Herp and Invert Exhibit

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What is Herp and Invert Exhibit?

This is an event where guests could learn more about animals like snakes by asking experts questions and getting to touch them. 

Descrption: Come explore the amazing worlds of reptiles and invertebrates! Get up close with snakes, lizards, and more. This exhibit celebrates the incredible diversity of these cold-blooded crawlers and creepy crawlies. All ages welcome.


What I did to prepare

This started when Larry Daniel's from The International Herpetological & Invertebrate Society approached our library with the idea to have an expo. He's been running events like this for years and wanted to get back into doing more since Covid. He explained to us how it was done in the past and we put our own spin on it. We decided to do it in the afternoon and provided snacks like bagels and cookies for the people volunteering. The volunteers that would bring the animals were all contacted by Larry first then he gave them my contact information so they could let me know what kind of tables, chairs, and outlets they would need. 

Set Up

I made an image to help me plan the lobby set up. I printed out signs for the lobby letting guests know when the tables were going to be moved. I put the signs out before we opened which was very helpful.




Takeaway

This was a really cool event overall! I did have one person not show up and another had horrible car issues the day of. So, we ended up with 3 exhibitors and a book display. If there are societies like this in your area, I would highly recommend talking to them to see if you can team up. There were so many kids that were able to ask questions about their favorite animals! 

One thing to note is that there are many people who fear these kinds of animals. While they are completely safe and none of them had a history of biting, it's important that guests have a way to avoid the expo if they so wish. I moved around some of our large signs in the lobby that blocked the view of the closet tables. We had a staff member or volunteer near the front as well to explain what was happening in the lobby. There was one family where almost everyone was scared of the animals except the youngest child. They didn't want to go alone and I was able to go to each table with this child. The event is made for snake lovers but we don't want to prevent others from entering the library. 

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