Library Fundraising in a Covid19 World

Historically school librarians really had one way to raise money but lots of things they needed money for.

The only real library fundraiser was a Scholastic Book Fair, or, more recently, a Follett Book Fair.

Some librarians and media specialists loved the fair. Others despised them. Covid 19, however, affected both the same. For nearly 18 months schools could not hold in person book fairs. During the pandemic there was no reason to allow any unnecessary visitors on campus. And that killed the book fair.

Scholastic and Follett tried to move online. Results, though, we terrible. If you’re asking people to shop for books online they might as well buy those books from Amazon because the selection is limitless, shipping is free and to directly to your home, and, more often than not, Amazon sold their books for lower prices.

It really came as no surprise that online book fairs simply couldn’t generate the money librarians need to keep their libraries current. That meant they couldn’t buy the newest, latest and greatest titles that every young reader wanted. They couldn’t purchase replacements for books showing excessive wear and tear.

So school librarians have spent the last 18 months with no extra money to spend.

A group of book fair veterans got together and reinvented the way librarians can raise money during the pandemic and long after Covid is a distant memory.

Instead of in person book fairs they helped create www.lovemylibrary.com.

It’s the only online donation portal designed specifically for librarians. So what does than mean? What makes a donation platform specific for librarians?

The thing that really separates Love My Library from any other library fundraiser is the way kids get books. All the books are free. The readers get a free book for promoting the fundraiser and they get Book Bucks to get more free books when they raise money.

Every child can get free books instead of purchasing them for full retail at a book fair. For administrators, libraries, parents and kids that want to own books, Love My Library is the perfect tool.

The other thing that makes this fundraiser better for school libraries is the universe of potential sponsors willing to support the library. In a book fair schools needed to get people on campus to purchase books. Love My Library is different.

Imagine getting a text message from a niece, nephew or grand child calling you by name and asking if you would help them get free books for helping their library. Would you click on that link to learn more?

Of course you would.

Love My Library incentivizes readers to reach out to friends and family all over the world to help them get more free books. And it works. On average a library will get 5 times more cash to spend on their libraries.

The moral of the story is that Covid 19 does not need to hinder a librarian wanting to upgrade their library.