You may be thinking, “Summer Reading Club is still months away–we still have plenty of time!” But it will be here before you know it.’ ‘ And, with the economy as it is and library budgets continuing to predict devastating shortfalls and cuts, how do we conduct a successful Summer Reading Club without or with little money?
Having a snazzy web presence doesn’t have to cost a lot. One of the great things about the Web 2.0 environment is that so many tools are available for free. What’s more, you don’t have to have particularly sophisticated technical skills to create something that looks great and is fully functional. Sites like Wikispaces, Pageflakes, and Animoto provide the templates, the underlying coding, and the storage. You can even build your entire website using a free service like Google Sites. When you use tools like these, you are taking advantage of cloud computing, meaning your content lives on externally hosted servers and is accessible to anyone who has web access.
How do you continue to add new materials to the collection when your budget is slashed? Or when, as happened to a friend in a neighboring town, the board says, “What do you need new books for? You already have a bunch…” Even with zero budget, there are some strategies that you can use to put new materials into your collection. Here’s how:
In October, YALSA sponsored an echat on the topic of advocacy. During the conversation participants talked about how the economy has an impact on their advocacy efforts.
This discussion got me thinking. How can libraries continue to seek support in a tough economy? Do librarians need to use different set of advocacy techniques than they would when money flows a bit more freely? Do teen librarians have to find ways for local businesses to provide support when that support can not be provided financially? Do teen librarians have to step-up advocacy efforts in order to fill-in financial gaps? The answer to all of those questions is “yes.” That being the case, how do teen librarians go about it? Read More →
The topic of defending your teen services budget will be part of a YALSA echat on February 3. Stay tuned for more information about the chat on the blog. For now, here’s some thoughts to get started on the topic.
Defending your budget may presume that you have one. However, the suggestions that follow will look a bit at building the groundwork for one in the first place as well as defending it once you have been given it.
These days, no budget-even for collection development-seems to be immune from taking cuts. Always being proactive and protective of whatever budget it is you manage no matter what the circumstances is just good planning.
Libraries and library systems across the country face budget cuts over the next year, forcing them to cut back hours, programs, services, the amount of materials ordered and even the number of staff. Because librarians are a dedicated bunch and really want to continue providing the best possible’ service this can create a lot of stress in the workplace. Today we explore some basic tips for dealing with stress in the workplace as we get through these difficult financial times.
With budgets being frozen and cut, it can be hard to find the money to host a traditional author visit. Here are six tips to connect with authors – virtually and in person – for little to no money.
1. Piggyback: When you book an author, you don’t just have speaker fees. You also need to pay for travel, lodging, and other expenses. One way to cut costs is to piggy back on book tours. When Jeff Kinney came to our local Border’s, one of our elementary librarians contacted his publisher who put her in touch with his agent. She was able’ to schedule a school visit between his other engagements. While this visit was not exactly cheap, it was cheaper than it might have been.
2. Buy Local: Another way to avoid travel fees is to book a local author. YALSA has a wiki which lists YA authors by state. Local authors may be more willing to work with your budget constraints since it is a way for them to support their community.
The library world is far from immune from the current economic climate. (And how tired are you of hearing phrases like “the current economic climate”?) Across the country, libraries and librarians are facing budget shortfalls and slashes, personnel cuts, and even the threat of closure–all while seeing record usage as our patrons find themselves depending more than ever on our “free” services.
Throughout the month, the YALSA blog will include daily posts in a series we’re calling 31 Days of Dollars and Sense. Topics in the series will include:
- Managing stress
- Defending your YA budget
- Coming up with prizes and incentives for your teens, even with limited funds
- …and much much more!