The effective marketing of library services has become a top priority for many excellent libraries. Collection merchandising has been an exciting and fast-growing part of this field. Library collections arranged by Dewey number allow library users to find specific items but that isn't enough to help them discover the depth and richness of the library collection. It doesn’t showcase the most recent publications in a critical topic such as healthcare or money management. Nor does it foster an interactive relationship between the library staff and community residents so they can build the library’s resources together.

Library staff members are no longer content with static collections. They want to help library users of all ages find the information they need, materials of special interest to them and the recreational materials they will enjoy. Important parts of this developing field are:

• collections that are handsome and easy to use
• displays that showcase treasures that would otherwise be buried in the shelving,
• active publicity campaigns that market library programs and materials to the community
• skillful readers’ advisory services
• an interactive web presence that connects the librarians and the library users as the library grows.

 Kansas librarians will be sharing information on these topics with each other in the discussion board for this project.

Some additional resources:

Marketing (WebJunction's topic page under the Library Management tab)

Webinars:
The Customer Focused Library

WebJunction Courses:
The Customer's Voice
Retailing Methods and Techniques in Libraries
Merchandising That Works
Keep It Simple: Developing a Marketing Plan for Your Library

Documents:
Marketing
Marketing the Small Library (by Shannon Roy, SLK)
What Libraries Can Learn from Bookstores (by Chris Rippel, CKLS)