We have created the following checklists, which are chronologically structured to help organise Book Dash events online or in-person.
Before the Event¶
- Establish a Book Dash Planning committee by inviting returning members of the event
- Finalise dates based on the location and organisers’ availability
- Book location for in-person events
- Set up an online platform (Zoom, or other accessible software) for remote collaboration
- Set up a form (see a template here) for application by updating the previous version of the form
- Discuss with co-organisers if some resources (such as email drafts or templates) need to be updated
- Write a short description for online advertisement
- Clearly state the following information in an application form and later communicate by email with the selected participants:
- what financial support will be available for either online or in-person events
- What arrangements will be available online (such as online helpers and designated mentors) or on-site (such as quiet room and child care) for in-person events
- Include accessibility information such as live captioning for in-person events and quiet room/child nursing room for in-person events
- Mention the maximum limit for financial support requests for online (such as for headphones) and in-person (such as for travel and accommodation) events
- Set up the Book Dash Planning meeting to discuss these details before the announcement is sent out
- Find volunteers from the organisers who would like to host onboarding calls (1 week before the event)
- Find volunteers from the organisers who would like to host a GitHub introduction session (1 week before the event)
- Find volunteers from the organisers who would like to run social events (discussion session, meal, informal chat) - During the event
- Find volunteers from the organisers who would like to run community share out sessions - on the last day
- Check with them if there is anything else they would like to suggest or get involved in
- Announce in the newsletter and promote on X (formerly Twitter) at least 2-3 months in advance
- Think about who else needs to be invited, like Artists, speakers, more diverse participants
- Identify helpers from the core members and invite them
- Send a reminder in next newsletters with more details if needed
- Set an Eventbrite page with a registration code for the selected participants
- Close the application round in time (1-2 months ahead of the event)
- Set-up a form for reviewing applications (see Rubrics for scoring applications for details)
- Review applications in a designated panel (Book Dash Planning Committee) using Book Dash Rubrics for selection
- Set up another meeting with the Book Dash Planning Committee to discuss the applications and finalise the selection
- Use this meeting to also allocate tasks for during and after the event (indicate that on the GitHub issues)
- Send an email to the selected attendees with registration
- Send an email to the unselected attendees with feedback
- Set up an email chain and a Slack channel to connect all members and share updates
- Update presentation for introducing the project to the participants on day-1 of the Book Dash
- Update shared HackMD for
pre-event calls<ch-template-bookdash-precall>, book dash event and feedback - Provide details on Code of Conduct, contribution guideline and ways to get involved in an ongoing discussion
- Host the onboarding call one week before the event to share logistics and facilitate the drafting of SMART goals
- Group participants into the proposed working groups as per their SMART goals from the onboarding call
- Send a reminder email to register on Eventbrite sharing important links and information including support grant, GitHub session, onboarding call info and reimbursement process
- Create a GitHub issue to collect bio and highlight of the participants to add them to the Contributors Record
Additional task for an online event
- State the prerequisites to attend the event
- An active GitHub account
- Participation in at least one pre-event onboarding call or a Collaboration Cafe
- Some experience with using GitHub or attend the Book Dash GitHub session
- Familiarity with The Turing Way contribution guidelines and Code of Conduct
- Willingness to collaborate with others
- Ask them to choose at least one contribution session (2.5 hours) for each day of the Book Dash to ensure flexibility (rather than blocking the full day)
- Collect address if something needs to be posted
Additional task for an in-person Event
- Collate participants’ preference for travel, meal, accommodation, and accessibility request through the registration form
- Send an email to the participants regarding their travel, accommodation, schedule, and meal
- Book dinner for people for day-1
- Book hotels rooms for people who requested accommodation
- Double-check with each participant if their plan as given on their registration hasn’t changed
- Book travel for those who requested
- Double-check with each participant if their plan as given on their registration hasn’t changed
- Book catering for lunch and coffee breaks
- Mention that the event will offer a vegetarian meal as default - and ask participants to get in touch if another meal type is required
During the Event¶
- Run onboarding sessions on the first day
- Welcome everyone (for each slot)
- Ask to fill the icebreaker
- One of the organisers delivers introduction talk
- Create breakout groups for people working on
- Host coworking sessions with Pomodoro sessions 30-35 mins long
- At the beginning of the session, ask people to document or verbally share their plan for the session
- End each session with any report people want to make
- Give 5 minutes break before entering the next Pomodoro
- Keep last 10 minutes for final reporting and co-documenting the work that took place during the Pomodoro
- If an artist, illustrator or consultant is invited, coordinate the schedule with participants so they have the chance to engage
- Run a social session each day
- These are run by organisers to ensure everyone has the chance to connect informally
- Host community share out event on the last day to demonstrate and celebrate the contributions made by everyone during the Book Dash
- Ask for feedback on the last day (plus and delta)
- Share the GitHub issue for adding bio and highlight
- Take screenshots or group photos (with permission) to share in reports or social media
After the Event¶
- Send a thank you email to everyone for their work
- Move bio and highlight from the GitHub issue to the Contributors Record
- Summarise the event (number of pull requests, issue, chapters, and other significant news) to share with the participants
- Share the update via the newsletter
- Develop a report with highlights and updates on GitHub
- Set up a debrief meeting with the planning committee
- Send a thank you note (or a package when possible) to the planning committee