A sample campaign for a One Book or Community Reads project. My assignment was to choose an appropriate book for a community-wide read project, explain why I choose this book, suggest potential partners and possible programs to appeal to a wide variety of audiences, and explain how I'd market such a program.
- 1. Nanette Bulebosh [email_address] Proposal for Frank L
Weyenberg Library of Mequon-Thiensville, Jan. 2010 A REEL HISTORY
OF WWII
2. The idea is that the city that opens the same book closes it
in greater harmony.- Mary McGrory, The Washington Post, March 17,
2002 3. Library Mission: The Frank L. Weyenberg Library is a focal
point of learning and culture in Mequon and Thiensville and the
community center to which citizens turn for the discovery of ideas,
the joy of reading, and the power of information. The Library
strives to deliver quality informational services, both traditional
and innovative, for all ages, needs, and backgrounds. 4. By setting
goals you will be able to articulate your plans, your needs for
assistance that you hope this program will have on your community.
and the impact . - From ALAs Planning YourCommunity-Wide Read, 2003
What do FLWLMT and its partners want to accomplish with the
Communities Read project? 5. Library Mission: The Frank L.
Weyenberg Library is afocal pointoflearning and culturein Mequon
and Thiensville and thecommunity centerto which citizens turn for
thediscovery of ideas , thejoy of reading , and thepower of
information . The Library strives to deliverquality informational
services , bothtraditional and innovative , forall ages, needs, and
backgrounds . An engaging title, purposeful collaboration, and a
well-organizedcampaign can address all or most components of this
mission. 6.
- have the capacity to excite readers
- attract the interest of more than one age group
- provoke lively conversations or debates
- inspire new and interesting program ideas
- be relatively inexpensive
- be relatively easy to obtain
- not repeat the same themes covered in previous years
- strengthen existing partnerships and inspire new ones
- be written by a Wisconsin native or current resident
- who might be willing to make a personal appearance.
7.
- Author of more than 30 books
- Producer, director and writer of 30 television programs
- Time Magazinefilm critic since 1972
- Graduated from UW-Madison
8.
- D.W.Griffith: An American Life
- The Disney Version: The Life, Times, Art and Commerce of Walt
Disney
- Clint Eastwood: A Biography
- Brando: A Life in our Times
- Matinee Idylls: Reflections on the Movies
9. 10. GOOD MORNING, MR. ZIP ZIP ZIP: MOVIES, MEMORY, AND WORLD
WAR II 11.
- Its about growing up in a small Wisconsin community
- He couldnt wait to get away (youth appeal)
- Midwest boy does well, has fascinating career
- Its very accessible, very absorbing
- It can inspire participation from a variety of
organizations
- It explores very popular topics (WWII, Greatest Generation, and
war movies)with a provocative twist : He deplores Brokaws label;
wants to deconstructthe lies of Hollywood and government
officials
- Everyone has opinions about the movies theyve seen
- Imagine the lively conversations we can have
- It offers excellent programming potential
12.
- a brutally honest and gracefully written memoir he does a
thorough job of illuminating the myths wartime America told
itself.- Martin Scorsese
- Exhilarating an invaluable remembrance of things and movies
past.- Molly Haskell
13.
