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My Library Is... Champions training videos

Become a My Library Is... Champion!

10 February 2020

Dan Bostrom

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You agree with the concept: libraries need more resources to help them tell the story. You like the resources: a whole website full of those resources. But now you're wondering, how can you help with the My Library Is... campaign?

Great question! You can start by becoming a My Library Is... Champion! What is a My Library Is... Champion? It's anyone that can invest the time to participate in the campaign by doing one or more of the following activities:

Adding materials to our Sharing Showcase
Capturing a library story...

The Beginner’s Guide to Writing Marketing Plans

6 February 2020

Nicole Zimmermann

Comments: 0

So you’ve been tasked with writing a marketing plan, and I’m guessing walking on hot coals sounds more enjoyable right about now. There is just something so terrifying about having to put all of the ideas and plans floating around in your head on paper that causes the words “marketing plan” to make you want to jump out of your skin. Luckily, I’m here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be this way. You are capable of writing a marketing plan, and it won’t even cost you your sanity! So sit back, relax and discover the secrets to writing a marketing plan.

Before we jump into how, let’...

How Keeping Great Documentation Led to the "Library Journal" Marketer of the Year Award

27 January 2020

Nicole Zimmermann

Comments: 0

Sometimes the boss tells you to do something and you really don’t want to. That was the situation I found myself in when our Executive Director suggested that we enter our Communications Team for the Library Journal Marketer of the Year Award based on the successful referendum campaign we accomplished, and I grudgingly agreed.

It really wasn’t on my radar and I didn’t think we had any chance of winning at all. We’re a mid-size library with two branches, about 100 staff, and have similar struggles and success stories as other local libraries. There are other library...

Takeaways from the My Library Is… Facebook Challenge

20 January 2020

Dan Bostrom

Comments: 0

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:

...

ILA Reporter Article on My Library Is Campaign

14 January 2020

Mary Witt

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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...

User Friendly Websites from My Library Is...

Boost Your Skills with Training Options from My Library Is...

9 December 2019

Dan Bostrom

Comments: 0

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...

iPad in curtained booth, with recording app on screen.

Idea: Patron Stories via iPad

4 December 2019

Brian Smith

Comments: 0

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...

Going Way Beyond Books - Dan Witvoet from Crete Public Library District

Using an Infomercial-Style Video to Promote Your Library

2 December 2019

Dan Bostrom

Comments: 0

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...

Tell Your Library’s Story With Social Media

22 November 2019

Dan Bostrom

Comments: 0

Social media is a great way to promote your library. So how do you keep things engaging, but also relatable to your library?

Know your audience

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?

Know the strengths of your platforms

At Lewis, we use the three main social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We like to play to their strengths:

Twitter - allows you to post...

Pinnacle Library Road Trip

4 November 2019

Dan Bostrom

Comments: 0

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...

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