Strategic Update - Marketing & Programming

Marketing Strategy

The beautiful MPL book bag featuring our logo and tagline (imagine learn grow) will launch at the Library Board meeting on Monday December 15th, and will thereafter be available for customer purchase. Polly Chan, Accounting & Purchasing, will provide procedures for tracking book bag inventory and revenue. More MPL branded merchandise, including MPL t-shirts, is on the way.

Programming Strategy:

As part of our “Relevant Programs” strategy, and led by Marketing & Programming Strategist Diane Macklin, several exciting and innovative programming plans and strategies are in the works:

CLASS (Online Program Registration and Payment): The long-anticipated implementation of CLASS, which will allow our customers to register online for library programs, is scheduled for early 2009. Staff training is planned for early February, and will involve staff entering the spring programs into the CLASS system. Customer service benefits include increased convenience, remote 24x7 access to program registration, printed receipts, and the ability to register for Library programs at the same time as registering for Recreation and other Town programs. Efficiency benefits (E3) of CLASS include automatic printing of customer receipts, automatic deposit of program revenue, improved reports, internal process improvements, reduced workload related to program administration, and overall alignment with current Town processes for program registration.

Partnership with Opera York – “And the Rat Laughed”: MPL is partnering with Opera York to develop Holocaust Education Week events and programs in relation to the upcoming production of “And the Rat Laughed” – a Hebrew opera set during the Holocaust. A recent article in the Thornhill Liberal “Opera about Holocaust experience coming to Richmond Hill” profiled this production http://www.yorkregion.com/article/85541.

Partnership with Mayor’s Youth Task Force: The Teen Services Committee is working with the Mayor’s Youth Task Force to present a Battle of the Bands event at the Milliken Mills Community Centre on Friday, May 8th. For a number of years MYTF has successfully offered this event as part of Youth Week. MPL will be assisting the group with their publicity and promotion. The MYTF goal is to increase participation from 900 last year to 1200 this year and to garner media attention and promote the event as a local success story for teens. In previous years audience applause has determined the winner and an MYTF member has served as emcee. MPL will also be working with MYTF to secure a judge or emcee that will create a buzz for the event. The MYTF has also invited MPL to attend their monthly meetings.

Partnership with Teens Art Council: Teen Librarian Amy Dolmer is working with the Markham Teen Arts Council to plan a book cover-inspired fashion show for Youth Week 2009 (first week of April).

Programming and the Information Services Review: As part of the implementation of the Information Services Review (ISR), Diane and Andrea Cecchetto, the ISR Project Manager, have developed a new programming model. The new model is designed to ensure consistent standards of program planning and delivery at all branches, improved efficiency in program development and delivery, and improved revenue generation. It should be noted that in the context of the current economic recession and the Town’s E3 initiative, the need to generate program revenue is even more compelling. The new programming strategy will also include standard schedules for programs, marketing strategies/tools, training for staff involved in program delivery and for program presenters. Due to the long lead time required for program planning, full implementation of the programming model is projected for the Winter 2010 programming season. For more details, please be sure to attend the soon-to-be-scheduled Town Halls in January.