bracketology march madness style brackets for library programs alvin dantes head of access services...
TRANSCRIPT
Bracketology
March Madness style brackets for library programs
Alvin DantesHead of Access
ServicesSUNY Oneonta
The Bracket
Banned Books Week 2012
Banned Books Week 2012
• Banned Books Week Banned Books Month–Weekly matchups– Culminating events during Banned
Books Week in October
• Prizes for most accurate brackets
Website
Website
• https://www.oneonta.edu/library/bannedbooks/
• Website for Banned Books 2012– Contained information on our events as
well as Banned Books information in general
– Updated weekly with new polls and bracket matchups
– Link to website on all physical materials and QR codes posted throughout the library
Google Form
Google Form
• Weekly votes with Google Docs form– Embedded into web page– Tied to Google Spreadsheet for easy
data manipulation or export
Physical Bracket
Physical Bracket
• Physical bracket hung in the library–Marketing– Regular updates– Reusable• Made with large format printer• Book titles attached separately with sticky
tack• Empty bracket still available for future
events
Marketing
Marketing
• Each flyer for the events had a bracket printed on the back that could be filled out to win prizes
• Combination of in-house materials and pins/posters/t-shirts from ALA (all of which were used as prizes)
• Exhibit space in the library devoted to promoting Banned Books Week
Mistakes Made
• 2nd week of voting only had 17 votes• Bracket submissions were due early
in September, though classes had just been in session for a few weeks– Bracket participation low– Could not capitalize on later interest
• Timing off during the last week of voting
Outcomes
• Captured campus interest– 100+ votes each week for matchups– At least two faculty using banned books
and censorship in curriculum
• Innovation award from the South Central Regional Library Council
Do It Yourself
Preparation
• Plan things out way ahead of time• Give yourself a big launch date and
promote it• Tie the program with other programs
occurring during the same time period
• It’s never too early to prepare for a culminating event
The Bracket
The Bracket
• We used a large format printer– Easy (for us) to make– Easy to use and reuse– Lack of modularity– Still relatively small
The Bracket
• Alternatives– Use individual pieces of paper and link
them with string or yarn–Make it virtual with a dynamic website
or a kiosk • www.betterbracketmaker.com
– Other ideas?
What to Put on the Bracket
• Banned books• Favorite authors/illustrators/creators• Literary character showdowns• People of historical significance
Voting
Voting
• Google Forms– Embeddable into external websites– Allows multiple submissions– Integration with Google Spreadsheets
for easy data manipulation– Lack of web analytics
Voting
• PollDaddy• SelectSurvey• EasyPolls.net• Twitter/Facebook/other social media• Other ideas?
Marketing
• Word of mouth– Brackets are adversarial. Instant
discussion– Seeding creates upsets, underdogs, and
Cinderellas
• Social media• Be visual
Marketing
• Update the bracket on a schedule– Perhaps turn the update into an event in
itself
• Keep a website/blog up to date with information regarding your bracket– Link to the website or to the vote
wherever and whenever possible
• Book talks/discussion groups
Things to Keep in Mind
Things to Keep in Mind
• Timing is everything–We did not correctly anticipate the
timing of the bracket– Remember to build momentum over the
length of the bracket– Have a predictable schedule of updates
Things to Keep in Mind
• Marketing is everything else– Find additional stakeholders– It’s a long process, you need momentum– Advertise before it starts if you want
people filling out brackets