- A testimony to joy, and an honorable account of the tricky
business of growing older, of moving on. Jonathan Schwartz
- He masterfully links his own singular embrace of movies as a
boy growing up in an insulated Midwestern town addresses all our
unspoken anxieties and all our dreams of escape. Daphne Merkin
14. Bayles, Martha. Lean Back in Darkness, Review ofGood Morning
Mr. Zip Zip. Zip ,New York Times Book Review , April 13,
2003.http://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/13/books/lean-back-in-darkness.html
Olson, Ray. Good Morning Mr. Zip Zip Zip,Booklist Online , April 1,
2003.http://www.booklistonline.com/default.aspx?page=show_product&pid=1131171
Yardley, Jonathan. Good Morning Mr. Zip Zip Zip.Washington Post ,
April 6,
2004.http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A19878-2003Apr3?language=printer
15. The Diane Rehm Show . Richard Schickels American University
Radio interview with Diane Rehm aboutGood Morning, Mr. Zip Zip Zip
, June 19,2003.http://wamu.org/programs/dr/03/06/19.php Morning
Edition .NPRs Renee Montagne speaks with Richard Schickel aboutGood
Morning Mr. Zip Zip Zip , April 24,
2003.http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1242331
Reel Myths . Transcript from Richard Schickel speaking with Brooke
Gladstone on NPRsOn the Mediaprogram aboutMr. Zip Zip Zip , April
11, 2003.http://www.onthemedia.org/transcripts/2003/04/11/08 Wired
for Books . Richard Schickel interview with host Don Swaim about
his book,Shickel on Film . June 15,
1989.http://wiredforbooks.org/richardschickel/ 16. In the fictions
of the war our soldiers were always presented as profoundly normal
human beings.You know the cliches: guys getting a dirty job done as
quickly as possible so they could return to their girlfriends,
their mutts, Moms apple pie.It occurred to none of us that you
cannot be a hero in wartime and maintain the fiction of
ordinariness.Moreover, maintaining this lie required the culture to
sustain other lies that were in some ways more devastating. In this
book I am calling into account these institutions (the government
and mass media) and, above all, I hope, my all-too-innocent self,
attempting to identify at least some of what we missed or were
misled about.From Prologue: Wartime Lies Good Morning, Mr. Zip Zip
Zip IN HIS DISSECTION OF MORE THAN 100 WWII FILMS, SHICKEL WANTS TO
CALL INTO ACCOUNT CERTAIN INSTITUTIONS, AND HIS OWN WISCONSIN
YOUTH. 17. Schickel on Sergeant York (1941):Its very obvious
metaphorical message was that it was time to stop idling about
pacifistically, time to be up and doing, ready to kill or be
killed, on behalf of threatened democracy. Men of my generation
still speak admiringly of this movie and of how our fathers took us
to see it almost as a moral obligation. 18. Casablanca(1943) often
a hard, cynical, wisecracking movie, but it always rediscovers its
immortal romantic center again its a movie about learning how to
say goodbye gracefully. 19. Lassie Come Home(1943): The wartime
metaphor is obvious: long, perilous journeys can be survived. We
cansome of us come home, no matter what the odds. The movie is the
better for never mentioning its implied message. 20. A Guy Named
Joe(1943):It suggests that good men enlisted in a just cause can
never really be lost, that service to a total war did not
necessarily have to stop at the grave. 21. The Best Years of Our
Lives (1946)I think of it as the last great wartime lie, a fantasia
of good feelings eerily out of touch with reality It was what we
had not yet learned to call a feel-good movie. This critique is
particularly intriguing, since this film is usually praised for its
realism 22.
- Possibilities for promoting Communities Read visually, using
library spaces(upstairs exhibit area and the Tolzman Community
Room) and possibly in designated community locales.
- Invite families of local WWII veterans (or veterans of any
wars) to submit photos for a month-long display (see following
slides). Honor the vets at a public reception. Consider recording
their stories.
- Create a special display of photos, memorabilia and newspaper
clippings about area soldiers who did not come home. Set it up
either at the library or somewhere in the community (a local
church, VFW Hall, etc.)
- Collect and display artwork from the era (samples in following
slides)
- Display WWII movie posters (possibly with the assistance of
North Shore Cinema or local collectors).
- Invite local artists to submit artwork about the era or about
warfare
- Host a public reception with special guest speakers (historians
from Concordia University or elsewhere) to showcase the exhibit.
Play music from the 1940s.
23. Ruth (Jahn) Renz and her brother Carl celebrate Christmas in
Mequon in 1946. Pickings were slim; Ruth's gift was the necklace
she's wearing and Carl's was a new sweater.- From the collection of
Ruth Renz. (Milwaukee Public Museum website) 24. Men from George
Schubert and Sons, an International Harvester dealership in
Thiensville, examine old farm machines to identify candidates for a
wartime scrap drive.- From Wisconsin Historical Society website 25.
26. 27. 28. Left: Ed Bulebosh, 17, at Great Lakes Naval Base,
1945.Above: Dad and me at the WWII Memorial, April 25, 2009 One
reason why this topic interests me so much; the Honor Flight was
incredible. 29.
