1. Carol Marshall, Stock Manager
eBook Drop-ins in Hampshire
not only
Customer support
Promotion
but also….
Carol Marshall, Stock Manager

2. Not only….but also….
High demand / limited availability = neither the need or incentive to promote eBooks
Main motivation was the desire to support new & existing customers
Added benefits:
draw ‘remote’ customers into our branches
opportunity to get branch staff to engage with the service
tie in with programme ‘learning in libraries’

3. Pilot eBook events 6 eBook surgeries Aim Open ‘Drop-in’ sessions
identify what worked & assess demand
develop a toolkit for our branches to use at future events
Winchester Discovery Centre, (largest, busiest branch)

4. Getting started…. Purchased a range of eReaders
Staff training / familiarisation
Hand-outs for use at the sessions:
Introduction to Hampshire eBooks Service
FAQs
Getting started with your….
Purchased related books

5. Advance publicity…. Website Social media
Brochures, posters, hand-outs in the branch
Posters, leaflets in local shops

6. The eBook Surgery 2 hour ‘drop in’ sessions, café Winchester DC
4 - 5 staff available at each session
Display of eReaders, hand-outs, related books
‘enquiries’ per session
People wanting to try out eReaders
Existing customers wanting help and advice
New users wanting their devices set up
+ve feedback from customers, staff enthused, increased bookings on related in-house courses

7. Lessons learned The Concept Publicity
Clear idea of what you are offering, the target audience and what you hope to achieve
Publicity
Traditional: posters, leaflets in the library
Library website, social media
Press releases
Think outside the box eg local shops, railway stations

8. Location
Visible: High profile site, passing traffic, have a ‘presence’, eg pop-up banners
Accessible: Space for the display, for browsing, a seating area, (tables and chairs for 121s)
Staff
Welcoming
Good overview of the service
Working knowledge of at least 2 devices
Training skills

9. The Future An identified demand for this type of ‘event’
Created a toolkit to support branches who want to run eBook drop-ins
Three styles of event:
Informal drop-in, ‘petting zoo’ sessions
Structured drop-in sessions featuring a rolling programme of short demonstrations by staff or commercial partners
121 sessions, (half hour bookable slots)
Biggest challenge is keeping up-to-date