This is the first in a series of articles in which Nancy Dowd will examine the results of an exclusive survey of library professionals from more than 400 public libraries across the U.S. on public library marketing. The survey was conducted jointly with the NoveList division of EBSCO Publishing.
Breaking New Ground in Higher Ed Marketing | From the Bell Tower
By on December 19, 2012 Leave a Comment
Marketing with Video: It’s Now Essential, and Easier Than You Might Think
By on December 17, 2012 4 Comments
Are you video-marketing your library yet? If you are, you probably already know how effective it can be; if you aren’t, by the end of this column I hope to have convinced you that it’s not just essential but infinitely achievable.
Yes, Virginia, That Is the Library: Macy’s Features NYPL Among Holiday Windows
By on December 7, 2012 1 Comment
In New York City, Macy’s holiday window displays and the admiring crowds they draw are a staple of the Christmas season. But for the last couple of years, the windows of the chain’s flagship have celebrated something besides Christmas that’s more unexpected: the New York Public Library (NYPL).
Posting A Parody Video? Read This First.
By on November 29, 2012 Leave a Comment
Lansdowne Public Library’s “Read It” video, based on Michael Jackson’s “Beat It”, was originally yanked from YouTube for a copyright violation. But the story may have a happy ending: the library director told LJ that “The Lansdowne Public Library ‘Read It!’ parody is back up on YouTube and I believe that it will stay there.”
Auraria Skateboard Marketing Program Wins Gale Contest
By on November 27, 2012 1 Comment
Auraria Library in Denver won the Out-of-the-Box Marketing Contest, launched by Gale, part of Cengage Learning, at the inaugural R-Squared Risk and Reward Conference this September.
Academic Librarians Get Graphic
By on November 20, 2012 12 Comments
Kansas State University Salina and Kansas Wesleyan University partnered to create a graphic novel that explains how to conduct effective library research. Heidi Blackburn, undergraduate services librarian at Kansas State Salina, and Kate Wise, associate librarian at Kansas Wesleyan, worked with Kansas State Salina student Greg Charland to create storyboards. Blackburn and Wise wrote the instructional portion, and Charland co-wrote and illustrated the result: Legends of the Library Ninjas: A Quest for Knowledge.
Advocacy Comes in All Shapes and Sizes | Advocate’s Corner
By on November 15, 2012 Leave a Comment
We hear the word advocacy used a lot these days. And I have heard definitions of advocacy that are all over the board. Some people define advocacy as speaking up about the importance of a topic (such as libraries) to their friends, neighbors, and even strangers they may encounter. Others talk about advocacy as being a targeted public awareness effort. For purposes of this column, I will be referring to advocacy as a political process in which we speak to our elected officials about the importance of an issue and request specific action on their behalf such as increasing funding for the issue.
Tattooed Librarian Calendar to Raise Funds for Massachusetts Library Association
By on November 9, 2012 4 Comments
In an effort to benefit the Massachusetts Library Association (MLA) while showcasing the diverse men and women who promote library services to the state’s teens and children, the Youth Services Section of the MLA will soon begin selling the “Tattooed Youth Librarian Calendar.” To produce the calendar, sixteen models from libraries throughout the state participated in a September 16 photo shoot, produced by a local photographer on a volunteer basis.
Library Card Design Contest Winners Announced by San Francisco PL
By on November 8, 2012 Leave a Comment
The San Francisco Public Library has announced the winners of its Library Card Design Contest organized by ImproveSF, a citywide program designed to help the local government to work directly with its citizens on different projects. Five winning designs—one from each of five age/grade categories—were ultimately selected from a field of 3,500 entries submitted in September and October. A panel of judges initially winnowed the field to 10 finalists in each age group; the public then selected the winners by voting at ImproveSF.com.
