Pictured is Sarah and Neal Fuchs and their five sons who just came out of a BPLD program.

Story by Roslyn Schmaltz on Feb 3, 2020

3 February 2020
Anonymous
Comments: 0

Sarah Fuchs has been a resident of Bartlett for 31 years. It’s where she grew up, where she met her husband, and where they raised their family. Part of the reason why she and her family love Bartlett so much also has to do with the Bartlett Public Library District.

 

“The library provides enrichment opportunities for kids aside from school,” Sarah said. “Librarians are some of the best teachers for early childhood development.”

 

Sarah and her husband Neal Fuchs, a Bartlett Police Officer, have five boys [Tayden (8), Wyatt (7), Jasten (4), Emmett (2)...

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...

My Library Is... Facebook Challenge.

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:

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ILA Reporter Article on My Library Is Campaign

14 January 2020
Mary Witt
Comments: 0

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...

iPad in curtained booth, with recording app on screen.

Idea: Patron Stories via iPad

4 December 2019
Brian Smith
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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...

Lewis University Library Research Chat

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:

    ...
Pinnacle Library Road Trip Postcard

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.

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Attracting New Customers to the Library

28 October 2019
Mary Witt
Comments: 0

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:

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