AgendaWhat is Geek the Library?The ResearchThe PilotThe LatestThe CampaignThe Keys to SuccessThe Return on Investment

What is Geek the Library?

Highlights the vital role of public librariesEducates the community about the challenging funding issues many public libraries faceProvides opportunities for people to engage with the campaign and share their storiesMakes a personal connection with the public and can be easily localizedHelps start important local library funding conversations

The ResearchGeek the Library is based on research results from a study published by OCLC in 2008. The research had two main goals: To understand the factors that drive and limit local library funding supportTo answer the question: Can a national library support campaign effectively increase and sustain funding for U.S. public libraries by reaching and influencing the segments of the voting population that have the most potential to become committed library supporters?

Most Americans are unaware of how the public library is funded. Elected and appointed officials are supportive of the library but most (over 70%) feel that the library has sufficient funding.Most people claim they would support the library at the ballot box, but fewer, just 37%, are firmly committed to it.Library support is unrelated to using the library. Support is an attitude.Perceptions of the librarian are highly related to library support; perceptions that their librarian is involved in the community, an advocate for lifelong learning and passionate for keeping the library relevant are strong indicators of library funding support.

The Research: Key findings*

People who see the library as a transformational force in peoples lives and communities are more likely to support library funding.Most people are unaware of the range of transformational programs and services that libraries provide, and see the library predominately as a source of information.Overall, the key to increasing funding support for the library is to change the library conversation, and the library perception, from services and information, to a conversation about how the library provides transformational opportunities for each resident and the community.

The Research: Key findings*

The PilotOCLC partnered with nearly 100 libraries in Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and Wisconsin, to pilot the campaign from June 2009 through April 2010. The results are encouraging! Incredible campaign awareness in both primary markets (Iowa and Georgia)Positive movement in perceptions and attitudes towards libraries, librarians and library funding Geek the Library has the potential to increase long-term library funding by positively impacting public perceptions of libraries and library funding.

The LatestLibraries across the U.S. have embraced Geek the Library and people are paying attention! Libraries in over 20 states have enrolled since the pilot endedHuge following on the official Facebook siteHundreds of articles from local mediaThe campaign was even featured on NPR

The Campaign

Its different! Unexpected Eye-catching Focused on educating the community about the librarynot usage

The CampaignEveryone has something that they are passionate aboutsomething they geek. Maybe you geek football or hip hop. Maybe you geek organic gardening or volunteering. Or maybe you just geek the weather.Whatever you geek, fun or serious, the library supports you. So share what you geek. Share what your public library does for you and your community. And spread the word that the library needs everyones support.

The Campaign: AdvertisingPrint advertisingOnline advertisingBillboards

Back of Insert*

The Campaign: Web Site and Social Networking Sites*

The Campaign: In the Library

The Campaign: In the Community

Keys to SuccessTime and Staff: This campaign is geared toward getting the message out into the community. Attending community events is essential.Budget: Advertising creates vital campaign awareness therefore having a budget for this important.

Keys to SuccessPersonalizing the campaign for our community

Keys to SuccessAdvertising helps establish high awareness in a short timeActive outreach is essentialPartnering with local businesses and organizations ensures that the message doesnt only come from the libraryEngaging with key supporters helps spread awarenessEvents large and small provide a great opportunity to tell the library funding storyDirect engagement with decision makers by library leaders is vital to the funding cause

Keys to Success: The ResourcesOCLC provides field support, materials, and access to an online Campaign Management Center.

The Return on InvestmentThe goal of the campaign is to improve long-term funding by educating the community about the vital role of the library. The ROI will come in many forms and will be different from community to community.

*A comprehensive report about the Geek the Library pilot campaign is available for free download at http://www.oclc.org/reports/geekthelibrary.htm. It may be helpful to print portions of the report for your board.**Geek the Library is a community awareness campaign thats simple and boldand lots of fun. It gets noticed and gets people talking about libraries. Geek the Library was created by OCLC, a nonprofit library cooperative, and Leo Burnett USA in June 2009 with a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.*You can review From Awareness to Funding: A study of library support in America at http://www.oclc.org/reports/funding/default.htm

The advocacy research was designed to test the application of traditional market research, segmentation and targeting techniques to the library funding problem through quantitative and qualitative research. (The quantitative study targeted two audiences: U.S. residents in communities of populations less than 200,000 and elected officials in the United States.)The objective was to create a market segmentation analysis of the U.S. voting population that identified which segments of voters are the most likely to generate increased support for U.S. public libraries. The segmentation study was also designed to help uncover underlying library motivations and attitudes that are indicative and predictive of the level of support for library funding.

