Having access to national studies helps academic librarians stay informed about their community members. Finding the time to read and analyze them—and make sense of possibly conflicting information—is a new “keeping up” challenge. Four studies in particular are most worthy of our ongoing analysis and reflection.
Diversity Never Happens: The Story of Minority Hiring Doesn’t Seem To Change Much | Editorial
By on February 20, 2013 18 Comments
African Americans and Hispanics are some of the strongest supporters of libraries, and yet they continue to be thinly represented among the ranks of librarians. It’s a familiar story and always a bad trade-off that hurts the profession and, more important, hurts our society.
Patrons Frustrated With Publisher Policies, Even as Ebook Use Grows Rapidly | Patron Profiles Fall 2012
By on October 19, 2012
Readers are continuing to experiment with ebooks, and the pace at which they are adopting the format is increasing, according to the forthcoming edition of LJ’s Fall 2012 Patron Profiles survey. The Patron Profiles Fall 2012 report contains detailed data on ebook user demographics, device preference, preferred reading formats, library visitation trends and shifts in onsite use, patron book and ebook acquisition trends, opinions on the possibility of libraries selling ebooks, a section on self-publishing trends, and more.
Patron Preferences Shift Toward Streaming
By on August 2, 2012
Library DVD borrowing has fallen sharply during the past year, and library users are rapidly migrating toward streaming services for both music and movies, according to the July 2012 edition of LJ’s Patron Profiles, which examines trends in Media Consumption and Library Use. DVDs are the top format for films loaned by libraries, and 27 percent of respondents said that libraries remain their primary source for movies—down from 36 percent in the first Patron Profiles survey, conducted less than a year ago. “A strong indicator of the changing media landscape is the rise of streaming and disc-by-mail services—both currently dominated by Netflix,” the report states.
Libraries Should Be What Users Want—With a Little Help from Librarians | Editorial
By on May 29, 2012 1 Comment
That Sound You Hear? It’s The Library World Changing
By on March 17, 2012
At my first ALA conference, I attended a “marketing” session that swooned over shoelaces as a great word of mouth marketing technique. At this PLA the marketing tracks focused on measurement, datamining, focusing our story on a few key messages and redefining how we go to market. Hallelujah!
Free Patron Profile Webinar on Feb. 15
By on February 6, 2012
Patron Profiles is a new quarterly publication from Library Journal, based on in-depth, trended research among a national sample of 2000+ public library consumers. It has so much to offer libraries! If you haven’t yet subcribed to Patron Profiles and want to understand how it can help you….especially from a marketing perspective…join me for a [...]
Meet the Power Patron: Insights from Patron Profiles
By on January 23, 2012
Wednesday, February 15, 2012, 1:00 PM ET
Hear from a team of experts and learn how you can use Library Journal’s new Patron Profiles research and other unique tools to shape your library’s future! This event is moderated by School Library Journal’s Editor-in-Chief, Rebecca Miller.
This event is available for on-demand viewing at your convenience!
Proof Positive: Libraries Drive Consumer Buying | Editorial
By on November 15, 2011
Identifying and Cultivating the ‘Power Patron’
By on October 17, 2011
Library Journal released the first volume of a four-part ongoing publication called Patron Profiles last week. The first installment is a 33-page report called Library Patrons and Ebook Usage. The report is unusual in that it doesn’t focus so much on perception of libraries or the information-seeking behavior of patrons, but rather on who uses [...]
