marketing in the public library
We have touched on marketing issues in blog postings and in comments, and the topic of "competing" with the bookstore model is clearly something on our minds. For this week, consider how your library is marketing itself to the "customers" (in any way you want to define that word). Those of you all in urban areas probably have decent bookstores nearby that may be seen as a competitor for business; those of you all in more rural areas may not have that same situation. But all of you have the challenge of attracting people to come in, to use your services, to value your services, and to support your services - especially at the ballot box.
How are you doing? Are you still using old models of reaching out to the customers? If I were to reflect on the small town libraries in the county where I did my dissertation, I would say that in their efforts to market their services they have not changed a bit in fifty years, and it shows. They are running on life support as the old (and I mean OLD) patron base starts to dwindle away and a newer one has not grown up to replace them. Or, probably more correctly stated, a newer patron base that shares most of the same characteristics with the older patron base has not appeared. Why is this? As an electrician who was working in our house told me, "(this town) is a nice place ... if you are over 50." I had to agree with him. Everything about us, including our wonderful library, seemed to be encased in amber. Lovely to look at, nice to touch, easy to ignore.
About the only time the public hears anything about their libraries in that county is when there is a short item in the local paper mentioning new books and events at the library. But it's just another routine column in the paper and one wonders who ever even notices it.
On the other hand, when I visited Memphis, Tennessee a few years back, I noticed that in each copy of the local paper (The Memphis Commercial Appeal), I saw something about the library. If it wasn't a picture with a caption, it was an interesting article with an arresting title. Even though I was conditioned to be aware of public libraries, the steady drumbeat of marketing efforts I saw in the paper led me to actively seek out the library, both the main branch and the website. What I discovered was a vibrant place with curious customers.
What a contrast with the situation in my home county back home. Our libraries were as good as they could be, considering the size of the communities and the amount of resources available, but there was not much of an effort to maximize their possibilities. For some reason, everyone seemed willing to sit back on their laurels, as if there were laurels to sit back upon.
So, think about the idea of marketing your library. Look at the reading links and ask yourself how you are doing and what you would like to do, considering the limitations you face with time and resources. Please consider sharing examples of what has worked for you all and what has not. Again, there are no answers here, but there might be some enlightenment.
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