So, yes, a national library support campaign can effectively increase and sustain funding for U.S. public libraries! You can review the full report at: http://www.oclc.org/reports/funding/default.htm *The pilot was a comprehensive test of the campaign including all marketing elements, including advertising, public relations and events.

*Please note: OCLC opened the campaign up to any U.S. public library in August 2010. A comprehensive report about the pilot campaign is available for free download at http://www.oclc.org/reports/geekthelibrary.htm. It may be helpful to print portions of the report for your board.

*View currently enrolled libraries: http://geekthelibrary.org/about/libraries.html *Theres no question about it, the campaign has garnered attention. Even people who say they dont like the use of the word geek say they like the look of the campaign. The pilot campaign proved that the campaign has stopping power and people really take notice. The look and the message are unexpected from the librarya refreshing position to be in. *The campaign changes geek to a verb.*Advertising is key to getting the message out to the most people in the shortest period of time. While advertising can be expensive, there are many alternatives and different options available, such as advertising with local radio stations, local cable access channels and billboards. (Billboard advertising had the most impact during the official pilot.)

A lot can be done with even with a modest budget and there are often discounts for nonprofits. It is also an opportunity to partner with local businesses and organizations. While advertising is recommended, participating libraries have been able to raise awareness without it.The folded handout tells the Geek the Library story. It can be used in the library, at community events, and it can also be inserted into newspapers. During the pilot campaign, one library had great success with inserting it into utility bills.

**All Geek the Library materials encourage the public to visit geekthelibrary.orgthe official Web site. Visitors to the site can: Share what they geek on a virtual wallLearn more about the value of public libraries and how public libraries are fundedGain advice about the need for library support and how to educate the community *Please note: Geek the Library maintains a Web site, we tweet, we have a Flickr page, and we have a very active Facebook presence with over 17,000 likes.

Its important to represent the campaign in the library as well as in the community. People who have seen Geek the Library in the community make the connection when they go in to the library.**The Geek the Library concept is to make the community a part of the campaign by integrating the theme into as many local activities and events as possible. The community will make the connection to the library and to funding by being exposed to the campaign on multiple occasions. Events are especially important as they provide an opportunity for library staff to discuss the issues one-on-one with the community. All of these community relations efforts for this campaign will benefit the library in years to come. The community appreciates what the library does, but they probably dont understand funding and how they play a role. Taking part in community events, especially events where the public may not expect the library such as a high school football game, will help!**Find more examples of current campaigns on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/groups/geekthelibrary **Dedicated resources are essential.

Time and Staff: This campaign must live and breathe in the communitynot just the library. Multiple touch-points were necessary to reach the target audience in the test communities, so promotional efforts, such as advertising and public relations, should be coupled with media relations, community partnerships (e.g., asking local organizations to give out material or be featured in a poster) and a consistent presence at local events.Budget: Newspaper and magazine ads helped boost awareness in the pilot markets and improved familiarity with the target audience, who fit the profile for newspaper readership demographics.

*Current participating libraries have found great success with localizing the campaign. Asking someone to be featured in a poster or create a personalized button provides an opportunity to make a very personal connection, and it helps get the entire community get even more excited about Geek the Library.

* Please note, OCLC provides many tools to make this easy.

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*The good news is that OCLC provides a lot of support. A dedicated field manager is available to help us get started and to answer questions along the way. OCLC provides a welcome kit with many materials to get us started. Initial materials include bookmarks, posters and stickers. There may also be opportunities to order additional materials for free! And then theres the online Campaign Management Center, which provides downloadable materials and guides us through every step of the campaign.

On the Campaign Management Center provides:Downloadable files: hundreds of art files and helpful documentsDetailed guidance for every phase of the campaign The opportunity to share ideas with other participating libraries

*The campaign can have other positive results. Some additional things that happened during the pilot campaign include: No reduction in funding for a library that had expected cutsRaises to staff at one library which hadnt happened in 8 yearsExemption for libraries in statewide 10 percent budget reductions

Remember, the campaigns strategy is to: Raise awareness about the campaign and the public library Change attitudes/perceptions about libraries, librarians and library funding Drive positive behavior/intended behavior relating to library support

So, while the ROI isnt immediate, the pilot proves that the campaign can change the communitys perceptions and behavior relating to libraries and library funding. It is important to make a full commitment and build the necessary campaign awareness in order to help the community make the connection between the campaign, the library and to funding. (OCLC recommends that the campaign lasts at least six months.)

*Be sure to discuss your librarys marketing plan and any ideas for localizing.*Updated: 10/14/2011