Monday, March 31, 2008

PR Hint of the Month - July 2006 - Giveaways

I liked this suggestion. When I was at BCR, my department gave away things like small screwdrivers, pens, hats, and bookmarks with fresnel lens magnifiers. There are a number of companies that have catalogs full of merchandise that can be logo imprinted. About the cheapest is to have a local printer produce library bookmarks on card stock and insert one in every book that is circulated. Perhaps they could be printed on old library catalog cards. Sort of a nostalgia thing. The Tattered Cover in Denver has been inserting bookmarks in every book sold for years. The have achieved a consistency of design to the point that I have spotted Tattered Cover bookmarks in NYC.
The recent request on Wired-MT for a source of
"...cloth book covers for paperback books. These had the names of classic literature on them to cover up what someone is really reading."
strikes me as the perfect idea for a library logoed item. Giving them away at library functions would be perfect. Even though a reader may not be reading a "library" paperback, they would be reminded constantly of the library, and if reading in public, would be constantly displaying the library's identity. Who would be embarrassed to do that? And I think most people would identify the book cover as too valuable to discard.
I found this source: http://www.stretchablebookcovers.com/ I cannot endorse them. I've never done business with them. The product may be too expensive to give away, but perhaps a benefactor would fund the purchase with the library's logo, and a small acknowledgement statement. "Book jacket courtesy of Joe's Bar & Grill".
Please feel free to use any of this response in any way.
Thank you for providing your PR Hints. I am still involved in marketing several non-profit organizations, and have used several of your suggestions.
James Speed Hensinger

