Directory of Best Practices for Public Library Events via Panorama Project

Another useful report has been put out by the Panorama Project, this time focusing on everything you need to know about putting on book related events at your library-- in person or virtually.

Below I have reposted the introduction to the "Directory of Best Practices for Public Library Events" but you can access the entire report here or use the linked table of contents that I have reposted proceeding the Introduction to skip to the section you want to read:

Library Events

INTRODUCTION

EVENT PRODUCTION

SOURCING BOOKS

MARKETING EVENTS

HOSTING EVENTS

DATA COLLECTION & COMMUNICATION

CONTRIBUTORS

NOTE: As the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted in-person events throughout 2020, many libraries shifted their focus to producing a variety of virtual events, leveraging many of the same best practices to produce and market them while relying on new platforms for hosting. This Directory addresses best practices for both formats.

Introduction

Every year, public libraries across the United States produce, market, and host thousands of readings, literary festivals, book clubs, and other experiential events that directly connect their local patrons to books and authors—new and old. Some libraries work in partnership with publishers and/or local booksellers, while others work directly with individual authors. Many do both, especially libraries that produce more than 10 events per year.

These public library events not only introduce local readers to new authors and books, they can also increase circulation of related books in all formats, and even drive consumer sales, too.

This directory, based on findings from Panorama Project's 2019 Public Library Events & Book Sales Survey and compiled by a volunteer committee of public librarians, is intended to offer an overview of the best practices librarians across the country have used to produce, market, and host successful events of all types. It identifies best practices for each major step of the event process, and offers several notable examples.

It also covers methods of collecting and communicating data back to authors and publishers to clearly demonstrate the impact and value of those events.

This first edition aims for breadth over depth, leveraging the committees’ collective experience and expertise to produce a foundational document that can be expanded with additional feedback from a broader pool of contributors in future updates.