Zwevegem is situated in the province of West Flanders and has a population of about 23 000 inhabitants. The town is known mostly for its large Bekaert factory, which produces steel cord.

The library is situated in the northern part of the town, in the immediate vicinity of the sports centre (including a swimming pool, tennis court, soccer field, fitness centre, etc), and just a few hundred metres from a church, schools and the town hall.

This location has many advantages : there is a large parking lot near the sports centre, and a lot of individuals, groups and school classes who come to the sports centre also visit the library. The location and corresponding opening hours are the key to successful co-operation between the sports centre and the library.

The local government is responsible for the financial part of the library organisation : this includes investments for the building and furniture, the computers, staff salaries, funds for the collection, the daily cost (working maintenance) and a budget for promotion. Fortunately the local government can obtain grants on behalf of the Flemish Community and the

provincial authority. Company sponsorship is rare and the library itself has practically no income, because the policy is that (modest) fees are charged for only a few services.

To enhance the profile of libraries and promote reader enjoyment, we use a variety of library extension activities. Library extension work involves activities that have the purpose of making the library more widely known to the public and intensifying use of the library.

Extension work involves activities in two areas :

• promotion that stimulates the use of the library in all its aspects; and

• book promotions that stimulate reading and the use of books and other forms of information.

From a management point of view, library extension can also be divided into two groups:

• public relations and related activities, and

• marketing activities.

PR activities have three objectives :

• to make the library better known;

• to build the image or reputation of the library; and

• to create goodwill.

Good public relations is not something that you think about now and then, but something you must always have in mind, if you wish to survive and realise your goals. Therefore, a library will do well to have a policy on public relations.

Of course users and potential users are very important target groups. Libraries can choose from a whole range of techniques and activities :

• clear and attractive notice on the street side of the building, so that the attention of every passer-by is drawn to the library;

• a logo which is used on all letters, notices, publications, etc and which perfectly identifies the library;

• plastic bags with the name and logo of the library;

• gadgets such as balloons, pens, bookmarks;

• taking part in or co-operating with local cultural  organisations;

• occasionally inviting the press; and

• involving the mayor, school principals, chairmen, etc in special occasions, e g the opening of a new branch library.

One activity could support different PR goals, e g inviting the mayor and press has a double effect. In a public library the librarian in charge is responsible for the PR policy. The staff also have an important responsibility with regard to public relations, although they may not be involved in the organisation of the activities. In their daily work the staff is constantly in contact with the public, and a friendly, helpful, professional attitude creates a positive image.

The goal of marketing in a library is to attract as many people as possible, to promote the library's services and to choose the activities of the library in accordance with the needs of the users and potential users.

The marketing instrument is often called the marketing mix or "the four P's". The P's stand for product, price, place and promotion.

Product : In a public library the product is the collection, the service and extension activities.

In Flanders there are three important national promotion campaigns :

  Library Week;

  the Week of Young People's Books; and

  the Children's Jury for Young People's Books

There are several advantages to nation-wide promotional activities. An important advantage is that the library catches the attention of the national press such as newspapers, radio and television. Another advantage is the strong support of these promotional actions : bookmarks, posters and gadgets are made centrally, ensuring uniformity. Furthermore, all the libraries can benefit from the creative thinking of the teams that prepared the national campaign.

During Library Week the public library and all aspects of its service are promoted to the public. Every year one theme is chosen, and during the past years the following themes were used for Library Week : Internet; enjoyment of reading; science; free to ask; blind date with a book; and travelling.

This was the motto used for the 2001 campaign. A professional agency designed a poster, a reply card and paper bags. The goal was to promote "reading pleasure". The "blind date" approach showed how a library can be a house full of surprises. The library offered books, CDs and videos wrapped in a paper bag. The users chose a package without knowing what it contained, taking home a book without knowing it, taking home a surprise! With this action visitors were stimulated to read something different, to be adventurous. Reading the blind-date book could be a positive or negative experience, but it was an experience for sure!

Each package also contained a reply card, on which the reader could note down his/her opinion of a book. The reply cards looked like book marks and remained inside the book, so that other readers could discover the opinions of the readers before them. In this way they could share one another's reading experiences.

This promotion highlighted the information aspect of the library and showed people that you can find all sorts of information in the library, even information you'd hardly expect to find there.

Through library leaflets and the town's newsletter, everyone was invited to write down all possible questions and bring the questions to the library. We promised to find an answer to every question (only anonymous questions were not answered).

The activity was also supported nationally, with radio and television spots and posters. And the result? We were flooded with questions! Our library received more than 500 questions! We thought our task would be impossible, but searching for answers was fun, and many questions were fascinating and educational. Time was the only problem, due to the overwhelming response. We had promised to answer everyone within a week, but this proved to be impossible.

Among the questions we received were : What are the three noisiest animals on earth? Who wrote the poem "Droeve tijden", and can we find it here? How fast does the fastest car drive, and which car is it? Why is the flag of Nepal not rectangular? Did Zwevegem exist in the Middle Ages?