- Book discussiononGood Morning, Mr. Zip Zip Zipled by local film
historians; compare and contrast withThe Greatest Generationor
other WWII books
- Film screenings(at the library, North Shore Cinema, the
Logemann Community Center, one of the college campuses, or
somewhere else) featuring some of the films. Follow with discussion
led by local film historians .
- Teen film festival . Invite local students to submit films (10
min or less) on the topic: parodies ofCasablancaor other films of
the era, video interviews with relatives, creative
response/critique of the book, their views about war . There are
numerous possibilities. (And we dont have to restrict this to
teens)
30.
- Before Computers, X-Box and TV.Host a youth or teen program
that features games, activities, and music enjoyed by young people
in the early 1940s. Decorate the room with vintage lamps, small
furniture pieces, etc.Borrow and use a 1940s radio.
- Readers Theater.Seek actors to perform excerpts from WWII
literature (Diary of Anne Frank, Summer of my German Soldier, etc.)
Or read portions of letters from Mequon-Thiensville soldiers
serving overseas (Are there things like this in the librarys local
history section?
- Springtime Swingtime.Turn the Tolzman meeting room or another
location into a 1940s dance hall, and put together a variety show
and dance.Feature local musicians and stand-up comedians (who could
portray Burns & Allen, Bing Crosby and Ginger Rogers). Ask
local dance coaches to teach 40s dance moves.
31.
- Panel discussionfeaturing local veterans or citizens who lived
through the era; ask their thoughts on rationing, tin foil
collection drives, their views on the war at the time, and of
course what movies they saw at the time.
- Concertat Cedarburg Performing Arts Center, Concordia, or
elsewhere featuring music from the era. Tommy Dorsey, etc.Also
perform the song Good Morning, Mr. Zip Zip Zip
- The power of music in war . A music appreciation workshop led
by a Concordia, MATC or local high school teacher.Compare WWII
music with that of other wars. What songs did your family listen
to?
- News of the War . Ask the Ozaukee Press and local radio/tv
stations to search their archives for a sample 1945 front page
& and evening broadcast.
- Walking touror photo exhibit of well-known landmarks as they
appeared in the 1940s. Display sample Gold Star Mothers sign,
etc.
32.
- Fundraiser(s)for local veteran groups or Stars & Stripes
Honor Flights (veterans can fly for free, but guardians must pay
$500).
- Youth collection drivesof newspapers, cooking oil, tin
foil.(ask a local artist to create a sculpture out of the tin
foil)
- Victory Gardensfor kids; seek assistance from local garden
clubs
- Good Morning, Mr. Schickel . Special appearance by the author
of the book. Sell copies of the book with the assistance of local
book stores or his publisher.
- Costume party(for youth, teens, adults or all of these). Invite
people to dress up as their favorite WWII movie characters (Bogart
trench coats and fedoras, Ronald Reagon in uniform, etc.).
33.
- WWII-era cooking(everyone then had to do with less) with MATC
Culinary Arts instructors
- Oral history school project . Ask youth to interview family
members and submit video, oral and print histories that will become
part of the librarys collection. Seek help from local genealogy
groups and/or UW-Madison Oral History Program.
- Stalig Wisconsin . A program about German prisoners-of-war in
the Ozaukee County area
- WWII Aircraft: Reel vs Real Planes . Just how realistic were
those flying scenes inthese movies ? ( Casablanaset designers used
a model plane with midgets to make it look big) Invite local
pilots, historians, airport officials, etc.
34.
- What happened to the trains?Host a program on the Milwaukee
Roads route from Mequon and Thiensville to downtown Milwaukee, the
former Interurban Railroad (closed in 1948), and the local
depots.Share memories of military families saying good-bye and
welcoming soldiers.
- Homefront medical care. Ask officials from Columbia-St. Marys
Hospital to talk about how health care has changed in the last 60
years. How did the Polio scare affect this area?
- Seek program ideas and assistance from the Mequon Historical
Center, the Ozaukee County Historical Center, and possibly the
Wisconsin Historical Society. There is a wealth of speakers around
the state who can talk about Wisconsin and World War II.
