Transcript grimensteinandrews

Marketing Analysis and
Advertising
Allison Andrews
Kathy Grimenstein
April 25, 2006
Focus of Presentation

Marketing overview
 American Case Study
 Community/Culture Profile
 Recommendations for other librarians
 Lessons learned
Goals of Project

Determine successful uses of marketing
tools.
 Share those tools with librarians around the
globe.
 Incorporate multi-cultural aspects of results
in library services.
Storyboard Example
Stress to students the importance of specific, measurable
marketing tools, as in the following examples:
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Newsletters
Surveys
Local media coverage
Community
involvement
Feedback from other
librarians and patrons
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Cultural Activities
– Multi-cultural author book
talks
– Spanish story time
– Book clubs for teens or
‘tweens'

Digitization or automation
– Computer classes
– Electronic resources or
database subscriptions
– Library OPAC
Examples of Library Marketing

http://berkeleypubliclibrary.org/teen/booklist.html
– Teen page with links to suggested books from varied genres and
subjects; not updated recently, some links not since the late 1990’s;
boring-no graphics.

http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6299836.html
– Gives examples of public libraries that received the support of the
community through outreach and effective marketing techniques to
build new libraries or to purchase expensive scholarly periodicals.
– Used the example of a few Latino patrons who were loyal to the
library because of Hispanic story time activities and who caused
many more Latinos to support the efforts of the library.
Other examples

http://mei.net/~elsner/marketing.html#barriers
– The Public Library Helper by Edward J. Elsner, an online tutorial.
–
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Public Library Director and Library Consultant in Michigan who
specializes in small and rural libraries, marketing and collection
development.
http://dsej.arl.org/spec/evalinst/survey.html
– An example of an online survey on evaluating library instruction
programs, with specific questions for patrons to answer.
American Case Study
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Fairview Public Library,
Branch of the Williamson
County System in middle
Tennessee:
Friendly staff
Media connections
New materials near front
door
Outreach to community
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Reader’s Advisory binder
Effective reference
interviews
Programs
– Preschool story time
– Focus Day activities
– Free guitar lessons
– Income Tax help
– Monthly Book Club
– Professional entertainers
Community / Culture Profile

Data collection tools (surveys /
questionnaires) help libraries to better
understand community needs or makeup.
 Marketing and advertising are essential for
libraries to reach their community of users.
 Funding, technology, and demographic
changes exist in local communities.
Survey Questions: Small
Libraries
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What kind of marketing plan or advertising
methods does your small library currently
use?
 Do you use flyers, press releases, local
media, or radio announcements to reach the
community?
Survey Questions: CultureSpecific Materials

What type of new marketing campaign
would attract a wider diversity of users?

What groups within your community does
the public library target in its advertising?
Survey Questions: Digitization

How many public access computers are
available in your public library?
 Do you have a library website?
 Does your library offer and advertise
computer or technology classes?
Recommendations

Get to know community leaders and
members of local organizations.
 Meet the needs of a diverse community in
creative ways.
 Be prepared to convince the governing body
of the library’s importance to the
community.
 Deliver high quality services.
More Recommendations

Have a marketing plan, idea, or a set of
goals to achieve.
 Outline ways to achieve the marketing
objectives.
 Make sure to involve the community and
library staff.
Lessons Learned
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Even when a goal is not reached, an
effective project is possible.
 A small public library must approach
marketing from many angles.
 All segments of the population can be
reached with the correct techniques.
Lessons Learned…cont.

Evaluate marketing and advertising efforts.
 Identify areas that require improvements.
 Determine the success of new programs or
marketing techniques.
– Increases in services, usage, funding, or new
patrons?

Measure community response.
Questions ?
Any questions or comments?
Thanks for listening !