PR Hint of the Month - August 2006 - Using the Internet

For the month of August, I thought we'd sidetrack from marketing and look at how we can use the internet to more effectively address patron needs and wants. The following article, while it is geared towards public relations specialists, aptly applies to libraries as well. In today's age of email and the internet, more and more patrons are relying on on-line communications to make contact with their local library; in fact, some patrons may rely solely on on-line communication and never physically enter their library. As a result, we need to be able to meet their specific needs in a timely and professional manner.
The following article provides strong insight into the importance of effective on-line communication and offers some suggestions that we can all implement to make our on-line communications more effective as well as reflective of our library's specific mission.
Enjoy!
Patricia--MLA Marketing & PR Committee.
Internet communications ... let's get it right!!!(Online Public Relations).
G.A. "Andy" Marken.
Public Relations Quarterly 50.4 (Winter 2005): p13 (3). "The
products associated with the Internet are where I spend a lot ofmy time right now. It is a revolution that is bigger than the inventionof printing. It is a revolution that's bigger than the invention of thetelephone, radio, or any of the major revolutions that we've had in thepast."--John Warnock, president Adobe Systems Warnock was correct in his assessment of the Internet's capabilities, function, reach and potential. The Internet is becoming a major source of information and entertainment for people around the globe. We are constantly online gathering information, conducting transactions, being entertained and most of all ... communicating.
Industry analysts note that every day business people and "others" send more than 17 billion emails. They also acknowledge that more than 70 percent of the Internet traffic today is spam, phishing and other abuses of our bandwidth and time. But it still represents the primary tool of public relations contact and communications.
Email has become such a basic form of business communications--business to business, business to consumer--that the government has established clear guidelines on email archiving. That means you as a professional have to be concerned not only about what you say but also how you say it in your email communications. Not only can you embarrass your company and yourself but also email archives can be used in the court.
For public relations people email and Internet-base communications provides a new and exciting opportunity to reach people directly--press, industry analysts, consumers, business partners and business associates. With broadband access already available to most businesses we are accustomed to being able to send enhanced documents, audio and video files and comprehensive presentation materials effortlessly.
That same bandwidth is rapidly being deployed in homes as people begin to use the Internet to do more than just send email. The ability to be able to access the high-speed communications tool means people will increasingly enjoy Internet radio and TV. In addition, they will quickly share photos and videos with friends and family. It also represents an excellent means of reaching customers in their home.
Internet Communications Power
It is becoming such a widespread and immediate means of communications that Paul Vixie, author of a number of UNIX programs, warned; "The Internet is not for sissies." Jack Welch put the technology in a more positive light when he noted, "The Internet is the Viagra of big business."
We would have said it differently because the Internet puts all business--large and small--on a competitively equal footing if it is properly and effectively used. It provides unprecedented opportunities to economically and quickly reach broad and niche markets around the globe.
Unfortunately too many of us are "typical" Internet users. In fact, you're probably using the Internet a lot more for "other" activities than communicating with business partners, customers and members of the media.
And you probably do it all subconsciously.
But at the end of the day you find your to-do list hasn't gotten much shorter.
Peter Straub, a noted author, was pessimistic about how effective we are in using the Internet and our time. He commented at a conference, "Actual work takes up approximately a third of the day, not counting the lunch hour, and the remaining two-thirds are spent in meetings, gossip, flirtations, and checking out e-mail, favorite news groups and porn sites on the Internet."
Because almost all of our information is electronic today, individual public relations and communications professionals have a responsibility to be constantly vigilant on how they communicate as well as what it says about the organization and the originator. They also have to ensure that the information they communicate is properly protected.
The Two LaneHighway
Email is a two-way pipeline. You need to make certain that no viruses, Trojans or worms come into the company or are sent. You also need to ensure you don't overuse the power of email by carrying out aggressive spam activities--shotgunning every potential editor, reporter and analyst you have in your address book.
Since public relations professionals are in the communications business, you probably spend even more time than the average USemployee handling email. At least you should!
An inquiry from a newsperson or analyst should never go without a response more than 24 hours. Power communications tools such as cell phones and Blackberry hand-helds allow people to reach you and for you to reach others when immediate answers and assistance are required. You shouldn't hide behind email.
As a matter of policy, we respond to every email received before we leave in the evening. It is simply the professional and courteous thing to do. If we are away from the office, a staff member handles the routine queries and we handle the rest when we arrive at our destination.
These queries aren't an interruption to your job ... they are an important part of your job! Even if the response is that you need to gather the information and will get an answer within 24 hours--and you meet your commitment--it shows that you respect the urgency and importance of their inquiry.
As PR professionals we rely on email communications. How often have you said to yourself our mail server is down and I can't contact anyone? We can't be the only ones!
Increasingly it is becoming not only time-consuming but also cumbersome to manage messages but it must be done. If you don't/can't manage your professional email communications who will?
Email Writing Skills
A recent study by Information Mapping Inc (IMI) found that email writing skills are "extremely" or "very important" to the effectiveness of doing their job. Effective writing skills should come as no epiphany to people in our profession. What bothers us about the report was that 34 percent of the respondents spent 30 minutes to one-hour reading and interpreting poorly written and error filled emails.
Granted the survey was across a broad range of corporate employees but the fact of the matter is sloppy writing of any type is a waste of time. In addition, it is impossible for us to believe that every public relations person has email writing skills that are superior to the general business population.
As Shel Holtz, author of Public Relations on the Net, points out in his book email writing is very different from news release writing. In addition, it is a skill that every public relations professional must master and practice on a daily basis.
Clear, Concise, Fast
Organize your email message clearly and effectively. Poorly written emails are more than just a waste of time for the person receiving your correspondence.
They are also a poor reflection on your organization and you.
Keep emails short.
Make certain:
* the recipient understands what you have said so they can use and act on the information
* to organize your email just as you would in a conversation or presentation
* that important information is included in the email and is easy to find
* you don't make it a challenge for the recipient to wade through a long, wordy and difficult to read email. Get to the point quickly because their time is as precious as yours All computers today have two important application packages installed that every public relations and communications people should use religiously ...
spell check and grammar check. A few minutes of review before hitting send can save you from embarrassment.
Contrary to what Peter Steiner said with his 1993 cartoon in The New Yorker, "On the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog." If you can't use email effectively to communicate with editors, reporters, analysts and other stakeholders, they will find out ... faster than you think!
G.A. "Andy" Marken is president of Marken Communications Inc., Santa Clara, Calif.His more than 25 years in advertising and public relations include comprehensive support of firms involved in pharmaceuticals, building products, instrumentation, and personal and business computer systems.

