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Bring a highlighter and a pad of post-it notes.
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Carefully review all materials sent to you by the exhibitors prior
to the Market. They contain news of Market discounts, new releases,
drawings and special activities.
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Wear comfortable shoes, have a jacket handy.
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Review your program guide prior to arrival; note titles that strike
your interest.
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Try to organize titles to screen by floor to save time.
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If you don’t see what you need—ask!
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Bring your “consideration list” or “subject needs
file.” Bring user requests for specific or hard-to-find
titles.
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Ask what titles an exhibitor has on a specific topic or grade level,
not just “what’s new?”
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Bring 3×5 cards, a notebook computer or a pile of title
evaluation forms (click
here for a sample form) from your organization so you can rate
titles as you see them. It provides a permanent record for
organizing purchases later.
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Talk to people. NMM is a unique gathering of media purchasers from
schools, universities and public libraries. Ask about the best
titles they have seen so far. Ask about their operation, how they
select titles, who they are buying for. Some great ideas for new
titles or better ways of doing things can be picked up in a casual
conversation.
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Bring user comment cards form your agency—good and bad.
Producers frequently want to know what people in the field think of
their titles.
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Don’t forget that portable DVD players are available to use in
your room after hours for more screening. Exhibitors will lend DVDs
overnight for this purpose.
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Companies have “on-demand” screening. Go in organized
and know the titles you need to see. Consider asking for 6 to 10
DVDs at a time; review five or ten minutes of each to cover a lot
of possible purchases quickly.
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If one exhibitor can’t help you—ask if they know which
company might have the kind of titles you need. The exhibitors know
the other collections pretty well and are generally cooperative
with each other.
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Try producers you have never heard of or haven’t purchased
from in years. You may find an unexpected wealth of important titles.
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After the Market, take out exhibitor pages from the notebook, and
put into a binder organized in alphabetical order by company to
begin your next purchase cycle.
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Bring a second or third person from your agency to screen titles.
You will cover more ground and the synergy of your colleagues is
important.
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Let exhibitors know your purchase cycle, they may be willing to
extend Market discounts. Let them know if your agency requires any
policy documents to be on file in your business office.
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If you have questions or ideas that will make the Market better,
fill out a Market evaluation form. Also feel free to talk to any
NMM Board Member, identified by a ribbon on their name badge.
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