From the SLA Guideline Brilliant Books: Running a Successful School Library Book Event by Geoff Dubber and Elspeth Scott (available from our Guidelines page). These tips were made available as part of International School Library Day.

Contents

• Popular Themes
  
• Choosing an Audience
  
• The Perfect Performer
  
• Ideas for Activities
  
• Budget Sheet
  
• Event Checklist
  
• Caring for your Visitor
  
• ICT Links
  

Popular Themes

The following are some popular themes for book events.

• Historical fiction
• Books for younger readers
• Science fiction
• Fashion - past and present
• Crime/Horror
• Black History
• Local history/events/traditions
• Famous people - biogs/autobiogs
• Travel
• Ghost stories/supernatural
• Holidays and other countries
• Reading and writing diaries
• Cartoons
• Fantasy
• Picture books
• Sport
• Machines
• Pets and animal behaviour
• Songs and song writing
• Poetry
• Cooking and cookery books
• Newspapers/magazines - reading and writing
• Play writing and drama
• Environmental issues
• Conflict of all kinds
• Romance
• Pop up books
• Art and design
• Hobbies
• Producing books
• Craft and craft books
• TV themes/series/soaps
• Customs around the world
• Book links to other countries
• With an ICT focus
• Favourite books
• Book characters - Harry Potter, Lemony Snicket etc
• A special author/illustrator
• Reading and writing ICT: e-books
• Nursery Rhymes

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Choosing an Audience

Who needs a brilliant book event?

Which of your groups could really benefit from a book event in the next few months? Who was targeted last time?

• Year 7s
• Year 8s
• Year 9s
• GCSE years
• Years 12/13
• Lower School Learning Support
• Upper School Learning Support
• Induction and Y7 pupils
• LRC helpers
• G and T Lower School
• G and T Upper School
• One target department
• The community
• OHSS
• Reading club
• Others

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The Perfect Performer

Finding the Perfect Performer!

But remember that one person's perfect performer might be another's perfect disaster!

Any of the following might just be your answer:

• authors
• illustrators
• story tellers
• poets
• journalists/photographers
• magazine editors
• playwrights
• radio and TV performers
• paper engineers
• rap artists
• booksellers
• staff from your School Library Service
• local library staff
• local celebrities
• local sports personalities
• local policemen, doctors, firemen etc.
• street artists
• musicians
• puppeteers
• museum staff
• archivists
• local dignitaries
• local LEA advisory staff
• colleagues who run other school libraries

Ask all and everyone in school to perform for/with you!

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Ideas for book event Activities

• Performer visit
• Book assemblies
• Book lists/displays
• Book quizzes and competitions - set by staff and students
• Dress up as a book character - with or without cryptic clues
• Book Fair
• Book differences - books that our grandparents and parents enjoyed
• Desert Island books
• Design a / Draw a / Make a ................
• Drama workshops with a book theme
• Favourite book readings - staff, students, parents, community
• Swapshop - magazines / comics / books /videos etc.
• Story / Letter / Diary / Script / Play writing and ICT work
• Use book based ICT websites
• Book making
• Readathon
• Book and Reading surveys - school, local, other schools - national, international (via the Internet), well known personalities
• Book sale - new and not so new
• Visit a ......... library / SLS base / bookshop / publisher - specialist or general / newspaper office / printing works
• DEAR time - Drop Everything And Read - every day / everybody
• Invite groups of pupils to decorate / display a corner of the library / LRC for use by a book character
• Match the first / last line / illustration of the book to the title
• Guess the reader - Display school readers' book / poetry choices with some cryptic clues to identify the reader - staff and students
• Use the Library Game and / or the Reading Game
• Bran tub - pick one and review it
• Basket / box full of props to activate ideas for writing
• Display a book plot in pictures around the LRC
• Pick book titles suitable for football teams, star players or celebs
• Book title charades
• Have a photo competition of people in school / at home reading
• Story trail - create a story trail around the school
• Who Wants to be a Millionaire? book quiz
• Create a reading / library quiz with different stages and stamp a library 'passport' at each stage
• Do a brilliant artefact display and put books around it

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Budget Sheet

This planning sheet can be used to help you plan your budget for a book event.

Book Event Budget Planning Sheet

PDF file, 20 kB

Requires Adobe Reader

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Event Checklist

The checklist can be read online (below) or downloaded as a PDF file.