Patricia C. Spencer
Outreach & Volunteer Coordinator
Lewis and Clark Library

PR Hint of the Month - December 2006 - Theme Days

It's the end of the year, a busy time for everyone and a time when we tend to run out of creative juices. Promoting services, classes, and programs tends to take a back seat to more pressing issues, like where to find the best recipe for fruit cake. I found a clever idea in this month's edition of Successful Promotions that is an easy and FREE way to promote your library. As an extra bonus, these are ideas you can "borrow"
all year long!
From Successful Promotions December 2006
Keep Your Eye On*..
Looking for some promotional inspiration? Consider stealing an idea or two from these upcoming promotions, which are sure to be big hits.
Get ready for the winter blockbusters-those big-budget movies released just before Christmas (and in time for potential Academy Award
nominations) that typically generate super-sized audiences. The latest are sure to be heavily promoted with clever campaigns and premiums.
Steal their ideas, or plan some creative tie-ins with your own upcoming [events and programs]. Here's a sampling of what's about to hit the silver screen:
X CharlottesWeb: In this adaptation of E.B. Whites much-loved
read, Dakota Fanning plays Fern, while her friend the spider is played by Julia Roberts. Consider a web-related theme for upcoming events that include children [or adults].
X Rocky Balboa: We don't know how he's going to do it, but after a
long retirement, Rocky will once again be drawn back into the boxing ring. Tie-in to his big debut by crafting boxing themed promotions.
X The Good Shepard: Directed by Robert DeNiro, this thriller
explores the tumultuous early history of the CIA through one man's eyes (Matt Damon's). Play off this sure-to-be hit with spy-flavored promotions.
X Night at the Museum: Bound to generate belly laughs, this movie
featuring Ben Stiller and Dick Van Dyke, has Stiller as a security guard who works the graveyard shift at a museum of natural history. Not surprisingly, things turn wacky very quickly. Consider dinosaur-themed promotions as a tie-in.

Patricia Spencer
MLA PR & Marketing Committee
Lewis & Clark Library

PR Hing of the Month - January 2006 - Hobbies

Building off of the display tip from earlier this month, here is an idea for January that is easy and FREE!
January is Hobby Month!
Everyone has a favorite activity for which they can't find the time. This month, help people discover a new hobby, or something about a current hobby they didn't know. Whether it's building model airplanes, making jewelry, playing an instrument, or knitting; hobbies relieve stress and break up the monotony of daily life.
Remind patrons to resolve to take time for their favorite hobby in the New Year. Set up displays of books that cover a variety of hobby favorites. You can build off of the New Year's Resolution theme and even include self-help and fitness in your display. Try to work in some programming that fits with the theme and spend the month celebrating hobbies!

Patricia C. Spencer
Outreach & Volunteer Coordinator
Lewis and Clark Library

PR Hint of the Month - February 2007 - Strategic Plans & Public Relations

Public relations is more than just pitching stories to the media or mailing out press releases. The PR umbrella covers a number of related activities, all of which are concerned with communicating specific messages to specific target audiences. In today's fast-paced, high-tech society, the need to present a clear and effective message becomes even greater. For the next few months, the PR Hints are going to focus on how we as libraries can benefit from incorporating public relations into our strategic plans.
Many of us often confuse good public relations with advertising. According to FINEMAN PR, one of the preeminent public relations firms in the nation, all too often companies wait until after misinformation is released to the public to embrace the value of a strong public relations component to their strategic plan.
As FINEMAN explains, "Public Relations is often dismissed as just the dissemination of news releases, the communication of fluff or spin, or it is confused with advertising and sales promotions.
Additionally, many executives fail to understand and recognize how their actions and reactions may be fully perceived by their various audiences."
Typically, it is the blunders that make headlines, or catch the reader's attention. Rarely will a patron call to tell us they saw something positive about our library, but patrons seldom miss an opportunity to point out when something was reported inaccurately.
Each year FINEMAN PR publishes a list of the best of the worst public relations blunders of the year, "In selecting the blunders, our intent is not to degrade or defame, but to uphold widely reported incidents as case studies to educate companies and the public on the value of good public relations. Organizations must understand how their interests must be synchronized with the needs and sensibilities of the marketplace in which they conduct business. In the vast majority of cases, public relations blunders point to the need for the incorporation of public relations perspectives in management, policy, marketing, and in the education of employees. Good public relations is about promoting and safeguarding credibility and the potential for long-term success."
Who hasn''t inadvertently sent out information that had errors in it, or had the media misprint information supplied to them that was accurate? Such mistakes can often be costly, not only financially but in the number of people the mistake prevents from coming to a program at our library. So how do we avoid those mistakes?
PRFree, an online press release distribution services provides easy to follow advice on how we can all avoid the pitfalls of a public relations blunder.
Press Release Blunders
From PRFree.com Communicate News
Nothing discourages a journalist from reading your release more quickly than errors, either typographical or grammatical. You will want to proof
- and proof again - and then ask someone else for assistance.
When writing your release, keep the following pointers in mind:
Write headlines and content directed to journalists, not consumers.
Press releases that address the end-users of your product or service are inappropriate and will most likely be disregarded by the media.
Addressing your audience in the third-person - which means eliminating the use of the word "you" from your vocabulary - can be a challenge. A well-written press release encourages the media to take note of the information you are communicating, and it increase the likelihood the media will be encouraged to follow-up for more. While your ultimate goal is to increase business, a press release forum is not the medium to disseminate advertising or to sell.
Don't be flagrant.
Aside from sounding like a sales or marketing piece, using characters outside the standard alphabet to emphasize certain points in your headline or in the body of your release will likely be caught by spam filters, preventing your release from reaching the intended recipients.
Exclamation points (!) and asterisks (*) do much to detract from the message you are trying to convey - aside from damaging the credibility of your press release.
Overuse of words like "exciting" and "unique" have jaded the media - use alternate vocabulary to make your product or service stand apart from your competitors. Be sure if you make claims about your company that the claims can stand up against the intense scrutiny of journalists.
Avoid using UPPER CASE characters.
Studies have identified that text written in all upper case characters is not only significantly more difficult to read, it evokes an emotional response from readers, as if you are screaming at them. Headlines and content releases must be provided in mixed case - upper and lower case.

