Comments on: Is Marketing Really So Easy Even Librarians Can Do It?

By: Duder

Duder — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 11:49:00 +0000

Librarians not only can use marketing concepts in their work, they should. AL suggesting that we can’t because it’s part of an MBA program is ridiculous. I guess no one can recommend a book to another person without a library degree and I can’t teach someone to read without a masters degree in education. That’s silly. Nobody’s saying that marketing is easy, but it isn’t that hard. AL is revealing some ignorance of marketing in her discussion of profit. Yes – libraries, other public agencies, and nonprofits aren’t businesses – that’s why social marketing was developed 40 years ago in a successful attempt to apply marketing principles to organizations like libraries. Instead of offering platitudes like “start trying to run libraries well” the AL should read up on applying social marketing concepts to her work. I recommend the book “Social Marketing: influencing behaviors for good” as a place to start.

By: vv.richard6

vv.richard6 — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 05:13:15 +0000

sangambayard-c-m.com

By: Techie

Techie — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 15:11:52 +0000

Cafes generate money. WIth money you can buy things and pick and choose what you want and need, like better, more qualified staff. Without money you get less. A No Brainer.

This is 2010, not 1980, in terms of technology and the new century hybrid of cafe-culture learning centers, YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!.

By: Picard

Picard — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 12:27:18 +0000

The 1980′s were the old timey dark ages?

Why does saying yes to cafes mean you have good service?

By: I Like Books

I Like Books — Sun, 21 Mar 2010 03:28:06 +0000

My local libraries always seem pretty full when I get there– it can be hard to find a place to park, and inside it can be hard to find a place to sit. Their funding still gets cut, but they sure don’t have to beg people to come in through the door.

I suppose that just means that the people whose continuing education has the greatest impact on the local communities are out fishing.

By: Learn to Read, not at a library

Learn to Read, not at a library — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 17:03:54 +0000

The Poster said, new services such as cafes etc, a different model of a library, not adding prices to the already free services such as books and internet.

The revenue being generated could help create better, “free programs” and options as well as nicer libraries for everyone to use, which in turn would pump more money into the libraries, which is exactly what they are lacking, I know I became redundant and other new grads cannot even get a call for an interview.

The model sounds good to me. I have seen it in Europe at some really neat, beautiful libraries, even some with bars in them.

It is that old timey dark ages mentality with total lack of business sense that is killing libraries today. Non-profits are still business that need money to survive. So keep it up and Yeah to bad service, no cafes, homeless attacks,and harassment, great combo. HA HA indeed.

By: merricat

merricat — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 12:58:33 +0000

Can you imagine the public paying for library services by means of their taxes and then being asked to pay more to use the library?

Ha Ha Ha! Right.

By: Just a Thought

Just a Thought — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 12:08:35 +0000

What if libraries finally got smart and changed the game. People want to be at Barnes and Noble with a Starbucks.

They do not want to be in a smelly craphole filled with lingering homeless.

So instead of begging for homeless and giving away useless crap to people to get them in, sell real services to pump money into making libraries good places to be. What is wrong with selling things and charging real fees, less than you would pay at a bookstore, but enough to generate some cash for libraries (to er, um hire (which means firing the current incompetents who had fugged up american libraries) qualified employees, create new services and grow, yes, grow, become nice places to be.

You can even have really nice free, educational programs all generated by the , what, the huh, the money!!!!!!!!!

It is still not for profit, but you can charge for certain things like food and drinks, rental or late fees. But you have to get people to want to be there…….. …………….

By: Default Blog Commenter ++

Default Blog Commenter ++ — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 07:29:10 +0000

Odd, there have been few comments here lately. It must be the socialism in America that’s to blame.

Come to think of it, my Starbucks coffee was a little cold this morning. This is a sure sign of a creeping socialism taking root in America.

By: anon

anon — Fri, 19 Mar 2010 13:35:34 +0000

I thought that they were “spill-checkers” in Texas.