Study Your Users With Ready-Made Studies

Steven Bell

I've been meaning to write a post about using local / state / national studies to learn more about the people in your target audiences ever since the new Ithaka Survey came out last month. I haven't done it yet -- but Steven Bell has. And he's done it even better than I could have. So I'm just going to send you over to his Library Journal column, From the Bell Tower, so you can read "Studying the Studies" for yourselves. 

The first step in successful marketing is researching the people you're trying to reach in order to understand the most effective way to reach them. Most of you don't have time to do original research, but you don't have to when there are so many useful reports out there for the taking. The Ithaka US Faculty Survey and the others that Bell discusses relate mostly to academic libraries. But there are plenty of others too. 

One of my favorites comes from the ICMA: Maximize the Potential of Your Public Library. I gushed about it in an earlier post here. I also found the ERIAL project pretty enlightening. 

And as you probably know, there are lots of great studies done by the Pew Internet & American Life Project. And the OCLC Perceptions Survey is one of the best. 

Of course, no study can help you if you don't read and use it (Steven Bell's post will help you with that part). And they should certainly be part of your marketing toolkits.

What are your go-to sources when you want to get familiar with a target market? 

Take 2 Minutes to Vote for Libraries (US)

Hey, America! Today is National Library Legislative Day, and you can advocate for libraries in 2 minutes or less.

++ Go to this CapWiz site.

++ Follow the 3 steps in red boxes.

     1. The letter is already written (but you can change it if you like).

     2. Fill in your basic name / address info (automatically finds your government reps).
     3. Optional: Upload a photo of yourself & caption it. (I added a pic of me in my newly expanded local library; that added about 3 minutes to the process.)

++ Click the red box to "Send Message." 

And you're done! 

Please do it now, and share the link with everyone you know! Today, May 8, is the official day, although ALA says you can send this email through Friday. 

Our leaders in Washington D.C. need to understand how vital libraries still are. You can make your voice heard in less than 2 minutes. What's stopping you?? Take 2 minutes now!

 

Book Review: The Library Marketing Toolkit by Ned Potter

This review is long overdue ...

Hats off to Ned Potter for writing a book to help librarians market their organizations. There are two exciting aspects of this book that brings a new perspective to the books that are already out there: case studies from around the globe and a working blog where he 'll update information.

We can never get enough books that encourage librarians to learn about the marketing process. My co-blogger Kathy Dempsey, did an amazing job of it in her book, The Accidental Library Marketer, and this book covers it beautifully as well. Both authors approach the marketing process as it applies specifically to the library field which makes a huge difference for librarians trying to figure out how to reach their audiences. Ned's down to earth tone makes it an easy read and less intimidating for those who might otherwise feel overwhelmed by it all. I love that he keeps reminding us that marketing is both valuable and fun.

So who should read this book?

I think just about everybody in the library. Administrators need to understand how the marketing aligns with the strategic planning process. Program developers will benefit by understanding the importance of creating programming that meets the needs of their audience. Web designers get some great tips and everyone will welcome learning about incorporating social media into the overall marketing plan.  Frontline workers will be able to visualize their role better and the entire community will benefit when the library incorporates partnerships into their planning. Ned also covers the integration of advocacy and marketing as well as discussing some ideas of marketing special collections. 

Real-Life Situations

The case studies add a variety of voices that help the reader envision how marketing could look for their library or specifically for their project or job. Of course the fact the he recruited the best of the best doesn't hurt either. I am sniffling a little that I'm not in it. 

Ned utilized his talent for interviewing to pull essential information from his marketing studies.  

This is a book you will want to read front to back 
and then leave on your desk for a handy reference.

Here are a few gems to whet your appetite:

Katy Sidwell, University of Leeds, has sold over 35,000 tote bags. Labeled "the Sshhh bags" they released limited edition colors and turned the library tote bag into a phenomenon.

Ned shares a graph to demonstrate what a stakeholder audit looks like. (this is really cool.)

Kathy Saeed, NYPL, shares that their communication team surveys the Twitterverse  everyday looking for trending topics,  current events and popular content.

Rebecca Jones, Dysart & Jones, takes the cloak off of the secrets to focus groups!

If you are responsible for marketing any part of the offerings of your library, include Ned’s book in your reading list. 

If you are looking for some additional reading, Ned and I are both writing articles about marketing for Library Journal.

BCLS Grand Opening

There was a big event in my local library world today: The main building of my county's library system had a Grand Opening celebration.  The Burlington County (NJ) Library System has been around since 1921, but today its staff officially unveiled its new expansion to the public. All the details are here.