Book Event Checklist

PDF file, 33 kB

Requires Adobe Reader

Months Ahead

• Programme event into your LRC Development Plan
• Discuss ideas with your line manager / Head of SLS etc.
• Discuss ideas with your planning group
• Produce clear library and curriculum aims and agree target audience
• Consult school diary and decide possible dates
• Produce an outline budget sheet (see Budget Sheet page)
• Contact speakers / guests - make provisional arrangements
• Confirm all details in writing
• Order relevant publications
• Book the venue(s)
• Enter definite details in the school diary
• Obtain promotional material from publishers / SLS / bookshops etc.
• Seek sponsorship
• Invite sponsors to the event(s) as appropriate
• Finalise budget sheet - headings etc.
• Share tasks with your planning group
• Plan refreshments
• Plan advertising materials

Approximately One Month Ahead

• Plan LRC displays
• Promote and issue books etc. to support the event
• Confirm arrangements with speakers
• Make sure that teaching colleagues know about the visit and are preparing their students
• Check venue, seating plans and equipment with the caretaker etc.
• Check refreshment planning / details
• Organise and distribute publicity
• Organise press coverage / writing a press release

The Week Before

• Put up displays
• Final meeting with planning group to confirm details
• Confirm publicity coverage - press, write up for school newsletter etc.
• Organise the school photographer
• Brief the hospitality group
• Make sure the audience knows what and who to expect
• Plan introduction(s) to the speaker(s)

On the Day Itself - Before the Event

• Prepare venue and equipment/seating
• Confirm timings for the audience and accompanying staff
• Check the hospitality group are ready
• Be prepared for a late arrival
• Check all people with things to do
• Have the kettle on and a glass of water (nothing stronger!) ready for the speaker

During the Visit

• Give the speaker time and space to set up
• Offer the speaker refreshments and facilities
• Smile and keep calm
• Enjoy yourself!
• Do your usual brilliant PR job of showing the LRC and school to their best advantage (and yours!)
• Make sure photos are taken
• Make sure somebody thanks the speaker

Follow Up

• Provide positive feedback to the speaker
• Send a letter of thanks from you and perhaps some of the audience
• Send a letter of thanks to the sponsors giving feedback on the event
• Work in partnership with the teachers on follow up work
• Thank those who gave thought, time and effort to the event
• Evaluate
• Organise a write up for the LRC / school newsletter / website etc.
• Put your feet up and then start thinking about the next one!

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Caring for your Visitor

• Make contact and book as early as possible
• Listen as well as ask!
• Explain the Book Event's context
• Discuss possible choice of dates and timings - what is a "day's work"?
• Explain possible audience numbers and range of ability
• Ask for the speaker's opinion of the expected work
• Discuss the venue
• Ask about equipment needs
• Ask for charges - does he / she include travel and accommodation?
• Make sure the speaker knows your title, address, phone and email
• Confirm everything in writing
• Make sure the speaker only has to deal with one person in school, not several
• Will the speaker expect payment on the day?
• Confirm details about the audience and accompanying adults about two weeks before - It's really useful for the speaker to know some names and titles before arrival
• Provide a clear map
• Make sure the car parking / transport arrangements are clear
• Give possible train times if relevant
• Make sure somebody is ready to meet your speaker on arrival / organise badges etc.
• Offer refreshments and point out the loo!
• Make sure that the venue and equipment are organised
• Give time and space to 'set up'
• Make sure the audience is calm and focused at the start - don't be embarrassed to shout now if you need to - better now than later!
• Make sure the speaker is properly introduced
• Make sure the audience has some idea of the context of the speaker!
• Protect the speaker from difficult situations - make sure staffing is adequate! Deal with nuisances effectively
• Make sure somebody somewhere says thank you!
• Organise help as your speaker clears away
• Add your own personal thanks or / and send a short note of thanks after the event
• Provide evaluation if requested
• Pay the bill promptly

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ICT Links

A few book-based websites that will give you and your students / pupils some ideas for reading and book events

• http://www.booktrusted.com/
• http://www.storiesfromtheweb.org/
• http://www.guysread.com/
• http://www.cool-reads.co.uk/
• http://www.bookadventure.com/
• http://www.kidsreview.org.uk/
• http://www.mrsmad.com/
• http://www.achuka.co.uk/
• http://www.ala.org/teenhoopla/
• http://www.teenreads.com/
• http://www.ukchildrensbooks.co.uk/
• http://www.wordpool.co.uk/ - for younger readers
• http://www.boox.org.uk/
• http://www.kidsopenbook.co.uk/
• http://www.myhomelibrary.org/ - find bookplates here
• http://www.fcbg.org.uk/
• http://www.literacytrust.org.uk/links/webchild.html - excellent links from the Literacy Trust website
• http://www.readingmatters.co.uk/
• http://www.ability.org.uk/young_writers.html - lots of links here
• http://www.highlandschools-virtualib.org.uk/reading_webs.htm
• http://rite.ed.qut.edu.au/oz-teachernet/projects/book-rap/

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