Marketing the library
description
Transcript of Marketing the library
Marketing the library
http://hwlibrary.wordpress.com http://apps.carleton.edu/campus/library/help/help/liaisons/cards/
http://www.njha.com/librarysection/surfsmart.aspx
http://www.theworld.org/2009/12/01/phone-booth-library/
By Christine Edison
What’s public relations?
http://theshiftedlibrarian.com/archives/2007/10/19/gaming-in-libraries-presentation-eh.html
Public relations involves presenting a positive public impression of an organization and its products or services.
Public relations includes:
• Advertising• Promotions • Events • Publicity• Networking
with the community
From the ALA Store, www.alastore.ala.org/detail.aspx?ID=1407
What’s marketing?
From http://theunquietlibrary.wordpress.com/2008/09/
Marketing involves connecting audiences to information about products or services.
Marketing includes:
• Advertising
• Displays
• Official communications – Press releases
– Signage
– Newsletters
– Web site
– Local media
http://mrschu81.wordpress.com/page/14/
Who’s your audience?
• Part of marketing is finding out who your audience is.
• Librarians research the community they serve and put together a snapshot of the community.
From www.elmhurstpubliclibrary.org/News_&_Events/EPLSurvey.
Who’s your audience?
• Determine your target audiences and figure out what needs they might have for library services.
• Brainstorm how the library could meet those needs.
From theunquietlibrary.wordpress.com
Marketing plan
Phillips, Loreen S. Cruise to Success: How to steer your way through the murky waters of marketing your library. Oxford: Chandos Publishing, 2009. p. 39.
Marketing plan
S.W.O.T.North Penn Tactical Response Team of Montgomery County Pennsylvania, practicing Cellular Team
Tactics, from Wikimedia Commons
S.W.O.T.
• Strengths– What does your
library do well?
• Weaknesses
• Opportunities
• Threats Phillips, Loreen S. Cruise to Success: How to steer your way through the murky waters of marketing your library. Oxford: Chandos Publishing, 2009. p. 39.
S.W.O.T.
• Strengths
• Weaknesses– What barriers
do you have to service?
• Opportunities
• ThreatsPhillips, Loreen S. Cruise to Success: How to steer your way through the murky waters of marketing your library. Oxford: Chandos Publishing, 2009. p. 39.
S.W.O.T.
• Strengths
• Weaknesses
• Opportunities– What can you
capitalize on?
• Threats Phillips, Loreen S. Cruise to Success: How to steer your way through the murky waters of marketing your library. Oxford: Chandos Publishing, 2009. p. 39.
S.W.O.T.
• Strengths• Weaknesses• Opportunities• Threats
– What stands in your way to achieving success?
Phillips, Loreen S. Cruise to Success: How to steer your way through the murky waters of marketing your library. Oxford: Chandos Publishing, 2009. p. 39.
What’s being marketed here?
• Who’s the audience?• What need does this group have?
http://askehbl.wordpress.com/2009/03/
http://librarymarketing.blogspot.com/2005/04/marketing-virtual-chat-reference-at.html
What’s being marketed here?
From http://www.jerichoschools.org/ms/library/99.htmink/
On April 7, 2008, Dr. Naif Al-Mutawa, creator of “The 99” series of comic books (based on Islamic culture), talked to Jericho Middle School eighth grade classes. Al-Mutawa has created a comic book series about superheroes powered by knowledge. His primary mission is to foster the idea that we all share the same values and to celebrate diversity.
What’s being marketed here?
From themwordblog.blogspot.com/2009/12/library-marketing-success-story.html
What’s being marketed here?
From http://bestsellers.about.com/od/newupcomingreleases/ig/March-2010-Book-Releases/Abraham-Lincoln-Vampire.htm
Seth Grahame-Smith, author of “Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter,” started his book tour at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum. Last month, “the museum kept a small exhibit dedicated to Lincoln’s connections with the gothic a display that even included the last ax Lincoln wielded, though probably not against vampires.”
– Associated Press article from the Chicago Sun-Times,
March 19, 2010
What’s being marketed here?