Clean up grammatical errors - alone or with professional assistance.
While you may be working against a deadline to submit your release, note that the extra time allocated to ensure your release is error-proof will pay off in the long run - by appearing professional and polished.
Using a spell-checker is not enough. Words like "from" are easily missed when spelled "form."
A time-proven method for error-checking is to start at the bottom, and read from RIGHT to LEFT, moving UP the release. We have a tendency to read quickly when proofing - using this method ensures you take the time to actually read each word and check each punctuation mark.
If you are tempted to write your release during the submission process
- don't. Prepare a rough draft, and edit several times prior to sending out the release.
Use industry lingo sparingly.
Using a lofty vocabulary to impress the reader with your written prowess doesn't - and doesn't make it easier for journalists on a tight deadline to use your release because they then must translate it into layman's terms.
Communicate your information in terms that are easy to understand - many people write they way they speak, ensuring a larger population grasps the concepts or ideas. If however, there are industry-specific terms that will be lost if translated, or they are accepted in the industry, use them. Don't, however, make up words in an effort to catch journalists' attention - those kinds of things interrupt the reader's train of thought. And if it's confusing, more likely than not, you've lost the reader.
Address content issues.
Releases that either communicate an offensive message or don't provide enough detail about the subject will be rejected. You may be tempted to believe your release will be effective at enticing a journalist to visit a website for additional detail if your release only contains a few words - you would be mistaken.
Although it is important to be concise in conveying your message, leaving out pertinent information that addresses the: who, what, where, when, why and how can do as much harm as submitting a 2,000 word release. A good rule of thumb is to keep your release around 500 words when possible.
Include contact information.
Incorrect or incomplete contact information for a release is discouraging to the media. Be sure to include current information for at least one person designated at your company to field inquiries from journalists who receive your release.
Make product/service detail available online.
It's important to make additional information available online - and to include that reference either in your release or contact information.
The industry also recognizes the value of including multimedia elements
- photos, charts, graphics - and journalists are always looking for these

Patricia C. Spencer
Outreach & Volunteer Coordinator
Lewis and Clark Library

PR Hint of the Month - December 2007 - Celebrate Individual Staff Members

PR Hint of the Month: PR Inside and Outside Your LibraryHow can you promote your library to your community while boosting staff morale at the same time? By celebrating individual staff members and highlighting their talents, interests and accomplishments, that’s how! You could choose to highlight an individual staff person with each newsletter, or you could dedicate an entire issue of your library newsletter to your staff. Members of your community will feel more of a connection to your library as they learn about the staff that helps run your library. You might even choose an annual issue of your library newsletter for highlighting your staff members’ unique interests, contributions to the library and community, recommended reading, etc., and make it an issue that members of your community look forward to each year. In addition, compile a list of staff recommended reading and keep copies at your service desks, kiosks, etc. Also, highlight staff member(s) and/or staff picks on your library website. You might even highlight your staff in your local newspaper to reach a wider audience and build even more connections community-wide. Celebrate your best library resource -- your people who make it all happen!Happy Holidays!Mary Anne Hansen

