How do you plan and host a virtual library event that generates buzz and feedback?

1 Know your goals and audience

Before you start planning your virtual event, you need to have a clear idea of what you want to achieve and who you want to reach. Do you want to showcase a new collection, service, or program? Do you want to educate, entertain, or inspire your audience? Do you want to attract new patrons, retain existing ones, or build partnerships with other organizations? Depending on your goals, you will need to tailor your event format, content, and promotion to suit your target audience. For example, if you want to introduce children to coding, you might want to use a platform that allows them to interact with games and puzzles, while if you want to host a book club for adults, you might want to use a platform that enables discussion and feedback.

4 Promote your event and register attendees

To generate buzz and feedback for your event, you need to promote it effectively and register attendees. You can use various channels and methods to spread the word about your event, such as your library website, newsletter, social media, blog, flyers, posters, or word of mouth. You should create a catchy title, description, and image for your event that highlights its benefits and value for your audience. You should also include clear and easy instructions on how to register and attend your event, as well as any prerequisites or requirements. You can use tools like Eventbrite, Google Forms, or SurveyMonkey to create and manage your registration process. You should also send reminders and confirmations to your registrants before your event to ensure their attendance and engagement.

5 Host your event and interact with attendees

On the day of your event, you need to host it professionally and interact with your attendees. You should start your event on time, introduce yourself and your library, explain the agenda and the rules of engagement, and welcome any questions or comments from your audience. You should also monitor and moderate the chat, comments, or feedback sections of your platform, and respond to any queries or issues that arise. You should also encourage your attendees to participate in any activities or interactions that you have prepared, such as quizzes, polls, surveys, games, or discussions. You should also thank your attendees for joining your event, and ask them for their feedback and suggestions for improvement.

6 Follow up and evaluate your event

After your event, you need to follow up and evaluate your event. You should send a thank-you email or message to your attendees, and include any links, resources, or recordings that are relevant to your event. You should also ask them to complete a feedback form or survey that will help you measure the success and impact of your event, as well as identify any areas for improvement. You should also analyze the data and metrics that you have collected from your platform, such as attendance, engagement, views, likes, shares, comments, or ratings. You should use this information to evaluate the effectiveness of your event in achieving your goals and reaching your audience. You should also use this information to plan and improve your future virtual events.