Spectrum PR Column
June 1999
Public Relations from the Inside Out
Elizabeth Geesey Holmes, Head of Copy Cataloging and Database Management, Harvard Law School Library
AALL Spectrum, Volume 3 No. 9 June 1999.
As Charles Dickens wrote in Martin Chuzzlewit, "Charity begins at home." The same can be said of public relations. It too begins at home, within one's library. The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, third edition, c1992, defines public relations as the art or science of establishing and promoting a favorable relationship with the public, or the methods and activities employed to establish and promote a favorable relationship with the public. In order to be successful in achieving these favorable relationships through knowledgeable, professional and friendly service to the public, the library's staff need to understand the mission, goals and operation of the library. They need to feel positive about their role in the library and about the library as a place to work. The larger the library staff, the more important this becomes. We have a very large staff at my library, and because of this there is always someone beginning a job or leaving us for another opportunity. Even for those of us who have been at the library for many years, things change. We are all up to date with what goes on in our immediate areas, but we might not know about changes in other departments.
So, how does one go about creating a positive work environment and an atmosphere conducive to communication? Several methods come immediately to mind: newsletters, library-wide social events, orientation and special tours, brown-bag lunch talks, faculty presentations, and inter-departmental cooperation via an intranet.
Newsletters serve to keep staff and others informed of what is going on in the library, but only if they are read! It's best to keep the newsletter short and relevant with a mixture of news and features. Our newsletter is on the same schedule with department head meetings and begins with news and updates from this meeting. Then we have a section on staff: who is new, who is leaving and who is doing interesting things. These don't necessarily have to be work-related and often are about outside hobbies and activities. For example, we have staff members who sing in various groups and who run in competitive races, and so forth. These pieces are short, and permission is sought before they are published. In some issues of the newsletter we include staff spotlights which highlight in depth what this person does in his or her job and may also include interesting facts about his or her former life or current activities. Other articles might feature special exhibits in the library or projects in a particular department.
Occasional social events are also excellent morale builders. They give staff members from different departments of the library a chance to talk informally and to get to know each other. Communication is enhanced when one is able to put a face with a name. We have had pot-luck gatherings, baking contests, and farewell parties at which we also introduce newcomers.
Orientation tours
to the library for new employees, and old employees who want a refresher,
are organized by the Orientation and Communication Committee at my library.
These tours are fairly basic and orient the employee to each of the departments,
how they interact with each other, and how they serve the mission of the
library. They have also sponsored special tours for all staff to introduce
a particular department of the library in greater depth. Tours and other
events sponsored by the committee continue to be successful and very well
attended.
In addition to tours, the committee hosts a series of brown-bag lunch
talks and discussions. To advertise these events committee members post
creatively worded and eye-catching flyers around the library, place them
in staff mailboxes, and send reminder e-mail announcements. The brown-bags
are held in a conference room, and staff are invited to bring their lunch,
while drinks and cookies are provided. Usually a staff member gives a
talk on a project he or she is working on, or on an aspect of his or her
job. We have also had visiting librarians talk about their libraries.
There is time at the end for questions and discussion, and often the speaker
illustrates his or her talk with slides, a computer demo or illustrations.
Another series of afternoon talks given by faculty members for the staff have also been well-attended and informative. Professors have spoken on the courses they are teaching, on their research interests, or on special programs they administer. This serves to inform and interest staff members about what is going on at the law school and about the interests and work of the patrons they serve either directly or indirectly. It is a chance to see how one's work fits into the law library and school as a whole. This is also an opportunity for library staff and faculty to interact on an informal basis.
All of the above are low-tech methods of doing public relations from the inside out. Another more high-tech way is via an intranet. Obviously Internet Web pages are public relations vehicles used by many libraries, but an Intranet can also serve this purpose. Departments can post and share documentation and procedures, and inter-departmental business can be conducted electronically. It is yet another tool for keeping in touch with what is happening internally.
Although many of my examples come from a large library, they can be adapted to smaller libraries and to library consortia. We need to know as much as we can about the way our library, our law school and our area consortia work in order to best serve our patrons. Practicing PR from the inside out allows us to be aware of the most current practices, services and procedures, and aids in developing excellent working relationships with one's colleagues. Providing excellent and knowledgeable service both behind the scenes and on the front lines is the best way to promote a favorable relationship with the public, whether they be lawyers, faculty members, students or the general public.
Last Updated: January 28, 2003
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