March 2009
By Katie Fearer: Consistently use your image and message in publicity
Herbert B. Landau, in The Small Public Library Survival Guide, recommends consistently including in your publicity the image and message your library wants to convey to its users. In establishing your “brand,” ask these questions: “What image does the library want to create in the minds of its intended audiences? How do you want the public to perceive your library as an institution?”
Some examples of messages I found on library websites:
· Jacksonville Public Library’s website: “Start Here. Go Anywhere.”
· San Diego Public Library’s website: “Your Link to the Past and Gateway to the Future.”
· State Library of Louisiana: “The State Library of Louisiana is one of your greatest sources for research, cultural, and governmental information, with special emphasis on resources unique to Louisiana.”
Some of Landau’s examples:
· The community’s lifelong learning center.
· The university of the people.
· A business information headquarters.
Source: Landau, Herbert B. The Small Public Library Survival Guide: Thriving on Less. Chicago: American Library Association, 2008.
February 2009
Creating an annual report for your board or the community? There’s no rule that it has to be boring. Make it into a fun and informative brochure! Focus on what people will want to know and what will make them care about your library. Don’t get overly bogged down in statistics. Try to incorporate color and white space, to make your report attractive and easy to read.
For more ideas on creating annual reports, check out the following websites:
September 2008
Two ways to get your patrons to visit your web pages more often:
(1) Include a “bookmark this page” link on your library’s most important pages (you can find free code on the web).
(2) Link to the “Watch That Page” service - http://www.watchthatpage.com
a) Download a graphic with a link to Watch that Page from here: http://www.watchthatpage.com/webMasterInfo.jsp
b) Add the graphic and link to a web page.
c) Any patron following the link can register to be notified, by email, of changes on the page.
d) Use it to keep patrons aware of new programs, events, classes at the library, or electronic resources.
e) Example of a web page using Watch that Page: State Library’s web page announcing new learning opportunities at http://library.state.ak.us/is/info_services_training.html (see image on reverse side of this page).
f) Watch that Page is not without problems. Some ISP’s block Watch that Page emails. ACS seems to accept them.
August 2008:
Check out the Delta Community Library home page, at http://192.234.143.155/common/welcome.jsp?site=100. On it, they explain their internet services, among other things. It’s simple and straightforward. There are a few things I especially like about it:
- Their catchphrase “the Library is a 24/7 WIFI Hotspot - Laptops and Lattes welcome” is snappy and friendly.
- Their description of wired internet access is put positively, “Wired Internet use is up to 30 minutes, once per day” instead of “Wired Internet use is limited to…”
- They follow this up by asking for money, but in a straightforward way that doesn’t sound like begging, “your donations keep us connected.” This gives the credit and responsiblity to the users.
- They know their audience, and put what’s important to them front and center, following up with other fun library services, such as a Knitting Circle, Book Club, Story Hour, and more.
July 2008:
From 6 Ways to Recycle Free Publicity, by Joan Stewart, the Publicity Hound
If you get on the radio or tv or in the newspaper, you can leverage this by including it in your signature file (the State Library has special signature files publicizing various things with our general email account). The Publicity Hound recommends including the phrase, “’as featured in...’” and a link, if it’s online. She has more publicity tips at her web page.
June 2008: What I'm Reading name tag. See the template at: 
MyCurrentLibraryBookb.doc
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