marketing

Once upon a time, there was a library nestled amid farm fields in Central Illinois.  Now, this library was not big, but its patrons loved the library, and the library loved all the people that came to visit.  The kind people who ran the library wanted to do everything they could to provide materials and services to their patrons that could not be found elsewhere.

Well not necessarily…That’s the lesson we learned at Palatine Library. We went through a full renovation on both floors of our Main Library during Covid shutdowns – the only silver lining to that challenging time. Like many libraries, door counts and program attendance went down drastically, but when we began seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, we wanted to see that reflected in our attendance.

So, our staff began to ask an important question: how do we get people back in the building?

Libraries are magical places. In fact, the Vespasian Warner Public Library District in Clinton, Illinois is truly enchanted. In 2018, former maintenance supervisor, David Ward, noticed that a fairy door had appeared on the children’s floor. Two more doors were discovered shortly after on the library’s main floor and in the periodicals room.

The My Library Is… campaign is all about helping libraries do marketing and advocacy in new ways. And libraries aren't shy about discovering these new ways! Libraries are curious, creative places. Even though they might not have huge budgets to hire expensive graphic designers, videographers, etc., they constantly find a way to promote themselves and the programs and services they offer.

“Learning is a treasure that follows its owner everywhere.” — Chinese Proverb

Libraries around the country have been in the news for distributing at-home COVID-19 tests, but we haven’t heard of too many libraries actually offering COVID-19 testing, until now! Some RAILS libraries have started offering this service, including Three Rivers Public Library District. The director, Lauren Offerman, came up with the idea after she was having difficulty finding a place to get tested. The library partnered with a local testing lab and, at their first event, was able to test over 100 people in less than 48 hours.

Do you need help demonstrating the value of your library to different stakeholders? Want to know what to say to justify the need for continued/increased library funding or staffing? Would you like to attract new library users? Want advice on how to promote the library’s role in identifying fake news or why libraries are needed more than ever in the internet age?
 

I have a love/hate relationship with August.  I hate August because it sometimes feels useless.  August is long and hot and dreary.  Summer reading is wrapping up or is over already, but it is too soon to start thinking about next year.  Patrons seem to be far too preoccupied with tying up their own summers and getting ready for back-to-school to participate in programming.  Most autumn activities and programming don’t kick into high gear until after Labor Day.  And, there are no universally recognized holidays in August to offer staff a mental break from their