Bucket O' Poetry

Bucketful of Poems Take a poem to celebrate National Poetry Week 2005!

It's National Poetry Week and we have a simple but effective promotion happening. Patrons are encouraged to select a poem from our "bucket of poems" in celebration of Poetry Week. We started today and have had a great reception! The idea sprang from the creative mind of one of our staff members who has more than a passing interest in poetry - she's an up and coming published poet herself! Thanks K for that fab idea.




Here's library borrower L and staff member P getting into the spirit. (Both gave me permission to put them on my blog).

The poetry bucket is a combination lucky dip/horoscope - the poem you pick at random may well be the universe giving you a special message. There were separate buckets for adults and kids. Unfortunately we started out by mixing them up (didn't read the instructions left by K adequately) but the adults didn't seem to mind.
Encouraging adults to participate without feeling silly takes a certain confident and positive attitude - like, "please take a poem to celebrate National Poetry Week!". Only one gentleman refused - said he'd had enough of poetry at school. Even so I asked him what poetry he had learned at school - and he reeled off all the classic names - Ancient Mariner, Keats, Wordsworth - without hesitation. Most were absolutely tickled pink with their poem. Great that we could make a perhaps mundane library visit a little bit special.
Those wanting to try the idea in their library be warned - many patrons were moved to read their poems right there and then (aloud! with feeling!) which caused lots of merriment for borrowers and staff at the circulation desk on the busy Saturday shift!