I am taking a summer management class -- "Management of Information Centers and Libraries". My current assignment is to examine marketing materials from a public library. These items have to be related to some type of outreach service -- loosely defined. During my trip to Boston to attend the 2015 SLA Conference I took time to visit the
Boston Public Library. I found the following items to use for my assignment. Each of these items also has a Web surrogate so they exist both physically and digitally.
The Boston Library Overview
This item is a small booklet that describes the strategic plan of the Boston Public Library (BPL). Sized at approximately 4" x 4.25" and 30 pages. It provides a basic overview of the Boston Public Library, its services, and a high level listing of the BPLs' strategic plan.
The
strategic plan is set of eight principles for "excellence" that help guide the BPL:
- User-Centered Institution
- Community Gathering
- Special Collections
- Center of Knowledge
- Children and Teens
- Access and Innovation
- Sustainable Organization
- Fun
Author Talks February - June 2015
Boston Public Library Copley Square author talks feature a wide range of
talented writers. Hear authors read from their books, purchase a copy,
get it signed, and learn about the creative process that gets such
magnificent stories told
Norman B. Leventhal Map Center Card (Front)
The Leventhal Map Center, located in the Boston Public Library's McKim Building in Copley Square, is a place to explore history, geography and world events through their collection of maps dating from the 15th century to the present. Collection includes over 200,000 maps, and 5,000 atlases. It ranked among the top 10 in the US for the size of the collection, the significance of its historic materials and its advanced digitization program.
Concerts in the Courtyard
The courtyard of the Central Library in Copley Square is filled with music during these one-hour concerts throughout the summer. Music spectrum ranges from classical to jazz and from world to folk.
Wednesdays at 6pm and Fridays at 12:30 pm. Free to all.
www.bpl.org/concerts
Outreach Services
I also identified three actual outreach services that will discuss. The
Bibliocycle,
BWell, and the
Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children Program.
Bibliocycle
Boston Public Library partnered with
Boston Bikes
to create the Bibliocycle – a bike and book trailer – to take to
farmer’s markets, fairs, and other community events throughout the city.
Massachusetts residents can sign up for a Boston Public Library card,
borrow books, see demonstrations of the library’s digital resources, and
more when the Bibliocycle visits.
Learn more about the BPL Bibliocycle
Three important things to know about the Boston Public Library Bibliocycle:
- Bibliocycle checkout is limited to 10 items per patron per event.
- Large quantities of items cannot be returned to the
Bibliocycle. If you have many items to return, please visit a Boston
Public Library location. View an interactive map of locations.
- Fines cannot be paid at the Bibliocycle. Fines must be paid at a Boston Public Library location.
Request a Bibliocycle Visit
Show/Hide the schedule of upcoming Bibliocycle visits
bWell Center
Boston Medical Center's (BMC)
bWell
Center provides an innovative approach to educating and supporting
families of the Boston Medical Center pediatrics department. Boston
Public Library partners with the center to regularly bring books for
check-out to the bWell Center that focus on health and wellness. These
books can be returned onsite or to any BPL location in the city. The
library also provides library card registration each month to families
at the bWell Center as well as information about different library
services and programs.
Massachusetts Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children
Massachusetts Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children
(MSPCC) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring the health
and safety of children through direct services to children and families
and public advocacy on their behalf. A Boston Public Library children’s
librarian provides monthly visits to MSPCC and brings a book deposit,
offers story times, and promotes BPL services and programs.
I believe I have selected some great items for this assignment. Not I have to get to work on it.