Every fall, libraries compete for attention against a hundred other back-to-school messages and plans. So when a title like Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone becomes available as a Bonus Borrow in both eBook and audiobook for the entire month of September, it’s time to take it to the next level.  

Having Harry Potter as a Bonus Borrow means unlimited copies, no waitlist, and no holds. It doesn’t count against a patron’s monthly checkout limit, so the real opportunity isn’t the announcement, it’s what you build around it.

This September’s Bonus Borrow is a chance to do what libraries always try to do: pull in reluctant readers, get people who haven’t visited in a while back through your doors (or your website), and remind your community that the library is more than “just a place for books”.  

Turn it into a reason to show up, not just a reason to click 

It’s time for trivia! 

For several years, one Ohio librarian ran a monthly fandom trivia series at a local brewery with themes such as Harry Potter, Disney, The Office, and Game of Thrones. She split the room into five teams of four, with patrons registering in advance through the library’s events calendar. The brewery handled the room and the crowd while she handled the questions and the prizes. It quickly became one of the most effective outreach tools the library had. 

A few reasons it worked so well: 

  • It took the library outside the building. Some of the biggest turnouts were made up of people who hadn’t set foot in the library in years…or ever. Trivia night at a brewery isn’t intimidating in the way a library program can feel to someone who’s out of the habit. 
  • The marketing went both ways. The brewery promoted the library to their regulars, while the library promoted the brewery to their patrons. Neither was paying for that reach. 
  • The library had a captive, relaxed audience for five minutes of library talk. The librarian always brought the library’s programming newsletter and a stack of flyers, and used between-round downtime to point people toward other events at the library. Low pressure, high visibility. 
  • It built relationships that outlasted any single event. Regulars started asking what the next theme would be both in the library and at other community events. The library made connections with local businesses and brainstormed new ideas. It led to positive collaboration that made a real impact. 

The Perfect Program for THIS Bonus Borrows Window 

Harry Potter trivia usually assumes people already know the material cold. This time, you can flip that.  

Because Sorcerer’s Stone is free to borrow with zero holds and zero impact on a patron’s checkout limit, you can promote the trivia night as the reason to (re-)read or (re-)listen to book one first to “brush up before you buy in.” That gives you a natural, non-preachy way to plug the eBook/audiobook access: not just that it’s free, but as an excuse to revisit it before trivia night. The access becomes a tool for the event, not the headline. 

Making this replicable for other library systems: 

  • Five teams of four (20 players) keeps rounds moving and prizes manageable. 
  • Create PowerPoint slides with questions that you researched (these people know their stuff!) and either utilize tech at the brewery or bring a portable projector and screen.   
  • Registration through your existing events calendar keeps this a low lift; no new tech, no new sign-up system.
  • Approach a local brewery, taproom, or even a family-friendly restaurant with private event space as a co-marketing partner.  
  • Bring the newsletter. Every single time. It’s the cheapest, easiest conversion tool you have in that room. 

Give younger patrons and families a more accessible entry point 

Not every household is walking into a brewery trivia night, and that’s fine. The same promotion supports a much softer touchpoint for families and younger kids. 

  • Activity sheets and coloring pages at the branch or in a take-home craft bag. These require almost no staff time to deploy and give parents something to do with younger kids while older siblings or caregivers explore the eBook/audiobook. Check out these activity sheets provided by Pottermore Publishing.
  • Pair them with a display or a “grab and go” table near checkout, with a small sign pointing to the eBook and audiobook access and framing it as something fun to do while your family reads or listens together. 
  • A read-aloud or listen-along night using the audiobook, with the coloring sheets as a quiet activity for kids too young to sit through a full chapter. This gives you an intergenerational program with almost no prep beyond printing. 

If you are as excited as we are to promote Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone as a Bonus Borrow in September, check out our images you can share on your library’s social media or print a flyer for in-person promotions.

Be sure to check out the entire Harry Potter series, along with other titles available in the wizarding world.