Go Where the Users Are

After reading this post in the OH!Libraries blog, I went to the LibraryLookup Project page and downloaded the bookmarklet so that now with just one click I can find out if books from Amazon, Barnes & Noble and other sites are available at my library.

This is such a cool program! I know it's been around awhile and I've seen it mentioned in other blogs, but I didn't get it until I tried it. This is another functionality libraries need to promote to users and nonusers alike. At work, we're constantly talking about how to be where the users are. In real-life this means posting flyers and publicity for library resources and services outside the library. It means taking library services and resources directly to the user no matter where they are. Online, it means integrating with online services the users are already using, like IM, Google, Amazon, etc.

So, if you haven't already, try the LibraryLookup Project bookmarklet and after you see how cool it is, start spreading the word.

What else is your library doing to go where the users are?

Yes Virginia, You Are a Marketer

Some people have asked me, who's job should it be to market the library? The answer: It's everyone's job. Every person from the student worker to the reference librarian to the janitor, is marketing the library. And they're doing so every hour, of every day. So we might as well do it effectively.

Thanks to Jill and the Library Marketing-Thinking Outside the Book blog for pointing out the article "In Your Business, Everyone's a Marketer" by Matt Blumberg and for reminding us of this important point.

Market Research You Can Use

Others have already mentioned this (ResourceShelf, ACRLog), but after looking at OCLC's "Perceptions of Libraries and Information Resources" report, I had to write about it too.

The report provides the "findings and responses from the online survey in an effort to learn more about: library use, awareness and use of library electronic resources, the Internet search engine, the library and the librarian, free vs. for-free information and the Library "brand."

What's great for academic libraries, is that the report separates out the responses from college students. Some of the findings from the college students' responses:

• "College students have the highest rate of library use and broadest use of library resources, both physical and electronic."
  
  
• Only 10% of college students indicated that their library's collection fulfilled their information needs after accessing the library Web site from a search engine."
  
  
• Only 2% of the college students that responded to OCLC's survey typically begin their search for information on a particular topic at the library's Web site (versus 1% of total survey respondents)
  
  
• 89% of college students typically use a search engine to begin their search for information on a particular topic (versus 84% of total survey respondents)
  
  
• After search engines, 33% of college students learn about electronic inforation sources from a librarian (versus 8% of the total survey respondents)
  
  
• What's the first source/place college students will choose next time they need information? 72% - search engines, 14% - physical library, 10% - online library, 2% - physical bookstore and 2% - online bookstore.

See the report for much, much more including sample verbatim comments.

Library Marketing Resources from Elsevier

If, like me, you're always on the look out for new library marketing and PR resources, you may want to check out Elsevier's Library Connect Pamphlet, "Marketing Library Resources: An Annotated Bibliography".

The OhioLINK Marketing Idea Gallery is mentioned, but it's buried under the article "The OhioLINK-YBP road shows: A partnership for vendor/library collaboration." Go figure. Still, I'm glad word is getting out about our marketing resources, and I hope others outside of Ohio find them helpful.

The latest Library Connect newsletter, from October 2005, also has some good stuff, including the article "Can You Lead a Horse to Water? Teaching Users About Electronic Resources," by Scott Walter.

Need Wombat?

No, not the marsupial. In this case Wombat stands for thr Word of Mouth Basic Training Blog, which is a project of the Word of Mouth Marketing Association. I just found it so am still exploring, but it looks like some cool stuff.

Library Survival Guides

Popular Mechanics has archived 17 ways to survive worst case senarios like how to survive a riot, airplane crash, sandstorm, etc. The situations are adapted from the popular "The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook." (link via lifehacker)

What does this have to do with marketing libraries? Well, it got me thinking, what about creating brief snappy guides to using library resources to survive real life situations like, perhaps, "how to survive your first college paper" or "how to survive starting a business without going crazy"? Then give users simple, easy steps on how the library can help them. Bonus points if you can use some humor.

The point? Done right, these guides could help show users the library isn't the stuffy, over-serious organization the stereotypes portray. And they just might teach users something about library resources too.

$50M Business Launches from Library

The Kansas City Star fills readers in on the Johnson County Library's lesser known treasures:
"Library in Rare Company" (Bullers, Finn. November 30, 2005)

Words of Wisdom from Roy

Here, here to several bits of wisdom from Roy Tennant's November 15 Library Journal article, "What I Wish I Had Known":

-I wish I had known that the solution for needing to teach our users how to search our catalog was to create a system that didn't need to be taught

-Read outside of the profession. Libraries do not drive the engines of innovation. Libraries are part of a niche market that either rides the coattails of other markets or gets left behind.

