We wanted to start the year on a good foot. So we thought, why not have a little fun and do some sharing!?
Earlier in January 2020, RAILS hosted a seven-day celebration of libraries promoting themselves. We called it the My Library Is… Facebook Challenge! Each day, we posted a prompt with a different challenge. For example, we asked to hear more about the plans and tools libraries use to tell their story. Thank you to everyone who participated! Here are some things that we learned:
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Just in case you missed it, the December 2019 issue of the Illinois Library Association Reporter includes an article about the My Library Is... campaign. The article gives some practical tips on things every library can do to tell their story more effectively. For example, when is the last time someone advised you to "think small?" It might be just the advice you need to start telling your story, rather than worrying about how much time it will take or whether your story is...
How many times have you registered for a webinar and sunk into your office chair when the Outlook alert comes up and you totally forgot about it?
I’ve been there many times.
How many times have you received an email after the webinar with a link to watch later, but that never happens because you get busy and the email becomes buried in your inbox?
I’ve been there many times, too.
Is there one place to access free tutorials on my own time?
Yes, and you can access them right now on the My Library Is…website!
When I first heard about the My Library Is...
On a recent weekend, after taking Metra downtown and enjoying a nice breakfast and cup of cocoa, I stopped by the Chicago Architecture Biennial exhibition at the Chicago Cultural Center - the old main building of the Chicago Public Library. One of the exhibits there looks like a great idea libraries could use to hear from their users, and to help users tell their library stories.
The "Oral Futures Booth" is part of Black Quantum Futurism's...
When I work on a video, it generally starts with a theme or style. I want to find a template in which I can fit my ideas and message, because it will make the rest of the process easier. I’ve done something like an infomercial, something in the style of an old educational film, and the most recent was kind of a corny car commercial, influenced by a show I love (Tim and Eric Awesome Show Great Job!). The idea with this approach is drawing on something that most people know and can identify with. Who hasn’t seen a bad infomercial? I try to capture that tone that people know and...
Social media is a great way to promote your library. So how do you keep things engaging, but also relatable to your library?
Knowing your core audience, or who you want to promote certain things to, is the first step. What do you want the post to convey?
At Lewis, we use the three main social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We like to play to their strengths:
Super fun thing to do as a family. We learned a lot! And visited other libraries we wouldn't of otherwise. Thank you! ~Gabriela S.
Great Road Trip. Liked my journey a lot. Will return to all of these libraries. Good planned idea to focus on Pinnacles libraries. ~Carol P.
This was a great idea! My daughters and I really enjoyed visiting all the libraries. It was nice to see the layouts and catch a glimpse of where all our materials come from. A truly wonderful experience. ~Ann B.
Clever concept to have us see libraries we have never been...
In the survey RAILS conducted earlier this year, we asked members to rate major challenges they faced when trying to tell their library’s story. The number one challenge identified by academic, public, and special libraries, was attracting nonusers and making sure that potential customers are aware of all the library has to offer. (This challenge was rated #6 by school libraries.)
While attracting nonusers may sound like a monumental task, there are six steps almost any library can take to get started:
To better advocate for Quincy Public Library, we decided to ask patrons and library users if they would be willing to speak at City Council meetings in support of library programs.
Our goal was to have people speak about different services that were important to each of them. Admittedly, speaking in public to the City Council can be a daunting experience and some patrons with wonderful stories were reluctant to speak publicly. Nevertheless, the people who did step up were able to present compelling stories that had a positive impact on council members and the public in attendance at...
Early in 2019, the East Moline Public Library launched a capital campaign to make the case for their new building. To learn more about it, East Moline Public Library Executive Director Laura Long answered our questions on the success of the campaign so far.
Can you start by telling me a little bit about how this campaign began? ...
The My Library Is ... campaign
is a project of the Reaching Across Illinois Library System.