetessentials.com
• For the folks in school, using your @edu address get:
• Free Microsoft Products at www.dreamspark.com
• Free AutoDesk Products at http://students.autodesk.com
• DropBox
• Free Storage Space for Backing Up Your Data
• If you have to filter internet / protect from web based threats
• OpenDNS.com
MORE IDEAS• Knitting Club – Get people together to knit together.
• "Sniff Off" contest with tea blends from a local tea shop to celebrate National Tea Month
• "Dog Listener" from a local kennel / animal shelter
• Library Literary Speed Dating Program: bring 3 favorite books to talk about
• "Parkin' lot pickin'” with 20 local musicians in the library parking lot, each performing for 10 minutes
• Jigsaw puzzle exchange
• Dial-A-Story – Set up a voicemail box and read a story for patrons to call in and listen too.
• “Ask A [Expert]” Locate your community experts like Laywers, Accountants, etc and ask them to do a workshop for your patrons.
• “How To Faire” – Similar to a Maker Faire, but learn how to do things (planting, fishing, sewing, comic book drawing…)
• “UFO” – Unfinished Objects – repair broken tech
• “Break and Make” – take apart technology and put it back together
THANKS FOR ATTENDING!
Brian Pichman
815-534-0403
@bpichman
Be sure to tweet me and keep the conversation going
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