After hearing about Small Business Saturday® here on Programming Librarian in 2017, we decided to sign up our branch through American Express to be a Neighborhood Champion for Small Business Saturday® .
Once our boxes of free promotional items arrived, we made sure to “spread the wealth,” so to speak, with all four locations in our county taking part.
Small Business Saturday® is an annual holiday shopping tradition founded by American Express that gets communities everywhere out celebrating their local small businesses.
This year, it will be taking place on Saturday, Nov. 24 — but it’s not too late to get involved!
You may have heard of Small Business Saturday; perhaps you’ve even scored a Shop Small® tote bag while out shopping during the holiday season. Did you know your library can be part of it?
The Crowley Public Library participated in Small Business Saturday® as a Neighborhood Champion, rallying the local community to support small businesses.
Patrons were invited to drop off receipts for items purchased locally during the month of November. People who did received a prize and were entered into a drawing for a gift card.
Working with our local high school honor society and student council, we provided two hours of childcare to enable parents to shop locally without their children on Small Business Saturday. Relying on volunteers helped us carry out an event on the Saturday after Thanksgiving, when staffing can be tricky.
We showed the newly released-to-DVD movie "Finding Dory" with popcorn and hot chocolate followed by a craft: “countdown to Christmas” paper chains.
As a Neighborhood Champion for Small Business Saturday®, Tamarack District Library organized a scavenger hunt showcasing local businesses and incorporating Shop Small® swag.
The event was held in collaboration with 19 small businesses, including restaurants, retail shops, an artist studio and a grocery store. Participants had a week to visit the businesses, pick up a Small Business Saturday card that the library created for them, and return to the library to collect a prize.