As you can see, while many answers could be easily found in an encyclopaedia, other questions required more intensive searching, and for some questions we even had to ask advice. For the question about how much cash money there is in Belgium, we had to contact the National Bank. We found an answer to every question. Some people thought they could floor us with questions like "I'm looking for a girlfriend. Where can I find her?" Well, he could find her in the many personal advertisements in the newspapers in the library. We also gave him a list of books about "relationships".

Travelling : start your trip in the library

This was the theme for Library Week in 2001. Library Week was in October, and unfortunately, after September 11, it was bad timing. Nobody thought of travelling, the agencies had more cancellations than bookings.

However, at the travel agencies, all customers received a surprise booklet. In this booklet there was information about the public library, a paper aeroplane, a bookmark and a reply card for participation in the national library competition. The first prize was a "book voucher for life" : every year for the rest of your life you could receive R400 to buy books. Luckily for the sponsor, but unfortunately for the winner, he was already 75 years old.

In our own library of Zwevegem we had a kind of poster campaign. We sent an e-mail (in English, French and Dutch) to all bureaus of tourism and embassies throughout the world, and asked them to send us a poster of their country. The response was enormous - we received beautiful posters from all parts of the world, including South Africa.

We put all these posters on the windows of the library, on the street side as well as inside the library, and people were invited to make a trip around the world by walking through the library.

Furthermore, we organised three lectures. The three invited guests were very different : the first was a globe-trotter, then we had the author of a book about the Titanic, and our last guest was a journalist who talked about Africa.

Every year the Week of Young People's books is organised in Flanders. This "week" usually lasts 14 days or more. Not only libraries, but also schools, youth clubs, etc take part in this event.

During this period, activities are organised to stimulate children and young people to read. A central office, "Villa Kakelbont" (named after the house of Pippi Langkous) yearly works out a complete plan with activities on a certain theme. They make promotional material, and a guide with ideas for local activities. And they also organise two big parties, to start and end the "week". Every library is free to participate, to buy promotion material and organise local activities.

During the past years we had the themes Art, Magic (motto : Abookadabra), I love ..., Party!, Animals, Dreams, I have never been so big : books make children grow, and Boehk : creepy books.

The goal of this project was to make children aware that a book is a product, to show them how a book is realised. The library starts from the first draft of a book with the basic ideas of an author and illustrator. All children were asked to write or illustrate a small part of this dream book. Then all these works or pieces were put together in the suitcase of dreams. A jury with the author and illustrator chose the best pieces. A big party closed the week and we celebrated the winner and the suitcase of dreams.

The aim of this activity was to motivate young people to write. Children aged 10 to 12 are very fond of books with creepy stories and ghosts (such as the Harry Potter stories). Here they got the chance to write down their shivering fantasies in "The big book of nightmares".

First we talked with the children about their dreams and nightmares, then we asked them to put these thoughts on paper. The story had to start with them going to sleep ... and end when they woke up from their scary dream. They also had to make an illustration and decide on a title.

Then all together we made a cover, the title and a page of contents for the book of dreams, and of course all the authors were mentioned! Finally we bundled the pages with a colourful ribbon.

The longest love letter

Altogether 120 public libraries co-operated to write the longest love letter. Young people from 10 to 16 could write down their deepest heart secrets for their loved one on a big paper roll. The paper roll had to follow a route passing by all the participating libraries. All these libraries decorated a corner especially for the love letter that inspired romance and love, and some libraries even placed a bed there! Young people were invited to take part in the workshops, or they came on their own to write a little piece of romance in the letter. The love letter remained in each library for two weeks, then it moved to the next library for more romance. On 4 January 1999, five libraries started from a white roll of paper and over two months the love letter grew and grew ... Eventually, 3 200 metres of loving words were written down in "the longest love letter".

The book quiz

A book quiz is compiled and based on a couple of books. The choice of books is very important : of course we want to promote the "good" books. For each age group some books are chosen and displayed on a table. The questions are gathered in a booklet. Next to the table an attractive box is placed for the reply card. The questions don't have to be difficult, what counts is that the children get to know the books. Children who are not fond of reading can be attracted to take part in the quiz. A special question to select one winner makes the quiz more exciting. The question we asked was "What is the total weight of all the library staff?" The winner was awarded his prize at the big children's books party. There was a large weighing-machine which the entire staff could stand on, so that no-one got to know my personal weight or those of my colleagues ...

The Children's Jury for Young People's Books

There are many book prizes, and every year several juries award a lot of books and their authors locally, nationally and internationally. One thing they all have in common is that they are awarded by adults, even if it concerns children's books.

This was what the organisers of "the children's jury for young people's books" wanted to change. The goal is to let young people decide for themselves which books and authors deserve an award. All children in Flanders can participate and get the chance to vote. In 2002 more than 6 000 children are participating!

