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Staff Guide: 2025 RCLS Road Trip Program: At Your Library

Quick Tips

When in doubt, give a raffle ticket.

Nothing is set in stone. This program is meant to be flexible and adaptable to your library.

Patrons may not ask about the Road Trip by name. If someone enters the library and asks about stickers, prizes, etc., identify if they are asking about the Road Trip or your summer reading program. Use it as an opportunity to promote both!

When in doubt, give a raffle ticket.

Helpful Resources

Audiobook resources from OverDrive

Must be logged into OverDrive Marketplace to view

Kids' Audiobooks Around 1 Hour Long

Most Popular Audio Under 3 Hours Long (all ages)

Most Popular Audio Between 3 and 5 Hours Long (all ages)

Most Popular Audio Between 5 and 10 hours Long (all ages)

Tip: For all ages lists, you can limit your search by audience (juvenile, young adult, adult) by adjusting the filters on the left side of the screen.

 

Additional audiobook resources

Sync: Free Audiobooks for Teens

Printables

These activities are optional, and can be used if you would like to further engage patrons coming in to participate in the Road Trip Program. 
* Denotes a template is available in LibraryAware. Search 2025 Road Trip to customize items and print with your library's branding. 

Additional templates are available on LibraryAware.

 

*Social Media Contest

*Bookmark: Audiobooks for children ages 8-13

*Bookmark: Coloring + Book Tracking

*Bookmark: 2023 Award Winning Audiobooks, child & teen

*Bookmark: 2025 Award Winning Audiobooks, child and teen

*Road Trip Tic-Tac-Toe

*Children's Coloring Page

*Bicycle Books, all ages

Motorcycle Books: Children and Adults

*2025 Road Trip Bingo

Welcome to our town!

During the 2023 Road Trip, several libraries made one-pagers about their town to give to visiting patrons. Information included fun facts about the town, restaurant suggestions, and things to do. We love this idea! 

To help libraries create a one-pager for your community, RCLS has developed templates in LibraryAware and Canva. Feel free to use our templates, or create your own. The items on templates are simply suggestions. Please adjust based on your community.

To access the LibraryAware template, search 2025 Road Trip Welcome to Our Town

To use the Canva template (click here)copy the template and edit the copy. DO NOT edit the original template or it will be altered for all uses. 

Staff FAQ

Q: Who is providing the program materials?

A: RCLS is providing the travel logs, as well as all other materials such as raffle tickets posters, photo backdrops, digital marketing materials, and templates for additional optional supplemental materials. The only item libraries must provide is a stamp with the library's name to stamp travel logs.

Q: What happens to the raffle tickets?

A: Patrons will fill out the ticket and then return it to library staff. Staff should store tickets and then return them to RCLS on a monthly basis. This applies to both types of tickets.

Q: Can libraries receive additional materials?

A: Yes! Contact Joanna Goldfarb if you need more travel logs, raffle tickets, etc.

Q: Where can I find digital images to share on social media, to add to flyers, etc?

A: All digital images can be accessed on the Marketing tab of this LibGudie.

Q: Do people need a library card to participate?

A: No, but this program is a great opportunity to invite folks to sign up for a library card if they live in the RCLS service area.

Q: If participants are working together as a team, does each member of the team get a raffle entry, or one raffle per team?

A: Every member of the team gets a raffle entry.

Q: Is there a limit to the size of groups participating in the Road Trip?

A: No, the limit does not exist.

Scenarios

These scenarios will help guide you though potential Road Trip interactions with patrons. Keep in mind that the default should be to work with the patron and make their experience enjoyable. 

Scenario: Patrons ask about a Road Trip map and souvenirs, including a car magnet and tote bag.

This scenario is most likely to happen in Ulster County. The Mid-Hudson Library system is hosting their own program called the MHLS Road Trip. The materials and procedure are similar to the 2023 RCLS Road Trip, and encourage MHLS patrons to visit all libraries in a county. If a patron is participating in the MHLS Road Trip, you may direct them to the Mid-Hudson Library System website for more information. Should a patron decide they would like to also participate in the RCLS Road Trip, they are welcome to do so,

 
Scenario: Patron(s) who do not have a library card and do not live in your service area visit your library to start the Road Trip

Let the patron(s) know that folks who are not library card holders are welcome to participate in the Road Trip and they can start their journey at your library. You cannot sign them up for a library card, but you can help them figure out where their home library is. Plus, when they go to get a library card, they can also mark off their second location!

 

Scenario: Patron(s) who do not live in the RCLS service area would like to participate in the Road Trip

Everyone is welcome to participate, no matter where they live. Let patrons know that although they can't sign up for a library card, they are welcome to use any in-house resources.

 

Scenario: Patrons visited branches of a library instead of visiting different libraries, and would like a raffle ticket.

Give them the ticket. They made the effort to visit multiple locations, and hopefully learned something new at each one!

 

Scenario: At a Bonus Prize library visit (every 5th library) patrons would rather have two library prize raffle tickets (small tickets) than one county prize ticket and one bonus prize ticket.

Give the patron two library prize tickets. 

Sample Travel Log Pages

Note: Stamp Here space is approximately 1.6 inches.