Shark Spectacular with Jurassic Parts

Aug 26, 2015

$251-500

Byline

Robyn Hemond, System Youth Services Librarian, Palm Beach (Fla.) Co. Library System

At our Shark Spectacular program, children ages 5 and up were invited to touch a real shark jaw, shark skin and a fossil Megalodon shark tooth. They also learned fun facts about sharks and why their conservation is so important, and they went home with a genuine fossil shark tooth.

Advanced Planning

We met Chris Koch of Jurassic Parts at a local performers' showcase. Before reaching out to him, staff observed one of his programs to see if it would be appropriate for a library setting. Koch was then contacted to get a price quote and collect other relevant information, including his willingness to perform at all of our library locations.

After determining that the final cost was within our Friends’ programming budget, we began setting dates for the programs based on when we wanted to have the event and Koch’s availability. We started coordinating the schedule by partnering library locations with a neighboring branch for a morning and an afternoon show. Each pair was then given approximately one week to submit the top three dates and times for when they would like to host the event. After collecting this data, the library’s System Youth Services (SYS) section then sorted through the information to set a schedule.

Marketing

We submitted our publicity to the library's community relations division one-and-one-half months prior to the program. We promoted the events through fliers, which were distributed to all library locations. We also placed posters in our lobbies and advertisements appeared in the library’s monthly newsletter and on our website.

Budgeting

We funded the program through the generosity of our Friends group. The performer’s fee was $350 per show, which equaled a total of $5,950 for all 17 locations.

Day-of-event Activity

On the day of the event, Koch arrived early to set up four six-foot tables worth of fossils. (All fossils were packed in bubble-wrap.) We then placed masking tape on the floor to delineate the “stage” area. This was to give Koch room to work and to protect the fossils from overeager audience members. Each show had one or two staff members in attendance to introduce the program and provide crowd control. This was especially important when the shark teeth were distributed.

For the presentation, Koch had a PowerPoint with slides depicting different kinds of sharks. During the show, he would show a slide of the shark he was talking about and hold up the corresponding fossil. He also told the audience whether it was real or a replica. To keep the audience engaged, Koch passed around a piece of shark skin for the group to examine and asked/took questions throughout the event. While Koch presented a wide variety of sharks and fossils, the ones that had the biggest reaction from the audience were the largest.

At the end of the presentation, the kids formed a line to touch a megalodon tooth and receive a small shark tooth to keep. Children were also able to have their picture taken with Koch and the replica great white shark jaw.

Program Execution

The program was attended by 1,615 shark enthusiasts, both young and old, with the highest attendance being children between the ages of 7 and 12. Most locations reported that their room was filled to capacity and that the patrons were highly satisfied with the program.

Advice

Our advice is to always pre-register for popular programs. You do not want to have to turn people away the day of the program due to room capacity limits.