Food, Glorious Food: How To Get People Into The Library

Over at slaw.ca, Wendy Reynolds has posted a story entitled If You Feed Them, They Will Come that explains how libraries are using food to market library services:

" 'Will there be food?' is the usual response to any invitation to attend a library event. Attendance always seems to be higher if it is promoted as having refreshments. My column this time is devoted to the various ways in which libraries gain attention by literally dangling cookies in front of their audiences."

"I remember putting together a library open house some years ago. I deliberately chose Valentine’s Day as the day of the event, which I called the Library Love-In (yes, I know). The invitation went out via e-mail, with the subject line: 'Chocolate'. Attendance was remarkably good, and a few people even paid attention to our presentation of the new library catalogue."