Welcome patrons new and old, it's that time of year once again for….
↬ ❄️THE FOURTH ANNUAL LIBRARY GIFT EXCHANGE ❄️↫
hosted by UncertaintyCrossing! The Library is such an awesome community that it is an honor to be running this wonderful tradition yet again for y'all! In case you're not familiar, this is the Library's version of the Art Exchange hosted on our sister site, the SCP Wiki.
What is this?
It's a Secret Santa event! You sign up in this very thread, listing what you can offer and what you'd like to receive. I pair people up - you'll receive a private message from me with who you're making a gift for. Check out their post in the thread, and make them a wonderful little present to bring the season together! This isn't a contest - it's a chill, relaxing event where, ideally, everyone comes out with a good time, good gift, and good memories.
What kinda gifts we talking?
Anything, really, provided a.) you created it, and b.) you can send it over the internet. The most common are art and writing. Remember that we tend to have more writers than artists - be sure to offer requests for both so that your gifter knows which direction to go in.
Awesome! How do I sign up?
Simply make a new post in this thread (do not reply to this post!) following the format below:
**What I Can Give:** [What you can give]
**What I Am Looking For:** [What you are looking for]
Do not put "I can receive anything!", or something to that effect, under "What I Am Looking For". While it may seem courteous to your prospective gifter, it actually leaves them with no direction for their gift, making the process inadvertently more difficult. Please be at least a little specific with your requests (while also being reasonable). Also, one cannot stress this enough:
Don't sign up if you are iffy on making the deadlines, laid out below!
If you know you're busy or something's coming up that interferes with your gift-making, you should probably abstain from participating. However, I understand if something unexpected emerges in your personal life that you could not have planned for and disrupts your Gift Exchange intentions. Should that occur, please:
1) Send an unfinished product at the deadline with the intention to finish it later, or…
2) Contact me ASAP about your situation, and I'll get a pinch-hitter on the case right away. More on that later!
Schedule?
First, have a brief overview:
Nov. 17th - Nov. 30th — Signing up.
Dec. 1st - Dec. 22nd — Making the gifts.
Dec. 22rd - Dec. 24th — Pinch-hitting.
Dec. 25th - Dec. 27th — Receiving gifts, wondering who made them.
Dec. 28th — Revealing the Secret Santas.
Anytime after Dec. 28th — Optionally posting gifts to the site.
For a more in-depth run-down…
Pinch-Hitting
Pinch-Hitters will make a gift for someone when the original gifter cannot follow through. This will mostly come into play between gift submissions and distributions, though a Pinch-Hitter will be called in anytime a gifter says they cannot fulfill their request, giving the Pinch-Hitter more time to fill in. However, a Pinch-Hitter must be prepared to work under very restrictive timelines, down to 48 hours.
Only sign up as a Pinch-Hitter if you're very confident in your skills under pressure. Your application as a Pinch-Hitter may be turned down if we do not share your confidences. It's a bit harsh, but necessary to ensure everyone gets their gift in full-confidence. If you have interest in the position, simply state so on your sign-up post here!
Blacklist
The Library is not implementing a blacklist this year; which is to say, even if you did not finish your gift last year, you'll be allowed to participate in the Gift Exchange this year. That said, we will be implementing a soft check-in system — meaning that if you did not finish your gift last year, you may be contacted by one of the organizers and asked to clarify what happened then and if it's likely to occur again this year/if there are any steps you're taking to address it and ensure you get your gift in on-time this year. If you can't provide a satisfying assurance, we may elect to deny your participation in this year's Gift Exchange. We understand this isn't fun and don't want to spoil anyone's season, but we're just trying our best to make sure everyone wakes up on the big day to many gifts on their doorstep!
Reminders:
- Don't ghost the exchange. Please, if you can't make it, send a PM to the organizers beforehand. When you skip out, everyone suffers.
- It's called Secret Santa! Don't reveal yourself to your giftee, and if you know something, don't let anyone in on it! Secrecy is part of the fun!
- Keep it jolly and festive! Don't intentionally make a gift that goes against the giftee's wishes, or otherwise knowingly make something bad.
- Try to keep requests and gifts age-appropriate for the site. If you wouldn't post it on the site or in chat, consider choosing to request or make something else that still fulfills the giftee's wants but is more appropriate.
❄️ HAPPY HOLIDAYS, WANDERERS! ❄️
I've extended the deadline to turn in your gifts!
But the time flies, irretrievable.