prosentation of the project, WLIC 2016, Columbus Ohio

1. Inspiration
Lab
Launch Campaign
Sandra Singh, Chief Librarian
sandra.singh@vpl.ca
August 17, 2016

2. About Vancouver
First Peoples: Three Coast Salish First Nations
Incorporated as city in 1886
115 square km / 605,000 people (2011)
52% residents w/ first language other than English
Economy:
Port Metro Vancouver, HQs for resource industry companies
Tech and digital sector
Film and television industry
Biggest challenge:
Housing affordability

3. About VPL (2015)
21 branches, including Central Library
6.8 million in-person visits
6.4 million digital visits
257,832 active cardholders
74,063 only used tech and digital resources
9.4 million collection items used (physical and digital)
9,700 free programs
277,000 program attendees

4. Inspiration Lab: A Brief History
 2013-2015 Strategic Plan Consultation
 Asked staff to start thinking about a digital media
lab
 Met with Tech/Digital sector leaders to get
feedback
 Set budget: $600,000 and space: 7,500 sq ft
 Dec 2013-Feb 2014: Finalised components
 Fall 2015 - May 2015: (De)Construction
 May 2015: Launch event

5. the lab

7. CREATION STATIONS
12 high-performance desktop computers providing:
Microsoft Photo Gallery, Adobe Photoshop, Microsoft Movie Maker, Adobe PremierePro,
Audacity, Reaper, Sigil, Adobe InDesign
DIGITIZATION STATIONS
Flatbed photo/negative/slide scanner station; 8mm Video Cassette Walkman; VHS video
tape-to-digital conversion station; Audiotape-to-digital conversion station;
A/V Hook-up Stations
RECORDING STUDIOS
Sound Booths 1, 2 & 4 (1-2 people max.)
Mixer; USB tabletop microphone; webcam; headphones
Live Room (4-6 people max.)
Mixer; studio monitors; Pro-con; USB tabletop microphone; webcam
The Terry McBride Recording Studio (2 min. to 8 people max.)
Studio Mixer; studio monitors; Pocket Cinema Camera (35 lens and short condenser
shotgun microphone); dual LED light kit; Daylight LED Video Light with Remote; green
screen; headphone distribution amplifier
Additional Bookable Studio Equipment
Studio Condenser Microphones: C-3 & C-1; ULTRA-DI DI100 box

14. marketing strategy
and positioning

15. Targeting:
We wanted broad reach
(lab is for everyone)
Appeal to early adopters
who are familiar with tech
but without it at home

16. Small budget for
advertising
2,000 CAD
plus staff time
Roughly
1,600 USD or €1,400

17. Created an identity for
the Inspiration Lab1

18. Vancouver’s free
digital media hub

19. A place that
combines
traditional, digital
and new media in
a custom-built
space.

20. Dedicated to
digital creativity,
collaboration and
storytelling.

21. High-performance
computers, analog-
to-digital
conversion, sound
studios, video
editing and self-
publishing
software.

22. And all free to use
with a library card.

23. Built concept around activities in lab:
Discover, Create, (Self) Publish, Learn,
Design, Imagine, Record + Edit, Share

26. Putting the identity and
messaging to work with a
limited budget.2

27. Making our small
budget do big, big work
Fall 2014: Media advance (early media feed)
Launch Campaign (1st week of May 2015)
 Media relations
 Launch event
 Advertising and promotional materials
 Social Media

28. Media awareness began
months ahead of launch
Every media
interaction/interview
reminded them that the lab
was coming

29. launch event and
media relations

30. Making our small
budget do big, big work
Media relations and launch
 Media advisory of launch – 5 days in
advance of launch event
 Called each major outlet with a more
detailed pitch

31. Worked with online and
weekly media in advance
Facilitated their stories
ahead of time, with them
publishing day-of
Gave a few media outlets a
preview of space

32. Making our small
budget do big, big work
Launch event
 Media
 Elected officials (City)
 Foundation and donors
 Staff and Friends

33. Launch event
live-tweeted and streamed
live via Periscope
#Inspiration Lab trending
regionally

34. Launch event:
Virtually every major news
outlet in the city attended,
including:
Vancouver Sun
The Province
CBC TV | CBC radio
CityTV
Huffington Post
Georgia Straight
Vancouver Courier
Westender
CKNW radio

37. “This is kind of a creative
playground where anyone can
experiment with cool
technology, without having to
buy their own – and that is very
enabling.”
—Sam Chandola, Founder and
CEO of Victory Square Games

39. “If you aspire to be an artist, a
publisher, a videographer, an author,
a musician, a game developer –
these tools are as important as a
smartphone is to a journalist.”
—Andrea Reimer, Deputy Mayor

40. Earned media coverage
Vancouver Sun, Ottawa Citizen (syndicated use of the
Sun’s piece), The Province, CBC TV, CBC radio, Société
Radio-Canada (CBC French), CityTV (Toronto), Huffington
Post, Georgia Straight, Vancouver Courier, Westender,
CKNW radio (news coverage and a talk show), AM730,
Vancity Buzz, 604 Now, DJ Magazine, Vancouver 24
Hours, Metro News, Jack FM radio, American Libraries
Magazine, Sing Tao, Ming Pao, Fairchild TV (Chinese-
language), reddit r/Vancouver, Asian Pacific Post
25 outlets and some of the content was picked up on syndication

41. 2.5
million
impressions

42. advertising,
promotional,
social media

43. Making our small
budget do big, big work
Advertising
 Leveraged City of Vancouver’s access
to bus shelter ad space
 “ditto” for digital signage

44. 25 transit shelters
around the city
digital signage at
major intersection
downtown
9.1
million
impressions

45. Making our small
budget do big, big work
Promotional materials
 Variety of take-aways for launch and
VPL branches

47. Making our small
budget do big, big work
Social media
 Re-skinned our Twitter and Facebook
pages using the Inspiration Lab
identity for the launch

48. Making our small
budget do big, big work
Total Cost of launch
 Promotional materials and posters: $2,000
 Launch event: $1,200
Results
 Impressions: 11.6 million
 Trended on twitter

49. Vancouver
has embraced
the lab

50. Tours post-launch:
So popular, we had
tours hourly for first two
days
First month: tours (56)
almost daily, with nearly
600 attendees

51. First 8 months:
300+ programs
1,850+ attendees
4,400+ studio bookings,
with 7,300+ patrons

52. “I don’t have money to pay
to record an album. But I’ve
recorded more than 20
songs already. I made a CD
from the library that I’m
selling now.”
—Alfredo Flores, musician

53. Documentary
filmmakers (sound
and video)
Podcasts
Community groups
for music recording

54. What worked well?
Staff time on media relations
Leveraging relationship with
City in lieu of ad buy

55. What was challenging?
Promoting a space/facility
that was unfamiliar to the
public
(this was where media
relations was vital)

56. Do-over.
What would we do
differently?

57. Create supplemental
materials that contain far
greater detail

58. VPL Marketing + Communications
Adrienne, Tina, Stephen, Maria, James (Stephanie, Marya not shown)

59. VPL Marketing + Communications
In a city far, far away (well, a little ways) from Columbus, Ohio

60. Thank you