A friend asked me the other day
if I could change one aspect of our library service what would it be and after
a bit of thinking I answered publicity and marketing... yes I know this covers
quite a broad area but in my opinion publicity is not something we are
brilliant at as a profession. Don’t get me wrong advocacy for the profession
has taken the spotlight in the last two years, you only need to look at Twitter
and websites such as Public Library News or Voices For the Library to see the different
campaigns against budget cuts in the public sector. But we are an ever evolving
profession; we have to be dynamic to stay relevant whilst still delivering
essential core services. Before you start worrying this is not another tirade
on CILIP re-branding although I do side with the majority in the necessity that
a professional body that represents information and library professionals
should have both information and library in their title. This is a look at what
we already do and how we can evolve our marketing strategies – both the simple
solutions and the more dynamic.
As a profession I think we are
very good at preaching to the converted; very good at publicising the library
within library walls but how do you reach the thousands of people who walk past
the door without ever venturing inside?
Social media has filled that gap
in the last decade for some with Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, blogging and
Pinterest to name a few. Wiltshire Libraries has an online presence both on the
council website and with the use of Twitter to advertise different services
such as Health Matters (nurses in libraries), online resources, reservations,
new titles, library events etc. But we
have to also be aware that we live in a country where 14% of the population have yet to use the internet.
There is still a digital divide in Britain
and rural counties have ongoing issues with internet access and broadband
strength. We have to realise that we can’t rely just on online marketing, we
have to have a presence in the communities that we serve.
Simple solutions can be found, for
instance most libraries in Wiltshire have notice boards on their exteriors and
in the towns they are based in, but not every library has a colour printer. At
the moment things can be printed at HQ and sent out but this means a delay of
days. We also use local newspapers to promote events but we never advertise the
core services we offer in print. Simple solutions such as leaflet drops have
become a thing of the past with budgets being cut but are a simple and
effective way of getting our message out there to those who feel the library
has nothing for them.
You would not believe the amount
of people who don’t know that it’s free to join the library or use our people’s
network computers. We need to get out into the community and let people know
this but with staff reductions across the service time is limited for community
outreach. We don’t have the time to cultivate relationships, to approach groups
that would benefit from using the library and putting to bed all the myths and
stereotypes. Partnerships are such a key publicising tool but it falls to the
bottom of to-do lists.
Another simple solution: In my
limited research most libraries that have a Twitter account also have an online
presence in the form of a blog – these online tools work hand in hand to target
potential users and share information about new developments and events. We
could also promote services and future events to users through an online
newsletter as we ask for email addresses as part of our registration process. Wiltshire
is quite a cautious service and I understand the need for this; you don’t want
to sign up for everything digital, you need to be selective but by the time
online tools have been researched and justified there the fashion for them has
often passed and they are no longer current.
So I think the point I’m trying
to make is that we need to invest in publicity, we need to get out to our
communities and make ourselves heard as the threat to our profession have
become very real very fast and if we do not advertise our worth and breadth of
services we are in danger of losing budgets further and in extreme cases
closing libraries. We have to learn to do more with less, to economize and use
the resources at our disposal to reach as many people as possible.
