Spectrum PR Column
April 1997
Librarians, Get Out From Behind Your Desks!
Mary Lynn Wagner - Keating, Muething & Klekamp (Cincinnati, OH)
AALL Spectrum, Volume 1 No.7 April 1997, p. 32.
The 1993 article, "Librarians Seek to Update Image," written by Mark Estes, states that librarians are often very reluctant to market themselves. Some librarians feel that the time and energy devoted to any type of library marketing or promotion is wasteful and not as important as other library duties. Also, some librarians like to make their work look easy -- often too easy. This is a dangerous position because when difficult questions are made to seem easy and routine by the librarians, the patron will also begin to view them as easy and unimportant.
In today's world of downsizing, rightsizing, and outsourcing, librarians must take a positive view of marketing and not consider it a waste of time. Promotion within the library stimulates demand for new and existing services while increasing the library's importance and visibility within the organization. The library should be run like a business within a business and marketed to the rest of the organization as the first stop for all information needs.
Librarians must get out from behind their desks and out of the library! Those who utilize the library know that it is an invaluable resource to the total organization; however, there may be decision makers in your organization who do not frequent the library and are not yet aware of the services that you and the library provide. I am a big proponent of the "management by walking around" theory. I have noticed over the years that whenever I am out and about delivering search requests or straightening shelves in a satellite location, people constantly stop me to ask reference questions, talk about technology, or to discuss any problems they are having with the library. I welcome these opportunities because they give me an opportunity to obtain feedback and ascertain the needs of my patrons.
Before you can begin to market the library and your expertise to the organization, you must identify your users. In addition to identifying your primary users, remember not to overlook secretaries, assistants, paralegals, or administrators who may also benefit from your services. Their needs are often much smaller than those of your primary users, and as a result, they can be satisfied with minimal effort and at the same time yield great results.
Marketing the library to your clientele can be accomplished through promotions such as National Library Week, brochures and library guides, monthly newsletters (electronic or hardcopy), publishing an article in the firm newsletter, orientation tours, seminars, and holiday celebrations. However, the best library promotion is a courteous, efficient, and knowledgeable staff. This is critical for maintaining the reputation of the library.
Word of mouth within an organization is also a good way to promote a special library. A satisfied and happy patron will almost guarantee successful promotion. Be careful not to promise more than can be delivered. Patrons should always be pleasantly surprised when dealing with you and the library staff.
Another way to promote the library and its resources is through "value added service." This means doing more for your client/patron than they expect. This could include providing additional information beyond their request, offering to follow up on a research project at a later date, a handwritten note asking the client/patron if all their needs were met, executive summaries or analyses of findings. The goal of the librarian within the special library is to meet the information needs of the patron. In order to accomplish this goal, it is important to project a professional image and become a facilitator, NOT a gatekeeper of information. Librarians should become active facilitators in the process of selecting, locating, and acquiring information for the patron.
It is important to note that no matter how hard you try for the 0% failure rate there will always be someone who will walk away from you dissatisfied. As a result, it is necessary that you devise a recovery plan. Based on past experiences within your organization, try to implement policies that will help you avoid negative experiences with patrons. Try to promote open relationships with the people in your organization and be open to criticism. This will help in maintaining happy patrons.
In order to maintain successful, librarians should participate in professional organizations and continually update their skills in areas relating to computers, communications, and research. They also need to remain flexible and be willing to take on new responsibilities.
In conclusion, the benefits to be gained through promotion are numerous. It is important that librarians become visible within their organizations and that management be aware of the librarian's skills and abilities. Marketing ensures the continued growth and prosperity of the library as a vital resource.
Bibliography
Muir, Robert F. Marketing Your Library or Information Service to Business. Online. 17(1993): 41.
Powers, Janet E. Marketing in the Special Library Environment. Library Trends. 43(1995): 478.
Shimpock-Vieweg, Kathy. "Cybrarians" in the Year 2000. Legal Assistant Today. 12(1994): 74-75
Shimpock-Vieweg, Kathy. Promotion: What's in it for the Library. Legal Assistant Today. 11(1993): 126-129
PROMOTIONAL IDEAS*
For You and Your Library
- Keep up with new clients and new matters pertaining to your organization.
- Maintain reshelving of books. Patrons perceive the library staff as lazy when books are left unshelved.
- Promotional library research packages.
- Suggestion box.
- Rolodex cards with services and staff telephone numbers.
- Routing.
- Library guides or brochures.
- FYI flyers.
- Library maps.
- Pathfinders.
- National Library Week promotions.
- Training classes for the Internet and CD-ROM.
- Orientation tours/packets.
- Library newsletters (electronic or hardcopy).
- Library user awards.
- Reports containing library statistics on services.
- Friendly, well trained library staff.
- New book displays.
- Preprinted bookmarks and removable pencils that promote the library.
- Library logos and slogans.
*Many of the ideas above were taken from the Nov/Dec Legal Assistant Today article, "Promotion: What's in it for the Library" by Kathy Shimpock-Vieweg.
Last Updated: January 20, 2003
©
2003, American Association of Law Libraries
AALLNET is hosted in cooperation with Washburn
University School of Law