1. Marketing Your Library Yang-Cheng SHEN 沈揚程 Business Manager Emerald Group Publishing Limited yshen@emeraldinsight.com

2. Summary –Why is it important to market your library? –The Library as service –Marketing your library – a How to guide

3. Why is it important? Increased competition via the web : Google Amazon Google Book Google Scholar Yahoo Microsoft E-books, e-journals, open access Blogs Wikipedia

4. Winning in the Googlesphere is difficult There are now more than 100 million web sites on the Internet (source: netcraft.com) 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006

5. Why is it important? Increase of non-reviewed material – free or fee Therefore increasing need to promote information literacy ALA on Information Literacy: “helping students become skillful producers and consumers of information”.

6. Why is it important? Information literacy: “To be information literate, a person must be able to recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information,” ALA’s Presidential Committee on Information Literacy (1989) “Information illiterate”: relying on free resources, Google, etc. “Information literate”: selecting the right resources, identifying validated resources, etc.

7. Winning in the Googlesphere

9. Why is it important? Bridge the gap between library users and LIS professionals. Create demand for the library and demonstrate its value! Smash old perceptions!!! –“It has become increasingly difficult to characterise and describe the purpose of using libraries”. –“Users are not aware of the electronic resources Libraries make freely available”. –“The library brand is dated”. –“The relationships among the information professional, the user and the content have changed and continue to change”. OCLC Report: Perceptions of Libraries and Information Resources (Nov 2005)

10. Why is it important? “In today’s information-rich environment, academic libraries must compete for the attention of our users. We must become able marketers if we expect students and faculty to use our resources”. Thomas Sanville - Ohiolink “Librarians must take a proactive approach, viewing the strategic marketing of their services and resources as critical to their continued survival”. Elizabeth Slater, Librarian Santa Clara University

11. Your Library – Your Service Lack of ownership - You cannot own or store a service. You cannot hold or touch a service, unlike a product. Services cannot be separated from service providers. –Libraries need to work with content providers. Content providers can lend credibility and reassurance! Services last a specific time and cannot be stored like a product for further use. It is very difficult to make each service experience identical.

12. Marketing your Library: A 7-Step Guide “ Ways to use the @ your library brand ” - IFLA campaign for the world’s libraries UK Love Libraries USA @ your library campaign KIDS! @ your library®

13. Marketing your Library: A 7-Step Guide 1.Introduction – Set the context of the communication activity for your library What are the challenges you are facing with your communications plan? What are the opportunities? What relevant environmental research would you need to consider and why? Are there any other key factors affecting the usage of your library?

14. Marketing your Library: A 7-Step Guide 2.Goals: What do you want to happen as a result of your campaign? –Everyone in the organisation to be aware of the services the library provides. –Everyone within the organisation to make use of the library’s services. –Faculty and administrators value and use the library as part of the learning experience.

15. Marketing your Library: A 7-Step Guide 3.Objectives – some examples To increase physical visits to the library by x% by 31 st December 2010. To increase website visits to the library by x% by 31 st December 2010 To obtain a minimum of 80% customer satisfaction from user surveys To increase funding for the library by x% by 31 st December 2010. Specific Measurable Achievable Stretching Harmonious These will vary from institution to institution and from country to country

16. Marketing your Library: A 7-Step Guide 4.Key messages – important messages for your target audience. What you need to make your experience at (university name) an all round success Got an information problem? Your library can help – just ask Your library will help you get a better grade!

17. Marketing your Library: A 7-Step Guide 4.Key messages – important messages for your target audience. Ideas for key message development: What do you want your library users to think about your library? What services does your library provide? Where are the gaps in your user knowledge about the library? Use stories to demonstrate your key messages

18. Marketing your Library: A 7-Step Guide 5.Unique Selling Proposition what makes your library special or unique? Why should a researcher or student use your library over Google, Live or Yahoo! Libraries understand users better Service is personal Service is focussed All this yields better research results!

19. Marketing your Library: A 7-Step Guide 6.Target audiences – who needs to hear your message and why? InternalExternal Staff Students Volunteers Faculty Friends of the LibraryAdministrators Parents Alumni Student Librarians Media (University and local) Funding bodies

20. Marketing your Library: A 7-Step Guide 7.Communications strategies – how will you deliver the message to your various audiences? BannersPosters DisplaysMedia – on and off campus PrintWebsites/email Email listsPresentations Collaborations with other departments The list is endless!!!!

21. Ideas and Tools Library as place Create a theme/brand for your library – and use it throughout all communications. Create and distribute a list of facts about your library. Produce a welcome letter for new faculty and students explaining what you do Have a coffee shop in your library Hold special events at your library Host coffee mornings or open house for new students/faculty Sponsor competition Make it exciting!!!!!

22. Ideas and Tools Library as Service Create VLE’s via your library website Use blogs and email Use the Library Website to disseminate information –Target key clients with specific web area Tell web users who the pages are for and what they will find on them Analyse use of website Analyse enquiries and match web content to themes Use a suggestion box on website Be careful of language – use words users will immediately understand and connect with e.g.: –Research finder, getting started, beginning research, where to start Clarity, conciseness, consistent layout are all key Minimal graphics Make it exciting!!!!

23. Emerald For Librarians Marketing your Library http://www.emeraldinsight.com/librarians/marketing/index.htm Managing your library http://www.emeraldinsight.com/librarians/management/index.htm Information management resources http://www.emeraldinsight.com/librarians/info/index.htm

24. Next Steps? Feedback Share what works and learn from others. Suggestions – how can publishers and Agents help you promote information literacy? Influence the future of your library!

25. YangCheng SHEN Business Manager Emerald Group Publishing Limited