Here’s an OPTIONAL fun activity that your department is invited to participate in: let’s decorate some of the Studio windows to advertise our upcoming Open House and Costume Contest!
Wesley Smith shared this fun idea from the UofL – the included picture is of a window he decorated! Each department can decorate a window to highlight its program or service or material using a Halloween Theme (texts/images/memes/whatever). We’ll have 1 full window that gives the time and date of the Open House and Costume Contest (Tues, Oct 31 from 1-3pm), so your window decoration can focus on the department-content that you want students, faculty, and staff to be aware of. (For example: “Nothing scarier than a dead phone – get a charger from Checkout” or “It’s spooky how much library staff know – book a 1-on-1 research appointment”)
For your use, the Outreach committee has purchased washable window paint in dabber form and brush form. We also will have a selection of colored-construction paper to use. And of course, you’re welcome to use your own supplies: posters/ Halloween decorations/ etc. The paint and paper supplies have already been ordered and should arrive in the next couple of days – I’ll update this post to let you know when they’re available to you. UPDATE: Supplies have arrived as of Oct 13th and they are in the Studio for your use!
Since the Studio space will be less busy than usual over Fall Break, that would be an ideal time to decorate a window, either as a group or as individuals in relay form or whatever. If that’s not possible, other times will work, we’ll just have to be careful not to disrupt the Studio users who are in there while we decorate.
This is NOT a competition, but of course we all want to put our best effort forth. If your department doesn’t have time or interest in participating, that’s ok. This is an optional activity. It’s just for fun and a cool way to generate interest and awareness of our upcoming Open House and Costume Contest. On the flip side, if you are brimming with ideas and cannot possibly represent all of your fabulous services/programs/materials into one window… you can have a 2nd one! As you know, there is no shortage of glass in the Studio.
When you’re planning your department’s decoration, please know that there are two window sizes to choose from in the Studio. You can use either size that best fits your design idea: 33.5″ x 54.5″ or 24″x 54.5″.
Please use the Google Sign-Up Volunteer Sheet (same one as the other Outreach volunteer opportunities) to indicate whether your department will participate and whether you’ll need additional window space. The window decoration list is under the Open House and Costume Contest, so just scroll down. But while you’re on the Google sheet, please also fill out the volunteer schedule for the Open House to help out on October 31st.
If you have any questions, please either contact me or post a comment here. This is a new activity to us, and hopefully it’ll be a fun one that our patrons will enjoy. I hope you’ll participate!