I have wanted to write this blog for ages, but never got around to it. I was asked to blog on a collaborative blog about YS issues and other library stuff. Thinking of topics I settled on Summer Reading Programs, SRP, and weddings and how similar they really are together.
I had just finished a gruelling summer reading program, in which I had held @ least two programs a day starting on first day of summer vaca up to labor day. I also organized a Narnia Day, End of summer carnival and a talent show. That summer was 2006 "Paws, Claws, Scales and Tails". I give most of the credit to the the CSLP programming guide. They give you lots and lots of ideas for crafts, games, activities, book lists, it goes on and on and on! I usually don't do any of them straight out. I give it the Tracy Tweak and off we go!
Anyway, I had a few friends getting married or just had gotten married and thought of all the planning it went in for that one special day. Planning for a wedding and planning for summer reading had more in common than I thought.
Timing
Couples usually start planning for a wedding about a year in advance. The CSLP already has the theme for 2009 and 2010. I usually start creating programming ideas about 6/7 months ahead. Not this year b/c I moved and wasn't sure what DC was doing for SR.
Attendance
For a wedding you have a guest list and sometimes more than just one. I had never heard of a b-list, but some friends who were getting married would say well put that couple on the b-list just in case "X" amount of people can't come. For a SRP you have target goals, like we "X" amount of students in the community and sign up 70% of them. With a wedding, if you invite 120 you're hoping to get 100. It's that 80/20 thing. But for SRP's you want as many as you can get.
Invites
People getting married send out save the date cards. Then a few months later you get a thick envelope in the mail with the real invite, RSVP envelope and info about the reception. Librarians, like me, send out letters to schools to remind them of the upcoming SRP. We make school visits to remind the teachers and students to save the date for the SRP kickoff party!
Performers
Weddings can get freaky with performers. Depending on the $$$ they have a DJ or a band, then maybe a quartet for the ceremony and I've seen magicians. To put less stress on the library staff getting performers is great, but this also depends on the budget. You want cheap, but still great. Mr. Malcolm is the best show for your buck. He's a storyteller and really gets the kids involved. He'll do any story you want from Harry Potter to Narnia, from Dora to Thomas the Tank Engine. Toot toot! If you are in a system, you can go in with other branches for performers to cut the cost . Also the system usually will pay for at least one performer. The cheapest way is to draw off the talent of the co-workers. Put together a puppet show and travel to the other branches with it.
Food
The best part of the wedding, for the guest anyway, is the cocktail hour and reception. Yummo! Some couples can really screw this up, but hey it's free! But if you're involved in the wedding or actually getting married, you get to go to tastings! Now this too can be fucked up. What people serve as food is just not right! Beyond the tastings, it comes to the menu. Do you have guests that are vegan? Do they have any severe allergies? Dietary problems? You can't please everyone, but you need to have options for the people who can't eat cheese! Libraries on the other hand go by the motto feed them and they will come. So depending on your budget and food policy providing refreshments is a key way to get participants, especially the teen ones. It's rare, but it indeed does happen where most of your community only can eat certain foods due to religious beliefs or something like it. I worked in a community that had a high population of Orthodox Jewish people. Either I could serve kosher snacks or make sure I had kosher snacks available or not have food or just say WTF and not worry about kosher foods. I tried the second option mostly.
Favors
Once again depending on the budget and interests of the marrying couple, that is how the favors are chosen. I have gotten big bottles of wine, small bottles of wine, candy, flowers, clapper things, snow globes or nothing. Some people don't really believe in favors. It can be an extra cost for something no one really cares about. For all of you reading this I like wine! That's a great favor! I'd settle for beer or any kind of liquor. Libraries have incentives! And like favors, there is a great variety. When you sign up for SR you get a little something; sticker, temp tattoo, a bug (that's this years SRP: Catch The Reading Bug), a bag and so on you get the picture. Some places have raffles if you read "X" amount of books you can be in a raffle. Some raffles happen weekly or the kids have to wait until the end of the summer. Basically we want the kids to read and if the sometimes crappy favors, there are some real cool incentives out there, work great! I'm not below bribing kids to read at first. If they want a temp tattoo for every book so be it!!!
BUDGET
It all comes down to budget, $$$$$$! If you have the dough you're wedding can be in Ireland at a castle and you can fly all your friends and family there. Your food can be done by Bobby Flay and your favors can be cars in all different colors. But real people don't have that kind of $$ and plan their wedding accordingly. I know some do, but who wants to start off their wedded bliss in a crap load of debt. Libraries on the other hand, on average, don't have any $$$. At my previous place in NJ, we had $1200 for the year. Nearly 1/3 is spent right of the bat for crayons and glue sticks and such. So with the leftover, you need to get at least 4 to 5 performers, decorations, food and favors. You don't want to be broke by September either. The library system provides some of the things mentioned, but it just never seems like enough. I have probably spent well over $1000 in food, prizes, decorations and whatever else in the last two years as a librarian. & I can't see that stopping. As long as it makes the kids and teens happy that's all I care about. My SRP has already started for this year and I have spent about $150- 200 already.
I think I've proven how SRP's and weddings are very similar. When my time comes to plan my own wedding I should be set! 
