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Demonstrating Impact 2004, Day Three: Communicate!
2:25 PM EST 1/6/06
When our Statewide Virtual Reference Project conducted focus groups in early 2002, four very different groups--re-entry workers, folks age 50+, Hispanics, and teens--all said the same thing: you need to market, because we have no idea what services you offer. You can build it, but if they don't know about it, they won't come!
We have a great set of marketing guidelines that were developed for a King County Library System-University of Washington demonstration grant project. The context is virtual reference, but the guidelines could be used to market any library service.
Take a look at [url http://www.statelib.wa.gov/libraries/projects/virtualRef/textdocs/MarketingGuidelines.pdf ]this document[/url] (it's a PDF) for details.
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RE: RE: Demonstrating Impact, Day Three: Communicate!
3:03 PM EDT 6/20/04
as a reply to Buff Hirko.
Chrystie, I'm glad you found that NY Times article. I wish there was a way to quantify the value of reference librarians. I know that some libraries count reference interviews and/or keep transaction logs of online reference, but those numbers don't convey the success and satisfaction resulting from an information search by a librarian. Sure, information is abundant on the Internet, but if most people don't look past the first page of results, I suspect they are not getting adequate, or even accurate, answers to their questions.
I hear too often the refrain that the Internet has replaced the need for libraries. But even if all information in the world were to become available online, that doesn't mean that the average person knows how to sort and organize and retrieve it. The reference librarians that I know are kept constantly busy by patrons who need their assistance to find that elusive piece of information they seek.
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RE: RE: RE: Demonstrating Impact, Day Three: Communicate!
3:03 PM EDT 6/20/04
as a reply to Buff Hirko.
I remember hearing about a new service that Multnomah County (Portland, OR) PL was offering. They had a traveling reference desk which they obtained through a grant I believe. They had a wireless laptop, and they would attend state fairs, conferences, markets, etc. It was great advertising for the library and also they were able to show the public what kinds of services the library offers. Check out this link for more information: [url http://www.knowmobile.org/ ]http://www.knowmobile.org/[/url]; - Just another way to show patrons what libraries can do!
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RE: RE: RE: RE: Demonstrating Impact, Day Three: Communicate!
3:03 PM EDT 6/20/04
as a reply to Buff Hirko.
Also want to refer to those of you "watching" that there is a related conversation that started before our event did this week. Make sure to click on "How Do Libraries Demonstrat Impact?" in this forum for continued discussion of that quick "elevator pitch"!
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RE: RE: RE: RE: RE: Demonstrating Impact, Day Three: Communicate!
3:03 PM EDT 6/20/04
as a reply to Buff Hirko.
I just want to say thank you to everyone who participated in our events this week.
We had a great turnout on Wednesday for Steve's presentation, with great follow up here on the board.
Special thanks to Buff Hirko for her insight and oversight on our conversations this week. Buff, tell us about your new book before you take off, and we hope you'll come back and visit us!
Thanks also to Liz and Joe for pulling those resources together, and to everyone who contributed articles!
Finally, if you by chance missed Steve's presentation on Wednesday, you have another chance: Tuesday, Feb 10 at 2pm ET, with a focus on alternative funding for small and rural libraries. You can register from the page under the Community Center tab.
Thanks again to all for a great community focus on Demonstrating Impact! I think we have some good ideas started here ...
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RE: Demonstrating Impact, Day Three: Communicate!
3:03 PM EDT 6/20/04
as a reply to Buff Hirko.
In this month's [url http://webjunction.org/do/DisplayContent?id=1196 ]I'm Curious George[/url] column there's a great discussion about what "marketing" really means to librarians, considering that many of us do not come from a "businessy" frame of reference.
It reminds me of a conversation we had in this forum a bit ago (How do Libraries Demonstrate Impact) about how to best talk about the work that we do.
There's actually a [url http://www.nytimes.com/2004/02/05/technology/circuits/05libr.html ]great article[/url] from yesterday's (Feb 05, 2004) NY Times that talks about how to talk about the work that we do in an Internet age. The article closes with a comment from dig-ref expert Joe Janes (UW iSchool) that if we don't succeed, the politicians (and other funders, for that matter) are really gonna give us the boot.
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RE: RE: Demonstrating Impact, Day Three: Communicate!
3:03 PM EDT 6/20/04
as a reply to Buff Hirko.
We've been working on "talking up" the library at every chance we get! A few weeks ago our newspaper ran a [url http://bozemandailychronicle.com/articles/2004/01/23/features/roundup/01thisweeklibrary.txt ]feature[/url] on things to do besides read books - we get a lot of newspaper coverage on most of our events so that is one of our best efforts (it helps that one of the photographers brings his kids here all the time!).
Going out to groups, presenting programs on what the library has to offer, is something I love doing - I'm always amazed at the "Wow, I didn't know you could do that at the library" responses. We need to think Library all the time and take every opportunity to mention services, etc - I had a conversation with someone in line at the grocery store.
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