PR Hint of the Month - February 2006 - USPs

What is your library's Unique Selling Proposition (USP)?
A USP distills the essence of what your organization is all about by summarizing the benefits of your products and services. A USP is what sets you apart from the competition and compels people to buy your product. I think the most unique and compelling thing about most libraries is that we are free.
You probably know the USPs of many businesses already. Wal-mart is the low price leader. M&Ms melt in your mouth not in your hand. Having a USP is an important part of branding your organization.
1. What do you wish everyone knew about your library? What's so great about your library that you are practically bursting at the seams to get the message out? What sets you apart from your competitors?
2. Can you distill that down to one or two key ideas?
3. Now, can you make it sound even better?
Here are some examples of library USP's:
Everyday, all free, for everyone.
So many choices, all free @ your library.
A world of information, right here in Montana.
Try to include your USP in all of your communication with your customers (flyers, PSAs etc.). This is much easier said than done, but creating a USP for your library can be a worthwhile exercise in determining what you want people to remember about your organization.
Creating a USP was the inital part of a marketing workshop that some of my co-workers and I went to this fall.
Katie Boyes
Public Services Librarian
Flathead County Library

PR Hint of the Week - 6/23/03 - Self Introduction

This week's marketing tip, I promise will be easy and painfree....
With the arrival of summer in Montana, emerge new venues for library marketing....farmers' markets, garage sales, outdoor concerts, etc.
As we meet people in these different places, a powerful, positive self-introduction can be a great marketing method for our institutions and ourselves. It conveys in a concise manner what our library and ourselves can offer others.
If you want to see people's eyes glaze over, go on at great length about the varied aspects of your daily job with a detailed explanation of your library collections. If, however, you want to keep the focus on the other person, limit your introduction to the recommended 7 seconds including:
1) your name
2) your library and your position
3) and the distinct service or value that you provide the community. (of course, tailor this last part, if possible, to the perceived information needs of the individual you are talking with. Skip the library jargon!)
Enjoy the fleeting summer warmth!
Jim Kammerer
MLA PR/Marketing Committee

PR Hint of the Week - 12/19/03 - Blogs

Needing ideas to promote your library, market an idea, or start a new project? If you are not already doing so, you might want to start exploring librarian weblogs.
You will soon notice that each blogger in turn often offers their own list of favorite blogs. The content and writing style can be personal, trivial, trenchant, etc. I am not recommending any of these blogs. I merely cut and pasted these listings which vary widely in their taste, quality, currency,
and subject matter. I hope some of them spur your own creativity.
Jim Kammerer
MLA PR/Marketing Committee

Biblioblog <http://biblioblog.blogspot.com/> Bibliolatry <http://www.etches-johnson.com/bibliolatry/>
Bookslut <http://www.bookslut.com/>
Catalogablog <http://catalogablog.blogspot.com/>
Chi Lib Rocks! <http://radio.weblogs.com/0111803/>
et cetera : Gateshead Libraries <http://www.libraryweblog.com/> explodedlibrary.info <http://www.explodedlibrary.info/>
h20boro lib blog <http://www.waterborolibrary.org/blog.htm>
Handheld Librarian <http://handheldlib.blogspot.com/>
inSilico <http://libserv12.princeton.edu/insilico/>
librarian.net <http://librarian.net/>
librarism <http://www.librarism.com/>
Library Planet <http://www.libraryplanet.com/> Library Stuff <http://www.librarystuff.net/> LIS Blogsource <http://www.librarystuff.net/libraryblogs/>
LISNews <http://www.lisnews.com/>
MobyLives <http://www.mobylives.com/>
netbib weblog <http://log.netbib.de/> [German] Reading Lines <http://www.crpl.blogspot.com/> Ref Grunt <http://refgrunt.blogspot.com/> The Resource Shelf <http://www.resourceshelf.com/> Revolting Librarians (1972) <http://owen.massey.net/libraries/revolting/index.html>
Scholarly Electronic Publishing Weblog
<http://info.lib.uh.edu/sepb/sepw.htm>
The Shifted Librarian <http://www.theshiftedlibrarian.com/>
thinking while typing <http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/thinking/>
Well Dressed Librarian <http://welldressedlibrarian.blogspot.com/>
Young Librarian <http://younglibrarian.blogspot.com/>
Bloug <http://www.louisrosenfeld.com/>
Ex Libris <http://marylaine.com/exlibris/index.html>
Handheld Librarian <http://handheldlib.blogspot.com> It's All About Books <http://allaboutbooks.blogspot.com/>
LibeTech <http://www.valkyrie.net/~emaynard/libtech/>
Librarian.net <http://www.librarian.net/> Librarians Anonymous <http://www.librariansanonymous.com/blogger.html>
Library_Geek <http://librarygeek.blogspot.com/>
Library News Daily <http://www.lights.com/scott/> LibraryPlanet <http://www.libraryplanet.com/> Library Stuff <http://www.librarystuff.net/> Library Techlog <http://www.meberle.com/weblog.html>
LIS News <http://www.lisnews.com/>
NewBreed Librarian <http://www.newbreedlibrarian.org/>
Rogue Librarian <http://www.roguelibrarian.net/> Semantics <http://www.semanticstudios.com/publications/semantics/>
Virtual Acquisition Shelf & News Desk <http://resourceshelf.freepint.com/>
Wireless <http://people.morrisville.edu/~drewwe/wireless/>

