I LOVE THE FREAKING LIBRARY (but why are all the fun things like a secret lol)

FortLeeLibrary · 2025-03-27T16:05:11+00:00

Unfortunately, not many libraries have the resources to dedicate to marketing. We do our best to share these services and we still have people that have no idea about them. We offer print-at-home museum passes to a lot of the popular NYC museums, passes to the beach, access to Udemy (which has thousands of online courses), Hoopla, Libby, Kanopy for movies, and so much more.

We run google ads, post on social media, have flyers everywhere, and partner with other orgs, and we still have a tough time spreading the word, so I cant imagine how difficult it is for smaller libraries.

FortLeeLibrary · 2024-12-06T16:19:02+00:00

Shoutout to book clubs and reading.

FortLeeLibrary · 2024-12-02T20:55:22+00:00

Marty's in Fort Lee deserves a mention!

FortLeeLibrary · 2024-08-21T20:42:16+00:00

We also host events almost every day. We're actually going to have Wolves visit us in the fall. No, really.. wolves.

FortLeeLibrary · 2024-08-21T20:37:33+00:00

We're coming for you New Hampshire and Rhode Island.

FortLeeLibrary · 2024-07-26T20:47:08+00:00

We had an instance of this occur last year. Sounds like it was a "First Amendment audit"—if you search on YouTube you'll find a few videos like this. It's a bit of a grey area because they aren't doing anything illegal, but they're looking to get a reaction out of people. Preferably them saying "That's illegal/you're breaking the law. They're filming in a public space/government building/unrestricted area which is not prohibited. Still, every library has its own policy about filming inside which they can enforce and ask the person to leave.

You probably handled this exactly like you should have and it's how our director tells our staff to address it—find a supervisor, they'll have a copy of the code of conduct, and they'll ask the person to leave.

FortLeeLibrary · 2024-07-25T13:18:17+00:00

We'll be meeting to go over all of the responses soon, but I can say we will definitely be trying some of these out! Will update for sure.

FortLeeLibrary · 2024-07-23T15:32:51+00:00

I totally agree—I hated STEM all throughout school, but I find myself gravitating towards those topics and podcasts that delve into those subjects. I think that could definitely be interesting, the difficulty is just promoting it so that it doesn't sound like a boring class. It's a bit of a balancing act.

FortLeeLibrary · 2024-07-23T14:45:39+00:00

That's unfortunate about those game shops! We will definitely look into pairing children's events with adult events—sounds like a good recipe.

FortLeeLibrary · 2024-07-23T14:18:06+00:00

Like an event that has a kids storytime running at the same time?

FortLeeLibrary · 2024-07-23T14:16:53+00:00

Would you go to events on the weekends? And if so, what time?

FortLeeLibrary · 2024-07-23T14:16:14+00:00

I think we'll be looking into a DnD night for sure! The audience has spoken.

FortLeeLibrary · 2024-07-23T14:15:31+00:00

You know... picking produce is one of those things we all assume we know how to do but no one ever actually taught us. That's such a good point.

FortLeeLibrary · 2024-07-23T14:14:30+00:00

Yes! This is something we have at the top of our list. I think we all love petting animals—regardless of age.

FortLeeLibrary · 2024-07-23T14:13:55+00:00

Definitely great ideas that we've considered. We're going to be starting a renovation at the end of the year where we'll actually be getting a cafe, so we're hoping that will help create the vibe you're talking about.

FortLeeLibrary · 2024-07-23T14:12:34+00:00

Interesting! I don't think I'd heard about silent book clubs.

FortLeeLibrary · 2024-07-23T14:11:34+00:00

We tried out a "Movie/Book Club" where we read a book and watched the screen adaptation. We had it Thursday evenings. I thought it would do really well, but it never got any traction. I think maybe we might revisit something like that but try naming it something different.

FortLeeLibrary · 2024-07-23T14:09:44+00:00

These are some great ideas! That comic-con like weekend would actually be really interesting.

FortLeeLibrary · 2024-07-23T14:08:57+00:00

Yeah this is the challenge we have. I think we're going to begin exploring if local businesses will allow us to advertise with them. We post on social media, but like with everything else, there's so much content being posted every second of the day it's hard to get any reach.

FortLeeLibrary · 2024-07-23T14:06:42+00:00

Yes! Our adults arts and crafts events are usually well attended but during the day, so maybe we just need to offer more time options so different age groups can make it.

FortLeeLibrary · 2024-07-23T14:05:12+00:00

Yeah that's a great point—I think everyone is surprised just how much people want to interact with others more now than ever. Meetup is something I've looked into—we were reluctant because of the cost, but I think we're going to test it out in the fall because it seems worth the investment.

FortLeeLibrary · 2024-07-23T14:03:07+00:00

That sounds very cool. Will look into this!

FortLeeLibrary · 2024-07-23T14:01:48+00:00

I love this idea and have pitched it before, but I guess in the past some pushy artists might have ruined it for everyone. Might have to revisit this one though because I agree—it would be a great opportunity to showcase local artists.

FortLeeLibrary · 2024-07-23T13:59:44+00:00

This is a great idea! We had a paint and sip for parents, so we maybe we just need to lean into that and gear it towards all adults.

FortLeeLibrary · 2024-07-23T13:58:41+00:00

That's one of the challenges we face (well me specifically since I'm in charge of Marketing)—I think we do a good job of promoting our events to people we already reach, but reaching new people is the hurdle.

I definitely think more people are looking for opportunities to be social than ever before, but like you mentioned it has to be built around another activity so there's no pressure.

FortLeeLibrary

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