Staff Guide: 2023 RCLS Road Trip Program: At Your Library

When in doubt, give the prize.

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 the prize.

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 RCLS Road Trip to customize items and print with your library's branding.

Promotional Bookmark

*Bookmark: Audiobooks for children ages 8-13

*Bookmark: Coloring + Book Tracking

*Bookmark: Award Winning Audiobooks, child & teen

*Road Trip Tic-Tac-Toe

*Children's Coloring Page

*Bicycle Books, all ages

BookwErm, special audiobook edition, June

BookwErm, special audiobook edition, July

*Prize Bookmark

Prize List Flyer

Motorcycle Books: Children and Adults

Q: Who is providing the prizes?

A: RCLS is providing the prizes, as well as all other necessary materials such as maps, posters, promotional bookmarks, digital marketing materials, and templates for additional optional supplemental materials. This program is sponsored by Senator James Skoufis.

Q: Can libraries receive additional materials?

A: Yes! Contact Joanna Goldfarb if you need more prizes, maps, bookmarks, etc.

Q: There are a lot of stickers in the starter kit? What are there for?

A:

• The large stickers with the red car are the 1st library prize- give them out along with a map when folks start their Road Trip.
• The small dot stickers are for marking maps when patrons visit. The color of the dot sticker is not significant- every library received different colors. Thank you to Josephine-Louise Library in Walden for donating the dot stickers!
• Last, there are stickers that say "5th library." These go along with the lollipops handed out when patrons visit their 5th library. Not all lollipops have stickers- staff or volunteers must add stickers to the lollipops. There are PLENTY of extra stickers at RCLS, so feel free to hand out an extra sticker along with the lollipop to anyone who may want one. If you'd like to use a 5th library sticker on Road Trip map, that's fine, too!

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 prize, or one prize per team?

A: Every member of the team gets a prize.

Q: How do we track library cards issued?

A: Only track library card sign-ups you are sure happen as a result of this program. This will be done by asking patrons if they have a library card- if the answer is no and they then sign up, that will be counted in your Road Trip statistics.

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

A: No, the limit does not exist.

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. When in doubt, give the prize.

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 prize.

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

Scenario: A Patron comes in and says they lost their map, but they visited X number of libraries and would like to pick up a prize.

Give them the prize and a new map with the appropriate locations checked off.

Scenario: A group -family, friends, etc.- would like to participate together using one map. The group is at a prize library, but there is no way to verify all members of the group visited all of the libraries on the map.

Give all members of the group the appropriate prize.