Friday, March 7, 2008

PR Hint for March--new PR Hints blog--and flickr'ing

PR Hint of the Month - March 2008 - Pick Your Own Hint!
You now have the luxury of reviewing all the PR Hint of the Months from years past as well as choosing your own hint which suits your needs at the moment! The MLA PR & Marketing Committee is proud to present the MLA PR Hints Blog. It is available at http://mlaprhints.blogspot.com/. We certainly hope you'll review these hints and provide your own thoughts.
Particularly if you have a best practice, or a learning experience, feel free to share these!
Special thanks to Suzanne Reymer for creating this blog for us and to PR & marketing committee member Heidi Sue Adams for inputting in all the past PR Hints. The blog is truly easy to use! Give it a whirl!
And speaking of past projects that are cool, we'd like to take this chance to remind you about the Montana libraries photo pool on flickr http://www.flickr.com/groups/montanalibraries/
Jim Kammerer, Information Services Manager at the Montana State Library, has been quite active in posting photos to this group and promoting it. Here's a message he sent out awhile back:
You are most welcome and invited to post your pictures at http://www.flickr.com/groups/montanalibraries/
This could be a great place to post photos of your own local library, its resources, staff, special events, etc. I imagine there ought to be other ways to use this cool tool to market our libraries and meet patrons where they are at already. I'd suggest using the same tag "Montana Libraries" so that the search results would retrieve lots of pictures from all over the state (your photos can be further distinguished by adding descriptions in the description field).
Registration for www.flickr.com is easy and free, with lots of options for organizing photos, making them public/private, etc.
If you have any questions regarding Flickr, please let Jim know (jkammerer@mt.gov).
One more month to the MLA Conference (April 9-12, 2008). Hope to see many of you in Great Falls!
Lisa
Chair, MLA PR & Marketing Committee
Lisa Mecklenberg Jackson
Legislative Staff Attorney/Librarian
Montana Legislative Branch
State Capitol, Room 122
P.O. Box 201706
Helena, MT 59620-1706
Phone: (406) 444-4024
Fax: (406) 444-3036
Ljackson@mt.gov

Thursday, March 6, 2008

PR Hint of the Month - Sept 2006 - Solving Community Challenges

PR Hint and bonus feature--Libraries can Play a Key Role in Solving Pressing Community Challenges

Greetings to Montana librarians from your friendly MLA PR & Marketing Committee!

Want to assist us in writing PR Hints for Wired, help Montana libraries think of ways to market their services and produce documents to do that, put together a program, table, and poster session at the MLA Conference, help with the Montana librarians' calendar, and oh so much more?! Then join the MLA PR & Marketing Committee. We currently have several committee openings for enthusiastic and energetic librarians who want to help us get the word out about the great things librarians and libraries are doing in Montana. If you have a passion for what we do, you're the perfect person for this committee.

Shoot me an e-mail if you'd like to join the MLA PR & Marketing Committee--or if you'd like more information. And hey, congratulations to committee member Patricia Spencer of the Lewis & Clark Public Library, who recently delivered a bouncing baby girl named Jordyn!