-It's about the user, stupid. While we were focused on crafting integrated library systems that served our needs, our users got left behind. Is it any wonder that they can't understand why our systems aren't as easy to work with as Amazon?

Summer Reading Clubs - They're Not Just for Public Libraries

Show 'em that academic libraries can be fun too:

This Summer, Worship a Book

(Elisabeth Leonard, Allie Carr, & Katy Farrell, —Library Journal, November 15, 2005)

Many UCSD staff did not know they could borrow books, use research databases, or ask librarians for assistance. We needed to educate staff about library services in a way that would be enjoyable and encourage lifelong learning. With the words “Read Write Think Dream” echoing in our minds, we devised the summer reading contest. The objectives were to encourage recreational reading, increase use of the libraries' collections, heighten awareness of staff library privileges, and educate staff about how to use library resources such as the library catalog.

UD's Funny Library Video

A funny library video? Impossible you say. Oh, but I must contradict you friend. It is possible! And the University of Dayton Libraries has done it.

How you ask? Admit the stereotypes and common perceptions about libraries and then exploit them. Another great tip from the UD video: if you're targeting students, use students as your spokespeople.

View the video here. (Warning: you need to be on broadband for this, it's a 26MB file. Oi.)

Want more examples of how academic libraries are promoting themselves? Visit the OhioLINK Idea Gallery.

(Thanks for sharing Heidi!)

Capturing Students' Interest with Fun Facts at Cal State Library

True or false - you can capture students' interest and teach them about library resources using fun facts and reference stats? True, says Rachael Green Clemens, distance education librarian at California State University Fullerton's Pollak Library.

Today on the AcademicPR discussion list, Clemens shared how she created a twist on commercial advertisements like those you might see projected onto large buildings in a place like downtown Los Angeles. Clemens created her "reference slide show" two years ago by creating a long, continuously looping PowerPoint slide show and projecting it on a very large wall abover the reference desk area.

"I collected about 150 Q&A's and made eye-catching slides that project for about 16 seconds each...akin to the trivia questions you often see in a movie theatre. I intersperse these Q&A's with library information - such as advertisements for chat reference service, photocopier info, library website tidbits, etc." Clemens wrote.

Clemens describes the project as a fun one that really gets results. "Students often linger at the desk waiting for the answers to the questions. I made a point to add the 'source' of the information - hoping to highlight library resources and model good citation practice."

The slides include a wide variety of facts and fun trivia. Examples include:
Q: What was the median home price in Orange County in July 2005?
A: $603,000 (source: Los Angeles Times article accessed through Proquest Newspapers)

Q: How many new hybrid vehicles were registered in the U.S. in 2004?
A: 83,156 (source: Article in AdWeek accessed through TableBase)

Q: How many gallons of soft drinks were consumed in the U.S. in 2002
A: 15.2 billion gallons (source: Beverage Aisle through Lexis-Nexis)

The slide show, which provides one and a half hours of programming on a continuous loop, is updated each semester to keep it interesting. In the future, Clemens plans to move the slide show onto a new large plasma screen that is hung in the library atrium.

Many thanks to Rachael Green Clemens for sharing this information and giving me permission to post it.

Interested in subscribing to the Academic PR list? Instructions are available online.

It's Time to Shout Presentation Handouts

To anyone who attended my session (It's Time to SHOUT! Using Blogs to Tell the Library's Story & Educate Users) at the Academic Library Association of Ohio's conference today and didn't get a copy of the handouts here is the PDF. If ALAO posts presentation content I'll add this there too.

If you weren't there and you wonder what these handouts are all about, feel free to take a look. The three page PDF contains my points to remember about how academic libraries use blogs, what to consider before you start a blog and how to market your blog. Then there's the all important list of example blogs and articles that will tell you even more about library blogs and RSS.

Congrats to everyone who helped plan and organize this conference. It looked like a great success to me and I know how hard conference planning is!

More on this conference later.

Libraries Are Great, Pass It On

How nice to read about how great libraries are and the resources they provide. All this from "civilians."

Read:
Libraries: Like Barnes & Noble, But Free from Deeper Motive
Hacking the Library: Where Information Is Already Free by Ned Wolfe (great post title!)

Improve Your Next Presentation with Presentation Zen

I'm giving a presentation next month. So I've been thinking a lot about what makes a presentation great, especially when it comes to the slides (or lack thereof).

My favorite blog on this topic is Presentation Zen. It's a great resource for learning about different presenters' techniques and slides designs (found via Seth Godin's Blog). I'm finding it really, really helpful and thought you might too. At my next presentation there will be absolutely no bullet points in my slides!