How does it work? Of course the children are not expected to read and judge all the books that were produced the previous year. Adults make a selection in advance, choosing ten "good" books for each age group to read. Only books by Flemish authors (or Flemish translators) can be chosen. There are six age groups :

children younger than 6 years;

children aged 6-7;

8-9 years;

10-12 years;

13-14 years; and

15-16 years.

The members of the jury have to read all the books, except for those younger than 6 : in that group the stories are read to them by an adult. Each group is guided by an adult.

Between October and April the group meets five times. At each meeting, two books are discussed. The library makes sure that all the children get the books in advance so that they can read them before the next meeting. The jury has to write a report which includes their opinion about the book. This is very important, because by writing something down the children learn to think about the book before they make a judgement. The youngest children can also draw a picture and answer some questions about the book. When all the members of the jury have read all the books, they can choose the best one. They do this by arranging them according to preference. Then all the votes are gathered from the different groups, and sent to a national co-ordinator. This national co-ordinator counts all the scores for a final result!

To celebrate the winner, all the children of the juries are invited to a big national party, which takes place at our national zoo. At this party the children get to meet the authors and illustrators of the books they have read. At the end of the day the winners are awarded a trophy! The trophy is designed by the children, but it is not a real cup like those awarded to sportspeople - it is a giant toffee. Although this is not a money prize, the award is much sought-after. After all, it is for the children that these authors write, and winning this toffee means that the children themselves loved their book.

Local library extension activities can include the following :

Every year the classes of the local school are invited to visit the library. During these visits we explain to the children how to use the catalogue, how to find a book, what the different signs on the books mean, how many books they can take home, etc. Then the children get an assignment, to make sure that they really know how to use the information in the library. In order to link the questions to the subjects at school we need the help of the teachers. Sometimes the introduction is very general, but it can also be about one subject. Some examples of possible subjects are :

• a school trip : the children have to look up information about the trip, find a city map, places of interest etc;

• food and healthy cooking : the pupils look for information about food, diets, cooking etc;

• book review : to write a book review, we explain to the children where to find information about the authors and books;

• other cultures : where to find information about other countries, ways of living, religion, etc;

• sports : where can you find the rules of your favourite games? Where can you find information about sports stars? What were the results of the championships in a certain field of sport?

Another local promotion we have are writer visits. Every year in spring we invite ten authors of children's books, one writer for each level. Each author gives three or four lectures so that all the classes of the schools get a chance to attend the lectures. This means that during that period about 2 500 children come to the library to listen to the writers. Every child pays a small contribution (R10) so that the financial cost to the library is very small.

To reach the adults we invite the clubs and associations. These groups are usually very surprised to see what the possibilities of the library are. A lot of people still think the library is an old-fashioned institution (as it was 50 years ago); they don't realise that nowadays we have travel guides, journals, newspapers, videos, Internet, and all sorts of interesting books. This shows that even a well-functioning library with many members still has to promote the library and keep on promoting it.

Every year we organise a reading day, not only for small children, but for children of all ages. We ask volunteers to read the stories, and among them are students, members of the local theatre group, and grandparents. Actually anyone who is interested may be a good storyteller. Each volunteer can decide for which age group he or she would like to read, and they can also choose the book, but usually they ask for advice. On the reading day, we create different cosy corners in the library. Each reading session takes 15 to 30 minutes. We start on the half hour, for instance at 14:00, 14:30, 15:00, etc. Last year, we had a poetic alternative on reading day, called "A poetic walk through the library".

To celebrate the International Day of Poetry we organised a poetic walk through the library. For this activity we co-operated with the local academy. At nine different locations in the library (the hall, the attic, the staff room, the repository, the youth section, reading room, etc) young people recited poetry. Each location was decorated according to the theme of the poetry : in one place the poetry was about love, in another young people read humorous poetry, and so on.

Decoration was done by the local academy of art. Everyone was invited to join the walk. A poem to welcome visitors started the event, and then they were given a map that explained which way to go. Thanks to the co-operation of the local academy we reached a lot of people : every parent and grandparent wanted to see or hear their children!

At our library we have three reading clubs. One is connected to the women's association, the second one is part of a socio-cultural association, and the third club is linked with the Bekaert factory. The three clubs work differently, but have the following in common :

• they decide which books they will read;

• the library makes sure they get enough copies for everyone to read;

• together with the group leader, the library gives them book reviews and information about

• the author; and

• they meet in small groups with a maximum of 15 persons to discuss the book.

The reading club that is connected to the women's association recently celebrated its sixth anniversary, and threw a party to celebrate reading their 50th book! Surely worth a party if you consider that half of the members never read a book before they joined the club!

Once a year we invite a writer on behalf of the reading clubs. Not only the members of the clubs attend though - everyone is welcome. The reading clubs prepare for the lecture by reading all the books of the author and writing down the questions they want to ask. One of the most remarkable guests has been the South African author André P Brink. This lecture was part of a project about South Africa that we organised together with the cultural service in 1997. Brink happened to be in France at the time and he was willing to come to Zwevegem. Another guest was Peter Snyders, who talked for a whole evening about the Afrikaans language, South African poetry, and life in South Africa.