These are just some tentative ideas I came up with as an
outsider.Im sure Id think of more after living in the community a
few months. 35.
- Start early ,develop a planand timetable, andassign
responsibilitiesto staff, partnering agencies, and library
volunteers. Check progress status regularly via wikis, Ning, or
conference calls.
- The goal of the public relations campaign is to reach as many
community members as possible, inspire enthusiasm, and encourage
participation from the librarys regular supporters and (hopefully)
newcomers.
- Host an initialmini-workshopinvolving key people to establish
goals, assign roles, and get commitments from individuals and
groups for promotional help.
36.
- Publicity/Public Relations .
-
- Send press releases to newspapers, radio stations and (for the
headlining event) television stations.
-
- A week before, send out a media alert to key contacts.
-
- Make ample use of the library webpage.
-
- Create a Twitter and/or Facebook account devoted to this
event.Invite followers and fans.
-
- Record events.Make sure the key events are covered by media,
photographed, and recorded for later publication and broadcast (and
the librarys archives).Have an evaluation plan in place.
37.
- Direct Marketingto a list of target individuals and
organizations through mass emails, flyers, postcards, letters and
VIP invitations.
- Personal Contact -Speak at civic organizations, meet with
school and church administrators, visit classrooms and college
campuses, and attend Chamber of Commerce meetings to talk about the
book and the planned programs.Goal is to generate excitement and
create a community-wide buzz.Bring literature to distribute.
- Advertising -Try to find in-kind donations to cover printing
costs of flyers, discussion guides, invitations, etc.Explore new
distribution methods (inserts in church bulletins, school
announcements, etc.) Use bookmarks, buttons, signs, flyers as well
as the library website to promote. Id use paid advertising
sparingly, and would seek discounts when I did.
38. Bradley, James,Flags of Our Fathers - Lafayette, IN2007 -
Traverse City, MI 2007 Brokaw, Tom,The Greatest Generation - Long
Beach, CA 2007 - Iola, KA 2006 Hedges, Chris,War is a Force That
Gives Us Meaning - South Bend, IN 2004-05 OBrien, Tim,Things They
Carried - Chicago,IL 2003 - St. Paul, MN2006-07 Zusak, Marcus,The
Book Thief - North Reading, MA 2009 - Loudoun County, VA 2007 Books
used in otherCommunity Reads or One Book events 39. Books by
Wisconsin authors also considered for this project
Bakopoulos,Dean,please dont come back from the moon(2005) Set in a
working-class, Detroit suburb. Themes: Working class families,
teenage boys, fatherless families, unemployment Ellis, Mary
Relindes,The Turtle Warrior(2004)WLA Banta winnerSet in northern
Wisconsin. Themes:Vietnam War, WWII veterans, working class
families, alcoholism, domestic abuse, discrimination, Ojibwe
culture Gaiman, Neil,The Graveyard Book(2008) ALA Newbery winner
Set in a graveyard. Themes: orphans, death, coming of age,
fantasy.Rhodes, David,Driftless(2008) Set in western Wisconsin.
Themes:city and town life, farming culture, agricultural issues,
corporate malfeasance, disabilities,Watson, Larry,Orchard(2003) WLA
Banta winner Set in Door County, WI.Themes: artists and art
subjects, apple orchards, marriage, infidelity, rural communities,
1950s, Norwegian emigres. 40. American Library Association Public
Programs Office,Planning Your Community-Wide Read ,
2003http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/ppo/programming/onebook/files/onebookguide.pdf
Dempsey, Beth, One Book, One Community: One Great Idea,Library
Journal , Sept. 1,
2009.http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6677269.html?q=one+book
Frank L. Weyenberg Library of Mequon-Thiensville
website.http://www.flwlib.org/ Library of Congress Center for the
Book, Local/community resources.http://www.read.gov/resources/
Mequon-Thiensville Area Chamber of Commerce
website.http://www.mtchamber.org/ Wisconsin Library Association,
WLA Readers Section and Literary Awards
Committee.http://www.wla.lib.wi.us/readers/ 41. For more
information: Nanette Bulebosh N8894 Snake Road Elkhart Lake,
WI53020 920-876-3184/920-946-9482 [email_address]