Marketing the Library: A Few Things To Bear In Mind

If you are not marketing, you are not communicating. If you are not communicating, the community knows nothing about your library. Interesting thought to ponder for library administrators today. Library directors are not thought of as marketing scholars but then again I don't believe any director, or assistant director ever thought they would have to be the Human Resources chief either. It's all in the vain of going with the what you have versus complaining about what you don't have. Which leads to marketing. Without ever having to take a course in business most librarians can do what comes natural Think about the costumer. Pin point what they like or want. Then always and it is imperative to remember this point. Post it on the office door or on the desk. It is simply this: always communicate the positive. Whether your library is big, as in a major city's library or small as in rural libraries, all marketing concerns and hurdles are the same. Finding cost effective means to get the message out. Thanks to the digital era, marketing programs and news about the library can be as simple as tweeting about new bestsellers that have arrived to the registration date of Summer reading programs. However, printed library newsletters that are mailed to every resident can still add value when considering that there are still those without an electronic footprint. Or as one patron once said in a library surgery, "getting something in the mail has a personal touch. Its a sign that someone took the extra effort to reach out to the recipient." Communicating to someone is very personal. One can argue that the old fashioned mail to every address is expensive. This is not that case anymore. The United States Postal Service has made it very affordable to mail business promotions to every address for a rate that is almost too good to be true. (check out Every Door Direct Mail at www.usps.com) As with any business, a library strives or dives by the image it has in the community If the image is negative, then the flow of patrons dwindles down. Which cab lead to losses in state aid. To keep the revenue flowing, all libraries become positive brand promoters. When enticing the taxpayers to visit the library often and offering positive value to the community, the library director has made the community a partner in the library's future. This is not an easy task to do because it is a very delicate balance to achieve. For example, situations can arise where libraries will remains "loyal" to a small portions of the community because this is the group that has always supported the library. This is costly to the library in the sense that they have risked the future of the library. It's good to reward the loyal diehards who always walk into the library. However, if the diehards are demanding that nothing changes, then communicating to entire community is a worthless task and the image of the library as being able to serve only a select few is ingrained in the community. The image of the public library should be that it is there to serve the community. All can agree that the best image of the library is that it is equipped to take on the challenges of the future and use public monies well. The difficulty of small libraries is that with limited funds sometimes it is hard to keep up with the changes. Larger libraries can project that image better. Even if that is the case, a positive image can make the challenges seem invisible. If a library director can create marketing and communications plans that focuses personal and positive messages. It is also important to remember to be persistent. This is another way of saying be polite when nagging. Consider the local dentists who sends out reminders every six months that it's time for a teeth cleaning. The persistence in getting the patient in doesn't stop there. It is often followed up with a friendly phone call to remind the patient of the need to get their teeth cleaned and how convenient is it that the receptionist can schedule that appointment right now? Libraries don't need to schedule appointments but they do need to get their patrons in the door. An email blast may not be enough to get patrons' attention. It may have to be a combination of methods to motivate them to come to the library. Whatever combination works, it is the libraries' best interest to do use it again and again. Marketing and communications is not a one size fits all deal. Every library will find a way to reach out in their own way. The key to being successful at this is to always being communicating with your community. Any opportunity to communicate to the public about what the library does and what it can do should not be wasted or overlook. Finally, don't be afraid to fail. Sometimes, failure is the best teacher.

