Indiana State Library

State Park Centennial Pass Check-Out

Byline

Wendy Knapp, Associate Director of Statewide Services, Indiana State Library

The Centennial Pass Check-out Program is a partnership between the Indiana State Library and the Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Indiana State Parks system. The program distributed annual state park passes, which will be available for the year 2016, to all 237 public libraries in the state.

Advanced Planning

Inspired by a similar program the Indiana State Museum initiated a few years ago, state library members began to ask if it would be possible to allow libraries to hold state park passes for circulation. The DNR contacted us in fall 2015 to initiate the program for the Indiana State Parks' 100th anniversary. Because passes are non-transferable, the DNR had to work with its attorneys to make sure this would be possible.

Marketing

We marketed to public libraries until mid-December at the request of the DNR. In a joint press release from the Indiana State Parks and Indiana State Library later in the month, we announced the partnership and included details about the program. The media picked up the story, and it was broadcast and printed in many outlets throughout the state.

Budgeting

The DNR donated 100 passes, and the Indiana State Library purchased an additional 140 passes at a discount. This provided enough passes for every public library in the state, and one for circulation from the state library. However, libraries with multiple branches wanted to purchase additional passes. We received permission from the DNR to allow those libraries to purchase additional passes, but only one per building.

Program Execution

We will ask for information from the individual libraries about how often the passes were checked out. The evaluation of this program will include the number of circulations and input from patrons who took advantage of the program.

Advice

The best advice I have for other state libraries who want to institute a similar program would be to try to get more lead time to let your libraries know, even if the information has to be kept confidential beyond the library directors. Libraries would have appreciated more time to learn about the program. We also had the MARC record available for libraries to use and customize, and that seemed to help as well.

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