[Genealib] Kathy Petras - Genealogy Lock-Ins

[Carol Anderson]

Kathy,
     At her request, I just sent the following list to Ann Bergelt.  Perhaps you will find some of it helpful in your planning:
     During the fall of 2005, we began planning a special “lock-in” style event to be held one evening after the library closed.  Only patrons holding tickets would be admitted and the focus would be on genealogy.   (They aren’t really locked in – they can leave whenever they wish!)  We have now held Genealogy After Hours four times, and it has been very successful for us.  We have been asked to share our procedures for planning and executing this event.  We try to hold our event during Family History Month in October.  Planning now begins as much as a year in advance:


1.      Select a focus or topic

We have used Native American Ancestry; Those Elusive Female Ancestors; Immigration and Naturalization Records; and most recently, Effective Cemetery Research.

2.      Select a date

            Try to take into consideration other library and local events so as not to conflict.  We have used Saturday evenings from 5 – 9 or 5:30 – 8:30 pm.  Reserve the meeting space early.

3.     Establish a budget

We have been very fortunate in having the support of our Friends of the Leesburg Library for this event.  Expenses include a speaker, refreshments, printing costs, and advertisement.  Most, if not all, expenses will be covered by the tickets purchased for a $10 donation each.

4.      Speaker

Locate a speaker who will be available on the date selected and contract for speaker’s fee.  Depending on the speaker, expenses may include mileage/travel, meals, and/or lodging in addition to the speaker’s fee.  Check for special needs the speaker has (i.e. projector, microphone).  Maintain contact with the speaker every few weeks and more often as the event nears.

5.     Collection

Evaluate the library’s current collection for the targeted subject area and update/enhance as needed.  Once this task is complete, create a bibliography of print, multimedia, and database offerings the library has on the topic selected.   These can be distributed with the speaker’s handout and later made available in the Genealogy Department.

6.     Refreshments

 Determine whether to have them and who will provide them.  Since we were asking people to be in the library for 3-4 hours, we wanted to offer “light” refreshments, coffee, and punch.  For our first two GAH’s, the Friends served goodies they had brought in themselves.  For the last two times, the Friends hired a local caterer who has done a beautiful job and garnered nothing but compliments!  We agreed on a menu of a variety of finger sandwiches, decadent desserts, and some sugar-free desserts.

7.     Staff

    Well in advance (at least 3 months) staff members are asked if they would be willing to work the evening of GAH.  In return, they get to take those 4 hours off sometime during the following week.  Since our library has two floors, I have two staff members downstairs with the Circulation Desk and two reference librarians upstairs (near the Genealogy Department) to assist with InterLibrary Loan requests and other questions.

8.     Volunteers

The bulk of the assistance with genealogy research questions is handled by our wonderful volunteers.  I publicize our event with the local genealogical society and offer a “free” ticket to anyone who is willing to come and help that evening.  They still get to hear the speaker and enjoy the refreshments, but they are available to help beginners get started and to answer basic questions or to guide them through using Ancestry or Heritage Quest.  Anything they can’t handle gets referred to me or one of the other librarians.  Two of the volunteers are stationed at the door to take/sell tickets and assure that no one wanders in without a ticket thinking the library is open for business.

9.     More volunteers!

I also contact the local lineage, heritage, historical, and genealogical societies and offer to let them set up an information table for the evening.  For example, DAR usually has a nicely decorated table and has two members here to answer questions and pass out literature.  Other groups we have had represented include Kinseekers Genealogical Society, Daughters of 1812, Colonial Dames, SAR, Daughters of the Confederacy, Lone Oak Cemetery, the Leesburg Heritage Society and Historical Museum.

10.  Publicity

Promote the event in as many ways as possible.  We send press releases to local TV, radio, and newspapers.  We send flyers to other area libraries.  Eastman’s Online Genealogy Newsletter will publish upcoming events.  Posters are placed in several areas of the library and flyers distributed at meetings of all local genealogical, historical, and lineage groups.  Our Friends even publish a paid ad in two of the local papers.

11.  Goodie bags and vendors

Promoting vendors is touchy, but I do request items (pencils, bookmarks, catalogs, samples) from genealogy vendors for goodie bags provided to attendees.  I then set up a Vendor’s Information table where literature, catalogs, etc. are available.  We don’t actually sell anything, but companies such as Genealogical Publishing are happy to provide stacks of promotional materials.

12.  Library Promotion

Next to the Vendors table I set up a Library Information table full of flyers, bookmarks, etc. about upcoming library programs, changes in hours, database availability.

13.  Evaluations

Design a short and simple evaluation form, distribute to all attendees, and have a container for them to deposit the completed evaluations at the end of their visit.  Tally these after the program and consider results and suggestions in planning for next year!  Don’t forget to share results with those who helped to make the evening possible.

14.  Thank you notes

Make a point of thanking the speaker, each volunteer, each staff member, the Friends, and anyone else who made the event possible.



Carol Anderson
Adult Services Librarian
Leesburg Public Library
100 East Main Street
Leesburg, FL  34748
Carol.Anderson at leesburgflorida.gov<mailto:Carol.Anderson at leesburgflorida.gov>

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