My husband and I attended the celebration, and I was, of course, looking at it partially from a marketing point of view. Anytime you have a big event and invite legislators, the press, and the public, your building and your people need to be at their best. You want to have great-looking spaces, plenty of helpful staff to welcome and guide people, good refreshments, photo opps, interesting activities, and info to go. Most importantly, you want to entice visitors to come back again. I think Burlington County Library System (BCLS) did a good job on all counts.

Rather than write about every little detail, I took photos of them and made a Flickr set. You can see the giveaways, the displays, the mascot, the new Teen Zone, the spacious cafe, and more. 

The 250-seat auditorium was empty at the beginning...

... then, an hour later, the stage was set up for a game
show and lots of people was playing along. 

I'll just mention a few specific things that BCLS got right: 

• Several newspaper reporters and photographers were there.
• Having Cub Scouts there to raise the flag outside gave the event even more of a community feeling--and brought all their parents, with cameras. Now the library is part of those kids' stories.
• Everyone loves a good mascot, and BCLS's bright blue Book Buddy was all over the event.
• There were various activities this afternoon, including a trivia contest in the new auditorium, a make-and-take craft, storytime, a local historian speaking, and of course, guided tours.
• They also had a "grand opening" of the digital library, which was a room where people were equipped to show visitors how to use ebook hardware, how to download ebooks, and answer tech questions. A cool twist on tech training!

I spoke to the BCLS director for a moment, and she was quick to give lots of credit to the whole staff, who had been working toward this day together. It appeared to me that everything went smoothly, and that the guests of all ages enjoyed themselves. I believe this is the beginning of yet another successful chapter in the life of my area's main library, and I wish everyone there all the best for an exciting future.

2013 John Cotton Dana Award Winners

A scene from the last time the JCD Awards
were given out in Chicago, 2009

As many of you know, the John Cotton Dana Library Public Relations Award is considered the most prestigious in the library marketing / PR field. So it's one that The M Word always covers. The winners for 2013 have just been announced, and they are.... **drumroll please** ......

• The Craighead County Jonesboro (Arkansas) Public Library “Meme Your Library” campaign  resulted in increases in usage both physically and virtually.
• The Hood River County Library (Oregon) district closed due to lack of funding, then won a ballot measure and re-opened a year later, busier than ever.
• The Lawrence (Kansas) Public Library had local artists competitively design a week’s worth of trading cards for Banned Books Week.
• Mid-Continent (Missouri) Public Library developed a comprehensive rebranding campaign around the concept of “access” to help shift the public's perceptions of libraries.
• Richland Library (South Carolina) used customer experience workshops with 400 staff members to “change from the inside out.”
• The Robert E. Kennedy Library at Cal Poly (California) inspired its students and others to declare, “I’m with the Banned,” through virtual outreach and library programming during 2012 Banned Books Week.
• The Santa Clara City (California) Library launched the Project BEST campaign to educate the community about a new food workers law and, in doing so, positioned itself as a resource for job skills development.
• Texas Tech Universities (Texas) used several print and electronic channels to successfully reach its student population through six keywords: Action, Create, Help, Relax, Green, and Connect.

To read more about each 2013 winner, see the press release. Each of the eight winners will be awarded a $10,000 grant from the H.W. Wilson Foundation at a gala ceremony during ALA's Annual Conference in June.

Celebrate Preservation Week

The week after National Library Week (NLW, April 14 - 20), it's Preservation Week (April 21 - 27). According to the ALCTS: 

Libraries and other institutions can use Preservation Week to connect our communities through events, activities, and resources that highlight what we can do, individually and together, to preserve our personal and shared collections. Get involved! You don't need a lot of time or money, you just need to get started.

• create a display about preserving and collecting personal, family, or community heritage

• offer a preservation workshop or event

• highlight Preservation Week on your website with a logo linked to ALA’s Preservation Week resources

• Tweet about Preservation Week #preswk.

The Event Toolkit makes it easy to celebrate by giving you a free, pre-written Press Kit and elevator speech, along with logos, photos, bookmark templates, etc. It's interesting that there's even a tool to help you evaluate your event afterward. One of libraries' important duties is preserving history and heritage, so join in and remind everyone about how valuable this is! 

PSAs for NLW 2013

Here in the US, National Library Week starts this coming Sunday, April 14. Are you ready?

If you're still scrambling to do something, here are quick-and-easy solutions from ALA. There are free Public Service Announcements (PSAs) in audio, video formats, print, and digital formats. There are downloadable graphics,photos for social media posts, sample letters, and much more. 

There's no excuse not to commemorate our big week and to show that Communities Matter @ your library, especially when these ready-made tools make it so easy.

