The festival, a unique and successful library/foundation partnership, typically accounts for 10% of the library’s total event attendance and prioritizes in-person opportunities to meet authors, purchase books and have books signed. The festival generates an economic impact of nearly $500,000 annually for Madison. When COVID-19 closed our doors, MPL was challenged to engage a community of readers who were used to a highly engaging in-person experience and show continued relevance to our community.

Festival staff implemented online events through Crowdcast, which allowed for live broadcasts and moderated Q&A. Partnerships with other local book festivals increased reach and access to high profile authors, and the online format made it easier to attract authors and attendees who might not travel to Wisconsin for an in-person event. A new digital marketing strategy diversified our audience, better targeted our marketing and increased our social media engagement and event traffic.

The transition expanded the festival’s reach and impact, bringing more visibility to the library and the foundation. Benefits included:

• Partnerships with festivals in other states provided access to authors and new ideas for festival organizers.
• New media partnerships reached more diverse audiences.
• Increased overall attendance by more than 40%.
• Gained national and international audience for events.
• Sold 2600+ books to date in 2020, boosting local businesses.
• Raised $137,000 for MPL Foundation.