[EricH]

Originally Posted by TheBlenderMan

The key word there is sneaky. If you host that kind of event it would get people reading for the duration of the event...however there is nothing stopping the participants from staying away from the library afterword. This library wanted to get people genuinely interested in reading by hosting an event designed to attract boys, they just underestimated the outrage that that kind of discrimination causes among some people.

Just as a really, really dumb question: Why do you think that using the event that sparked the outrage would have a different effect? There is nothing stopping the participants from staying away from the library afterwards.


Some food for thought:

I haven't been to the library in quite a few years. (Other than in college--where it happened to be a favorite meeting area for small groups, as well as hosting the university computer program's repair shop.) But when I was younger, I went fairly often. And, during the summers, there was usually a kid's program of some sort on a regular basis. When I happened to go on one of the program days, one of the larger "open" areas (give or take a 15'x20' area, I think) was pretty full of kids. But when I went on any other day, there might be half a dozen kids total.

BTW, these programs included such items as the sheriff's department parking a helicopter in the library parking lot (by landing it there, and taking off at the end of the program), or a marine biologist with some sharks, or an illusionist...

Just something to think about.