The ALL-SIS Student Services Committee has been collecting information on library services offered to law students. The overarching question then becomes: How do you market your services? What have you found that worked–and didn’t work–to get the word out to your students? Between April 26-28, 2011, the ALL-SIS Student Services Committee conducted the online discussion “Marketing Your Library Services to Students” via the ALL-SIS discussion forum. Committee members, Merle Slyhoff, Ann Hemmens, and Laura Fargo McKinnon, organized the discussion. Many creative, innovative and exciting marketing ventures were shared and discussed. We posted the questions below and many contributors posted additional questions. To help inspire those looking for ways to market their services to students, we have posted a copy of the responses here. (PDF) The responses are organized chronologically. We kept names and basic contact information so you might contact each other individually for details on the many great ideas. Thanks to everyone for a lively and informative discussion.
Questions
- Throughout the academic year, how are you marketing the Library services you provide to students whether they are new or existing services?
- Are you using any form of social media (e.g., Facebook or Twitter) to promote these services?
- Do you have descriptions of these services on your Library or Law School website?
- Are you relying on email announcements and flyers?
- Have you gone into classes to discuss library services specifically or as part of a larger presentation?
- Have you ever tried anything that just out-and-out failed? I realize it’s hard to know what is really working, especially when you do such a broad range of PR methods, but is there anything that you know didn’t work as a means of PR?
- Does anyone produce a print brochure/handout describing your student services, distinct from flyers announcing particular events, that’s available for students to pickup in the Library? If so, is it also posted to your website?
- Throughout the academic year, how are you marketing your Library services for particular groups of students including, for example, Student Organizations, Clinics, Moot Court?
- During Orientation for new students (JD and LLM) how do you market/promote the Library services you provide to students?
- Do you distribute printed material to describe these services (e.g., part of OneL orientation packet)?
- Do you set up a Library table during any student outreach events (e.g., Orientation)?
- Who is responsible for marketing your Library services to students? One person? Shared among several people? Are staff members responsible for marketing certain types of information or in certain formats? For example, is one person responsible for marketing workshops, another new materials? Or does one person promote via social media and another makes flyers?
- Any final words of wisdom to those considering new marketing techniques or venturing into marketing for the first time?
[See Responses (PDF)]
Thanks for your participation!