School & Library - Teachers' Lounge Displays

Please note: You must be an "Educational Consultant" to service public and private K-12 schools and libraries. Only Educational Consultants may conduct RFTS at schools and libraries, Book Fairs at schools and libraries, set up in teachers lounges, make direct sales to schools & libraries or work in any way within or to schools or libraries. Please refer to the EC manual (in the EC kit) for specific details. You may order the EC kit on the supply order form.

Before you contact a school, what do you need to do?

Check if it's listed
(you can check the listings at www.MyUBAM.com => Educational Services => Listings => Search by State or Zip Code)
If it is listed, then move on to another school
If it's not listed, you may contact it and list it

Who do you contact to do a teacher's lounge set-up?

It's nice to have an "in" with a school -- maybe you met a teacher at a home show and started talking about this idea there
You can also make cold calls -- ask the main school secretary, "Who would I speak with about setting up a display of books in the teacher's lounge?" She is often the one who can make it work or not. She may even be the one that writes the checks from teachers' school funds or puts the Purchase Orders through. You'll want to have a great relationship with her.

You might have been talking with the librarian and this might be set up through her as a "mini-book fair"

It's important to be professional and friendly and build relationships -- treat each person you talk with at the school with respect and with great friendliness, while respecting their very busy schedule :-)

How to do a teachers' lounge set-up

Basically, you set up a selection of sample books, usually for one day, maybe for 2 days in the teacher's lounge (which may also be their lunchroom/copy room)
Usually, you can take orders, a large inventory isn't needed
Teachers love our books - samples can help them see how a series is set up
It's easy to deliver the books, because you only need to deliver to one place (the school)
Sometimes the library benefits with free books based on the sales -- it's like a mini-book fair just for the teachers (sometimes parents may drop in to purchase too)
You may be able to arrange ahead of time with the secretary the procedure for teachers to use their school money. Sometimes they'll give you a stack of blank requests for Purchase Orders that you can help the teachers fill out there. Then you can get them signed by the principal & turn them in to the secretary. Since every school has a different procedure, listen to what the secretary has to say.
The GRAND BENEFIT from the teachers' lounge events are the multitude of contacts and future business you are building with all areas of the school, for example:
- Book Fair, school wide or by grade/PTA meeting/science night, etc.
- Future grant orders/Literacy for a Lifetime
- Department orders (math, science, speech pathology, gifted, etc)
- Future set up at fall open house or other event
- After school program
- Options here are endless - listen to what the faculty is saying and see how you can fit in with their needs
- Direct orders from the library

How long to be set up

If possible, be there a full day, 7:30 am - 3:00 pm or so, so teachers have time before the school day and after the school day and during lunch/breaks (stay there with the books to answer questions and make recommendations and network)
Some consultants set up for 1 day or 2 mornings.

Sales will be higher if you can BE THERE with the books & help the teachers make their selections. That way you can help SUGGEST more books you know they'll like and write up the orders for them.

What books should you bring?

You might want to bring about 30 titles or more.

Some suggested titles are:

Conspiracy 365

Anna Hibiscus (mention Boston Globe Horn Award - Honor Book 2011)

100 Science Experiments

Illustrated Dictionary of Math

Ted and Friends, one (or more) of the Phonics series

Oliver Moon, Jack Russell (good early chapter books)

Art Treasury & an art project book(s)

Internet Linked Encyclopedias

Complete Book of Farmyard Tales

Sandy Lane Stables title(s)

Beginners title(s), i.e. How Flowers Grow

Discovery series title

Young Reader series title

The Rainy Day or other "non-fictionish" picture books

First Encyclopedia of Space

a Touchy Feely

maybe a few seasonal titles

Teachers often refer to our books as "trade books" (that means they are supplemental rather than part of their regular curriculum) and use them for extra reading or for supplemental resources for core content

Teachers also often purchase for their own children/personal use. Often the sales are 50% for school use and 50% for personal use.

How do you promote your teacher's lounge set-ups?

Flyers in teachers' mailboxes a week ahead and a day ahead (see flyer in document library)
If there is an "all staff" email list, ask to have a reminder posted there the day before and the day of the set-up.
Ask that the set up be mentioned at staff meeting and on morning announcements, if possible.
Include all staff, not only the teachers.
As you visit with the teachers, they will mention it to their teacher friends, especially if you have good snacks there :-)

Summary of important points:

Your friend/contact at the school
Promotion
Your awesome book display
Your lovely personality
Food

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you charge tax?
No, use the school's tax exempt number

Do you charge shipping?
No, not if you are submitting it as a book fair (total must be $200). Book fair orders do not charge shipping. If you are using a Purchase Order as payment, then you do charge shipping.