Night Out at the Library

I've been trying to work with an elementary that are just down the street from the library, but we really don't see many of the kids after school.  I thought if I offered a program geared completely to them it would bring in families and then hopefully they would use the library more.

I wanted to do it in the fall, but ran out of time between submitting the idea and the actual event date, then it was the holidays so I pushed it back to January.

I've been in contact with the principal since November planning the date and activity and she started having the announcement go out in the school newsletter.  The library made 400 flyers so each student was able to take one home. I planned for 150 students , plus family members for a total of 300.  I knew that was probably a bit high, but I certainly didn't want to run out of anything!

Here's what I had planned for the night:

The class with the most students attending will receive a prize!

Kids put their name into their teacher's "pocket"

Scavenger Hunt around the library to solve the riddle:  When is an apple like a library book?

Craft:  Cardboard Spinners

Legos (an flyers to promote the monthly Lego Club)

New Books!  I brought 20 more over from the main library, so we'd be sure to have a good selection!

Refreshments!  Friends of the Library bought cookies for the evening!

The program went from after school (3:30) until we closed (8 pm).  I didn't have any "Jr. Friends" to help, so I hoped I'd be able to bop from welcoming new families, to assisting in crafts, to reader's advisory.  I wasn't quite sure how it would work if we got a big influx all at once.

Unfortunately we had a very small turnout, but the ones who did come had a good time!  So it's back to the drawing board for new and improved ideas to get our neighbors into the library!