Books on a Boat
Submitted by meg.hunt on Mon, 07/18/2016 - 17:03
Type of Pilot Project:
Public Service
Describe Project and Impact:
This book club's innovative format on the Bricktown canal would spark new memberships, build existing members, and connect downtown OKC workers and residents with their community.
Project Description and Expected Outcomes:
This book club would take place on a Bricktown Water Taxi or other authorized boat once each month during the "sailing" season (March-November), weather permitting. Downtown residents and workers would be invited to bring a brown-bag lunch and discuss the book of the month while sailing through OKC's entertainment district and connecting with new people. This playful book club format would be a great tool to spark new relationships among new residents to Oklahoma City or those who have not found time to engage the library in other ways. Because the canal is walkable from many downtown locations, this could be formatted as a quick lunchtime retreat from the office.
Estimated costs are based on staff time for preparation and execution of 9 meetings per year (one per month March - November), sponsored social media posts to promote the club, and basic print marketing. The pilot would hinge on a successful partnership with Bricktown Water Taxi, which we would ask to donate the use of one boat for one hour per month-- this would serve up to 37 book club members, plus two hosting librarians and a boat captain.
Why should we select this project?:
This book club would foster a sense of community by connecting people who live or work in the Downtown, Bricktown, Wheeler District, Film Row, and surrounding areas. At a minimal cost, this project would pair with our core value of learning as enjoyment, and would also have appeal for a crowd that is often hard to reach with traditional programs: busy working professionals. It could also attract positive PR for the library and community partner alike.
Constraints, Limitations, or Dependencies:
There is a risk that this book club would not pick up steam (har har). We'd have to select our "hosting" librarians carefully, ensuring they engage attendees in a way that enthusiastically (and playfully!) encourages future library use.
This program would also be weather-dependent, and would hinge on a partnership with local business.
Source of Inspiration:
Partner/Supporting Departments:
Marketing
Materials Selection
Performance Indicators:
Market Penetration
Member Retention
Environment:
Extra-Library
Relationship:
Spark
Experience:
InterReach
Cluster:
New Members
Inactives
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