Neuroscience
The conservative librarians' approach to library promotion: if the idea won't reach lots & lots of our potential audience, we don't do it.
With the new world, 21st century, Web 2.0, Internets(sic), etc., we need to change this thinking. Instead of trying to reach lots of people, how about efforts to reach SOME people? I'm doing that in Facebook -- I've "met" a few students there, and that’s good. Didn't cost me anything, I was there already, and I made it known that I was in Facebook to be contacted if folks wanted to. Some did. Most don't.
Today my husband discovered craigslist, which made me think: What about using craigslist to promote library services?
There's a section called "Services" and another called "Events" -- what if we listed our upcoming classes in one or another of those spots? Most of our classes are free ... public library classes are presumably open to the public ... and listings on craigslist don't cost anything!
I've poked around & found some examples:
* Origami @ your library (in El Cerrito, Calif.)
* City-Wide Friends of the Boston Public Library Book Sale
* People using the library as an office: Homework Help- $15/hour-Highlands Ranch Library
* Someone promoting an art exhibit in the Vancouver area: Artwork at Poirier Library July 2007 - Oana Cretu
This wouldn't get all of our potential patrons, or even a lot of them. But I bet it would get some who otherwise wouldn't know about our fabulous free databases, our reference assistance, our audiobooks, our classes on using the Web, our chess clubs, our Dance Dance Revolution, our game nights ...
- College Students @ The Library
A recent ethnographic study assessed how college students use the library for research projects and study needs. The results are worth your time to read if you expect students to do library research: basically, students rarely ask librarians for help....
- A Bit Of Unscientific (library) Research
I'm taking a very informal, unscientific poll for the Simmons Continuing Ed. class I'm teaching next week: Is your library making "open access" journals available to your patrons? These are things like articles in the Directory of Open Access...
- Condoms @ Your Library
Yes, it’s true! This is my favorite example (so far) of libraries thinking outside the box to promote their services. The October 2007 issue of American Libraries writes about the Penn State Altoona Eiche Library’s recent participation in a recent...
- Libsite Cites
Have you seen LibSite? It's a social networking sie that showcases great library web sites. "Sites" can include content, library home pages, and blogs. I promoted the awesome Danbury Library Catalog. Check out web sites that librarians (and non-librarians,...
- Libraries Need A Good Publicist
I've been on a tear recently about the lack of library advertising & promotion. We should PROMOTE THE H*LL OUT OF LIBRARIES -- our services, our resources (full-text of the New York Times online? Baltimore Sun? Contra Costa Times? We've got it:...
Neuroscience
craigslist @ your library?
The conservative librarians' approach to library promotion: if the idea won't reach lots & lots of our potential audience, we don't do it.
With the new world, 21st century, Web 2.0, Internets(sic), etc., we need to change this thinking. Instead of trying to reach lots of people, how about efforts to reach SOME people? I'm doing that in Facebook -- I've "met" a few students there, and that’s good. Didn't cost me anything, I was there already, and I made it known that I was in Facebook to be contacted if folks wanted to. Some did. Most don't.
Today my husband discovered craigslist, which made me think: What about using craigslist to promote library services?
There's a section called "Services" and another called "Events" -- what if we listed our upcoming classes in one or another of those spots? Most of our classes are free ... public library classes are presumably open to the public ... and listings on craigslist don't cost anything!
I've poked around & found some examples:
* Origami @ your library (in El Cerrito, Calif.)
* City-Wide Friends of the Boston Public Library Book Sale
* People using the library as an office: Homework Help- $15/hour-Highlands Ranch Library
* Someone promoting an art exhibit in the Vancouver area: Artwork at Poirier Library July 2007 - Oana Cretu
This wouldn't get all of our potential patrons, or even a lot of them. But I bet it would get some who otherwise wouldn't know about our fabulous free databases, our reference assistance, our audiobooks, our classes on using the Web, our chess clubs, our Dance Dance Revolution, our game nights ...
- College Students @ The Library
A recent ethnographic study assessed how college students use the library for research projects and study needs. The results are worth your time to read if you expect students to do library research: basically, students rarely ask librarians for help....
- A Bit Of Unscientific (library) Research
I'm taking a very informal, unscientific poll for the Simmons Continuing Ed. class I'm teaching next week: Is your library making "open access" journals available to your patrons? These are things like articles in the Directory of Open Access...
- Condoms @ Your Library
Yes, it’s true! This is my favorite example (so far) of libraries thinking outside the box to promote their services. The October 2007 issue of American Libraries writes about the Penn State Altoona Eiche Library’s recent participation in a recent...
- Libsite Cites
Have you seen LibSite? It's a social networking sie that showcases great library web sites. "Sites" can include content, library home pages, and blogs. I promoted the awesome Danbury Library Catalog. Check out web sites that librarians (and non-librarians,...
- Libraries Need A Good Publicist
I've been on a tear recently about the lack of library advertising & promotion. We should PROMOTE THE H*LL OUT OF LIBRARIES -- our services, our resources (full-text of the New York Times online? Baltimore Sun? Contra Costa Times? We've got it:...