Education and Politics: Keeping Communications Open

The political season is over for a while. The President has gained another four years to add to his resume and to continue with his policies. It is always a "mixed" feelings for librarians around this time of year. The support of one candidate over another is usually toned down in front of patron due to the fact that librarians are to be neutral and not offend their fellow citizens who support the library with tax dollars. However, this is not always easy to do. Librarians and library advocates must become politically involved now more than ever. If for no other reason to protect their libraries from budget cuts that seem to lurk about when the economy is bad and even in some cases when they are good. It's a harsh reality that libraries live and die by the "support" they receive from the community. The very first place to go for that support is city officials state representatives and anyone in government positions who can aid the library when times are lean. Many politicians, if not all will claim that education and libraries are very important to the community when campaigning. However once they are in office, excuses are made at every turn why there is a lack of support and interest in the libraries. Perhaps its because politicians lump libraries in with the schools and education. (That is the case in Michigan, where they are an agency of the Department of Education) This is well and good in some ways but it fails to see the unique roll public libraries have in communities. The challenge for library advocates is to be "heard and seen" by elected officials throughout the year. Even when it's not time to go "vote." There are state library associations that are very good at connecting legislators with the profession. Typically there is a library "legislative" day when the two sides come together to talk about the issues and concerns of libraries. This is a wonderful event and idea. This is where the conversations start but it should be by no means where it ends. Library advocates should not miss the chance to invite local officials to the library to see first hand the great programs and services libraries provide to their constituents. This is where the conversation not only continues but turns into a lesson of what makes a library important to the community. Why libraries are the life-lines for so many users? Why legislators should look to libraries as the place to keep the community thriving. Officials just like the citizens need to be educated on what the library does and how they serve the public. This is not a one time lesson to be learned. it actually a lesson that needs to be repeated and expended over the years. If libraries are fortunate there will be those who not only remember the lessons but will pass on what they have learned to family and friends. This helps the library community tremendously. If the legislators to share what they know it's akin to striking gold in the library world. Taking baby steps is the best way to begin. Start the conversation, invite officials to the library and last never let them forget that the library exists. Give updates on what is happening at the library, show statistics on the great programs, let them know how businesses have been served and are supporting the library. Politicians, no matter the party love to hear good news from their area. Thy also want to share the news and in some cases take credit for it too. That's okay let them. If they feel that this will make them look good then it looks good for the library too. It would be a wonderful day when a Presidential candidate adds to his platforms that all libraries are protected by the U.S. Constitution and they will never close. There is no need to hold one's breath for that. It won't happen. Nor should it in many respects. However it couldn't hurt to have a law enforced that all communities, large or small, should have a library. Could it? Something to continue to strive for in the future.....

Librarians As Truth Detectors

It's interesting to notice the changes that have come about because of the Internet. In it's infancy, finding information was difficult and pinning down authority was a task in itself. Librarians working with students, patrons and peers, would instruct over and over again to discern if the information was accurate, authoritative, and accountable. These days the internet more pages, more pictures, more of everything that it has lead to information overload. This is how librarians can fill the role as truth detectors. To take it a step further, libraries can be the voice in the internet wilderness using social media as its megaphone.

Statistics about Facebook and its users can be a real eye opener. For example, comScore reported that in 2010 1 out of every 8 minutes online was spent on Facebook. With this in mind, it would be logical to conclude that patrons are spending more time online. Articles have begun to surface asking the question, "Do you know your Facebook friends?" Some statistics indicate that for most users they do not personally know 20% of their Facebook friends. Perhaps its not who has the most toys that wins but the one with the most friends. One thing for certain, Facebook and other social networks like it, is the platform to reach out and connect with people. The opportunity awaits for libraries to bring information and people together. Many libraries have already made their own path through social networks. Their examples should be the blueprints for everyone to follow.

In this fast paced world, it is often assumed that everyone knows how to use the Internet. That assumption is based on the fact that computers have become imbedded in our society as a tool we can not live without. Libraries can not afford to make that assumption about their patrons. Which is precisely why social media is very important to use as a communication tool to reach out to the community. New technologies are always a hard sell to users in the beginning. The thought of learning something new can be intimidating, especially when there does not appear to be a "need" for it in everyday routine. When Twitter first began, there were skeptics who did not think this social network would fly. Gradually, users began to see the value of putting out an instant message as a way of marketing skills, products or opinions. Libraries found this network as a exciting way to blast out the word about library programs. Patrons who were not familiar with Twitter, would begin to ask questions about the network. What is Twitter? Why would I want to sign up for it? What types of information can be found there? With the librarians guiding them, patrons are becoming familiar and comfortable with tweeting, posting, and poking.

Bringing together people and information is what libraries do best. The library of the early 1900's did not have to deal with complex ways of finding information. The amount of information available to the community was limited to what the library's collection held. Added to that, verifying the sources of information was much less complicated. Now with new technologies it is the libraries responsibility to make sure that no citizens are left behind in the digital divide. Social media can be effective in finding out what patrons need and want of their libraries. It can also be the avenue to finding out how savvy patrons are on the computer. For example, are patrons finding the information they need quickly or are they spending too much time "googling" information that should have only taken a few minutes to find. If it's the later, librarians can take the step to get tips on internet searching instantly on Twitter or Facebook. When patrons see the tips posted, one of two things will happen. First they will be satisfied with the tips and begin using them immediately. Secondly, it may spur the conversation to go further when patrons post message asking for additional help. Its a win win for everyone involved.

At the same time as making information easily available to everyone, the Internet has made it more confusing to pick out the "correct" information. Being a truth detector is an important task in helping patrons become effective on the Internet. It also paves the way for an informed and educated society. It can only be hoped that with critical thinking skills, patrons will not only click on the "right" information. It will also eliminate all the misinformation out in cyber land because people would avoid visiting such sites.