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15. Ribbon Cutting

• Ribbon cuttings can be wonderful occasions if you plan them properly, but they can be sources of real embarrassment if things go wrong.
  
  
• Inevitably you'll need to move in and start using the building before everything is finished. For this reason, don't plan to keep citizens out of the new building until the ribbon cutting takes place. When moving day is over, there are almost always items of furniture that have not arrived, punch list items that have not been completed, and workspaces where staff are just starting to unpack.
  
  
• Libraries, like new stores, are therefore wise to have "soft" openings, providing public access and service for a few weeks before scheduling a major event. When the time comes, unveil (for example) the building plaques and the donor plaques rather than the entire building.
  
  
• It's usually a bad idea to do much out of doors. Weather is undependable and outdoor acoustics are uncertain. If you want to cut the ribbon at the door and then have everyone troop into the new library, cut the ribbon first and have speeches indoors afterwards. If you insist on outdoor presentations, you will have to have a good PA system and a contingency plan for rain or heavy winds.
  
  
• Plan ribbon cuttings for nice weather. Midwinter is often a poor time. Out-of-town participants will have a difficult time traveling to the ribbon cutting, and elderly donors may slip on the ice. People will need to enter the library the moment they arrive.
  
  
• Be sure to invite all the right people. These include politicians, board members (including those whose terms ended mid project), staff members, contractors and other businesses involved with the project, the consulting professionals on the project (architects, engineers, and consultants). And invite all of the citizens of the community.
  
  
• You may want to have a special event for donors, but don't make it the main ribbon cutting. The entire community needs to feel involved.
  
  
• Speeches should be brief. Among the important things to cover are:
  
  
  • Recognition of the key people present. These may include politicians, donors, board members (including those whose terms ended mid-project), and hired people who worked on the project.
    
    
  • The locations of plaques and other forms of recognition.
    
    
  • Special functional features. Building aesthetics are usually very visible, and you don't need to say much about them. Instead have someone dwell on convenience, services, efficiency, good functional design, and so on—all of which may not be intuitively obvious to non-librarians.