Apply for Library Marketing Awards

1. 2006 IFLA International Marketing Award - will honor organizations that have implemented creative, results-oriented marketing projects or campaigns. Three finalists will be recognized for their outstanding achievements. From these three finalists, the winner will be chosen and receive airfare, lodging and registration for the 2006 IFLA General Conference and Council in Seol, Korea, as well as a cash award of USD 1,000 which must be used to further the marketing efforts of the recognized organization. All libraries worldwide are eligible. Applications are due before November 30.

2. 2006 John Cotton Dana Library Public Relations Award - The award honors outstanding library public relations programs that support a specific project, goal or activity, or a sustained, ongoing program (e.g. the promotion of a summer reading program, a year-long centennial celebration, fundraising for a new college library, an awareness campaign or an innovative partnership in the community). The contest is open to all libraries and agencies that promote library service.

Entries can be calendar year 2005 (January-December), school year 2004-2005 (Fall-Spring) or any special project ends in 200. The awards and $3,500 cash grants will be presented during the 2006 ALA Annual Conference. The deadline for entries is December 9, 2005.

Attention Library Bloggers - Feedback Needed!

Hey Library Bloggers,

I need your help.

I'm giving a presentation in a few weeks on using blogs to promote the library and I need your help to make sure I've covered all the angles. How do you promote your library's blog? I have the basics down: on the Web site, in library publications, e-mail signatures, talking to users, faculty/staff meetings (for academic library blogs) and during presentations. Do you do anything else? Leave a comment and let me know.

Also, if you use your blog to do something besides promote library resources and services, serve as an internal communication channel for librarians and staff, or to give updates on projects and events I'd love to hear about it.

Thanks!

Learn PR Tips From Pros Around the Globe This Week

Learn from a group of global PR pros during Global PR Blog Week 2.0, a free week long online event.

What is Global PR Blog Week 2.0? Basically, it's a blog where a group of PR pros will publish 70 articles, podcasts and papers from September 19 to September 23, 2005. The articles are free and anyone can participate via comments, asking questions, etc. Learn more from the Global PR Blog Week 2.0 About page. You can also check out the archives from the first event, held in 2004.

The entire program is available online. Librarians might be especially interested in:

September 21:

• Customer Generated Marketing: from Mayhem to Marketing. Why WOM is back on marketers'’ agenda and how to make it work for their brands by Joël Céré.
  
• Consumer Generated Marketing: The Customer is always right by Kevin Dugan.

September 22:

• Easter Seals & Camping case study - Implementing blogs to engage donors, parents and consumers (campers) by Robert French.
• Blogs for Events - blogs offer a cost-effective solution for non-profits to promote, cover, discuss and wrap-up events by Josh Hallett.

Word of Mouth Marketing That's No Accident

The Library Marketing - Thinking Outside the Book blog points to an interesting article on MarketingProfs.com called How to Create the Accidental Evangelist by Sean D'Souza. I agree that little things done at just the right time can make a big difference.

It's the really simple, yet genuine, things that make a difference to me. The generic birthday card from a company you barely do business with feels pointless and fake. I just got some more of them last week and I thought, what a waste of a stamp!

Today, decent service can sometimes seem remarkable because it's so rare. I don't understand people who can't at least reign in their grumpiness on the job. I mean, sure, everyone has bad days at work. But even when I'm having a bad day, I try not to take it out on the people I work with, or for (i.e. customers). But I don't get that in return often when I'm the customer. I'm usually happy if a salesperson, waiter, etc. is friendly. Not overly gushy, just naturally friendly. It's something that's so simple, but it also makes such a big difference.

Understanding Your Users' Mindset

LISNews recently pointed to Beliot College's Mindset list for the Class of 2009, whose members were born in 1987. I find these lists intriguing. I'm not sure how accurate and helpful they are, but they sure are fun to read. I doubt anyone from the Class of 2009 reads this blog to let me know how true the list is, but if I'm wrong, let me know!

The closest one to when I graduated college is 2002, which is still three years after I graduated. (there goes the mystique about my age). Can people who are just three years longer than me really be so different?

Here's how I differ:
#8 - I vividly remember being in school and watching the Challenger blow up. Very sad.
#10 - Knew what polio is because my best friend's grandpa had it.
#12-#14 - Had records and a record player, maybe that's why I understand the lingo in #13?
#15 - Pac Man - yes, Pong - no.
#21-#25 - Apparently my family is old-school because we had a black and white TV when I was little, no cable, no answering machine, my grandma had a beta, and I WAS the remote.
#32 - I saw Jaws while on vacation in Florida. Not a great idea, mom.
#36 - I remember watching Mork and Mindy.
#41 - So not true.
#42 - No again.

Usability 101

Market research and usability go hand-in-hand, don't you think? I can't remember where I saw this link, but the University of Minnesota Duluth's IT Department created this interesting list of usability resources.