Is it a library or a music studio? Both!

There are always two parts to every service libraries offer. One is the service and the other is how you communicate that service. 

Roy Conley from Skokie Public Library just aced both!

They are offering Beyerdynamic Custom One Pro headphones for people to use in their digital media lab. Read the description-  it speaks to the audience they trying to reach and lets the reader know the library knows its stuff too. Something for everyone to remember, no matter the audience. 

Here's the copy I was so excited about:

"When you are producing music or mixing down a track, having both opened back and closed headphones can be beneficial for an A-B mix down. Your music could sound amazing in closed back headphones because that’s what you were using to create that perfect mix. But what if the record exec you handed your demo to has opened back headphones? All the bass heavy sounds will lose that punchiness that you’ve added. In most studios you will see more than one pair of speakers for that reason. You have to find that compromise between the two.

 In the Digital Media Lab at the Skokie Public Library, you can now have the best of both worlds! No longer do you have to listen to your newly production musical masterpieces at low volume in the DML.  We’ve stepped into the circumaural headphone arena!

Now available for use in the DML…. Beyerdynamics Custom One Pro headphones. These headphones are a great addition to the DML. As you know, the iMac computers have pretty good sound coming out of them. However, after you’ve listened to your music through the Custom One Pro headphones, you will hear sounds you’ve never heard before. And that’s not because these headphones are magical. It’s because some speakers just can’t reproduce the full spectrum of sound. That’s ok though, as I’m sure that wasn’t Apple’s intent when they designed the iMac."

Have you seen some exciting copy lately promoting library services or programs? We'd love to see it!

Reminder: 'Best of Show' Contest Deadline Is April 1

Don't forget, it's time to send in your entries to the ALA / LLAMA Best of Show contest for great PR. The deadline is Monday, April 1. 

The Best of Show awards ceremony at ALA Anaheim, 2012 

See the details at our earlier post. 

You could be getting YOUR Best of Show award at ALA in Chicago this June.   

Is Your Library Lending American Girl Dolls Yet?

Four new ambassadors are arriving at Arlington Public Library

I saw Arlington Public Library's New Program -
it's simply brilliant!

Libraries are always struggling with creative ways to celebrate Women's History Month. Well this program cries "winner" on so many levels that I can't even begin to count them.

Arlington Public Library is introducing four new ambassadors to the worlds of literature, history and imagination…The American Girl Dolls. Is this perfect for a Women’s Month celebration or what?
 
They have put together a comprehensive launch - hosting the author Valerie Tripp and parties at different branches introducing the new ambassadors. They are allowing children to borrow the dolls and books - the lending period is one week. They have four dolls- a good beginning that I am sure they will end up expanding. Here’s how they explain it on their website.

“Along with each girl’s first book, the doll kits also feature an exclusive guide created by the Library’s Virginia Room depicting life in Arlington during each doll’s era. And to tell future history, there’s a special journal to record and preserve each doll’s homebound adventures with new friends. The Virginia Room is also creating a historic display for the dolls at Central Library.”

I love, love, love this idea. Is anyone else lending the dolls?

Imagine all the connections in the community- history, political, local businesses, families, aspiring writers, the list goes on and on. They have positioned this perfectly. 

Of course the best news is that children who may never had the chance to sit and read stories to an American Girl doll will have the opportunity.

I guarantee there will be a lot of happy children in Arlington thanks to the library.

Infographic of US Library Tech Statistics

This is a nice infographic you can use to show people, in a friendly, visual way, what libraries are really doing these days.

I'm not sure why the creators at OpenSite named it "The Future of Libraries" because the stats are all current, and there are no projections about the future. Although, if everyone in the world saw this information and realized how up-to-date and tech-savvy libraries really are, it certainly would help to ensure the future...

If you know of similar infographics full of data from other countries, please share links in the comments below. We'd love to see more! 

Please include attribution to Open-Site.org with this graphic.

If you want to know more about infographics, why they work, and how to make your own, read this really practical post over at Beth's Blog: How Nonprofits Can Use Social Media. 

Database vs. Internet Poster from Gale

Every once in a while I run across something that makes me say, "Where has this been all my life?!?" Here's one of those things.

I found it on the Gale Cengage Learning website under its Free Resources section. 

Every librarian can use this! Point to it when clueless searchers use the open web instead of your databases. Send it to officials who ask why libraries still matter when everyone has the internet.

It's free to download, so go get it! (It's a high-quality PDF, suitable for printing. You can also customize in the bottom left circle.) Put it on your public-access computer screens, your websites, and your social media posts. Print posters to hang too -- and put plenty of them outside the library!