From http://nancydowd.wordpress.com/2008/07/29/what-do-you-think/http://www.gameguru.in/sports/2007/22/wii-
bowling-becomes-a-rage-at-a-us-old-age-home/
What’s being marketed here?
From http://www.elmhurstpubliclibrary.org/Adults/HomeOffice.php
What’s being marketed here?
• Who’s the audience?
• What need does this group have?
http://tametheweb.com/2008/09/09/london-ontario-library-marketing-campaign/
What’s being marketed here?
• This ROI calculator shows library users what they would have spent purchasing the same items they have taken out from the library.
http://www.nsls.info/roi/?m=patron
What’s being marketed here?
• This is a way for libraries to show what a great value they are to the community.
http://www.nsls.info/roi/?m=patron
What can libraries promote?
Collections
Events
Services
Atmosphere
http://www.elmhurstpubliclibrary.org/Teens/
How about us?
http://www.rochester.edu/pr/Review/V72N3/feature2.html
http://apps.carleton.edu/campus/library/help/help/liaisons/cards/
We can promote
ourselves as a library resource.
And one more…
• A brand name identifies a product or service in the community and conveys something about what that company stands for.
• What about the library’s identity?
http://www.wyominglibraries.org/campaign.html
How do you do this?
Marketing plan objective: The university library will increase the number of card holders by 5 percent (200 students).
http://www.alatechsource.org/blog/2006/04/rock-on-celebrating-the-library-and-learning.html
What does this audience want?
• Help with research• Online services• Find good information
sources easily• Meeting place for
projects and socializing• Entertainment and food
http://nancydowd.wordpress.com/2008/10/06/sneak-preview/
What prevents library use?
• Think Google is good enough for research
• Library anxiety
• Don’t think of library as place to meet
• Don’t know about services
• Library Web site isn’t user-friendly
QuickTime™ and a decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
http://libraryplayground.wordpress.com/category/information-literacy/
What can the library provide?
• Classroom visits from
“personal librarian”
• Handouts and classes on resources
• Study rooms, tables for group projects
• More ways to contact library for services: IM, chat, e-mail, Second Life …
• Retooled Web site
http://www.paston.ac.uk/content/college-facilities/
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• Social/fun space (café, chairs, video games, laptops…)
How can we get the word out?
– Table in student commons
– Classroom visits
– Events for
students– New school
year open house
– De-stressors during finals
– Contests in or about library
http://dukechronicle.com/article/library-party-canceled-amid-funding-and-planning-failures
QuickTime™ and a decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
–Cross-promotions
–Gift for getting library card
Planning ahead
• Plan events 2-3 months ahead for best results.
• Brainstorm for unusual and fun new ideas.
• Partner with businesses.• Example: “Break the ice”
event at the beginning of the year. Students party at the library with food, movies, a Rock Band contest … aw well as library card applications and library information.
QuickTime™ and a decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
QuickTime™ and a decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
http://www.college.library.wisc.edu/news/
featured/houseparty09
Publicity
• Start publicizing a few weeks before the event.
• Send out press releasesto local/school media before and after the event.
• Publicize the event where your audience will notice it.– Radio station
– Web sites
– Student newspaper
– Flyers
– Word of mouth
http://www.college.library.wisc.edu/party/ollge.library.wisc.edu/news/featured/houseparty09/
Measuring the event’s success
• Number of participants• Number of new library
card applications• Increased library usage
after event• Survey students before
and after event
QuickTime™ and a decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
http://www.college.library.wisc.edu/news/featured/houseparty09
Find help here
• Visit http://sites.google.com/site/marketingtipsforlibraries/ for help with this assignment.
Your assignment
• Break into groups by the kind of library where you might like to work (archive, special library, academic library, public library or school library).
• You will receive a marketing plan objective for your kind of library.• Decide what the target user group needs from your library.• Design an event to attract that user group to your library.
What will you do to:– Plan the event– Promote the event– Evaluate the success of the event
• Take 10 minutes now and discuss this with your group.