Background Info: Harford County Public Library has circulated Playaway since 2008, and started circulating Playaway View in October of 2011. Their initial Playaway View collection had 28 titles, but because of the format’s success, they now have over 360 Views…which to date have circulated 2,150 times!

Why Playaway View? Harford County Public Library has a strong history of supporting early literacy. In fact, they were one of the earliest libraries in the U.S. to have a circulating toy collection to support reading readiness skills. Because of programs like these, incorporating a “cool” literacy tool for young patrons seemed like a perfect fit. According to Marketing Manager Janine Lis, “We look at the View as a way to make literature portable for children who are growing up comfortable with technology.”

Playaway View—is it just “technology for the little guys?” It turns out even the savviest of librarians can be surprised. One of their branches introduced their collection to a visiting group of developmentally disabled adults, and for these adults (especially for those who could not operate a computer), the simple and immediate access to content was quite the success. So, don’t be afraid to try out View with new audiences!

How do you educate patrons about Playaway View? Harford County is no novice when it comes to marketing (want to come work for us, Janine?). First, they educated their staff by creating training cards. Then, it was time to educate the patron. They started building the buzz through printed and online marketing tactics, but they took it one step further by showcasing the Interactive Displays in their library. To this day, they continue to cement their enthusiasm for the product during storytimes to promote View’s educational content.

Get to know these savvy ladies! Jennifer (far left) is Harford’s Materials Management Administrator. In her spare time, she loves walking (yes, you read that correctly) her two cats in her yard. If you have questions about selecting content for Playaway View, please reach her at ralston@hcplonline.org.

Janine’s skills as a Marketing Manager have taken her to 5 (!) states. She stays busy by chairing quite a few committees and artfully delivering marketing messaging in a fun, creative way (we absolutely think she deserves an A+). You can reach her with any questions you may have at lis@hcplonline.org.

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