Thanks--hope to hear from you!
Lisa
MLA PR & Marketing Committee Chair

PR HINT--Libraries can Play a Key Role in Solving Pressing Community Challenges

What do your users think of your library? What does the public think of libraries generally? An Americans for Libraries Council sponsored a study to learn what Americans think of libraries in the age of the Internet. It was conducted by Public Agenda and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. It shows that libraries are poised to lead the way to solutions to today's pressing community problems, including providing a safe and engaging place for teens; building a strong and literate workforce; and extending access to technology. It also finds that taking on such challenges is the best bet for libraries to strengthen their communities and their own funding futures. The final report, "Long Overdue: A Fresh Look at Public and Leadership Attitudes About Libraries in the 21st Century," has been published and can be downloaded, along with commentary, at http://www.lff.org/long_overdue061306.html. A glimpse into the results shows that libraries top the list of public services receiving an "A" grade, ahead even of police and schools; more than half the public (52 percent) would rather raise taxes than cut library services or charge fees for them and nine in ten Americans believe that libraries will be
needed in the future, regardless of technological developments.

But along with the good news comes a wake-up call to the library community:
-Engaged citizens who vote in local elections and care deeply about libraries are no more likely than others to support libraries financially, or to advocate for their well-being - they simply don't know that library funding may be in jeopardy; -Elected officials recognize that communities trust libraries, but they do not fully employ (or fund) libraries to solve pressing community problems - problems that libraries are uniquely positioned to help resolve.

Now, what can YOU do with this report in your local Montana libraries?
See http://www.lff.org/long_overdue061306.html#word for some great ways you can help spread the word at the local level that libraries can play a key role in solving pressing community challenges.

BONUS FEATURE: Interesting article--Librarians at the Gates (Commentary on Librarians' Preserving Public Access to Information by Joseph Huff-Hannon)
http://www.thenation.com/doc/20060828/librarians

Lisa Mecklenberg Jackson
J.D., M.L.I.S. Legislative Librarian/Attorney Montana Legislative

PR Hint of the Month - Sept 2007 - The Tipping Point

Greetings Montana Librarians,

It is with great delight that I welcome new members to the MLA PR & Marketing Committee: Renee Goss, Mary Anne Hansen, Lee Phillips, Heidi Sue Adams, and Hannah Nash. With this group, I look forward to many exciting and useful marketing efforts this year which will benefit all Montana's libraries! On that note, if there are any projects or ideas you would like the PR & Marketing Committee to take a look at in upcoming months, please let me know. We want to do what will be most useful to you, Montana librarians of all types. Send me an e-mail at Ljackson AT mt.gov or call me. I look forward to hearing from you!
Thank you,
Lisa, MLA PR & Marketing Committee Chair

NOW PLEASE CHECK OUT THE PR HINT BELOW:

Remember last April's MLA Conference in Helena? Seems likes years ago already, doesn't it? As part of incorporating the theme of the conference ("The Tipping Point: Moving Montana Libraries from Good to Great"), MLA Board members were asked to share a book which they considered a "tipping point" in their lives. These selections were displayed at the MLA table at the conference but in case you missed it, they are reprinted below (note: these are last year's board members; not current board members). Looks like some great reading--for you and for your libraries!

BOOKS THAT WERE A TIPPING POINT:

Lyn McKinney, MLA President
Montana: A History of Two Centuries was a tipping point for me - I first read part of it in 7th grade when I studied Montana history for the first time - then again in college - it made me realize what a wonderful rich history we have in Montana and I have been learning everything I can about it ever since.

Honore Bray, Vice-President
My tipping point book is my organizer!

Milla Cummins, Past President
Before reading Technopoly by Neil Postman, I had never really ruminated about the unintended (indeed, unimagined) societal consequences that technological advances have had throughout history. Variously reviewed as “clichéd,” “provocative,” or “vivid and thought provoking,” this book made a lasting impression on me. In fact, I expect it is largely responsible for the skepticism with which I view the glorious claims made about the long-term ramifications of our current transformation from a ‘paper’ to a ‘pay-per’ society.

Peggy Smith, Secretary/Treasurer
The World Is Flat is an amazing look at how interconnected economically the U.S. is with the rest of the world. Explains a lot about Wal-Mart and why you often have a difficult time with the accents of some company’s customer support staff.

Debbi Kramer, Executive Director
Who Moved My Cheese was a book that was really interesting and insightful to me. I thought it was interesting how each of us deals with change. It confirmed for me that I don't like or deal with change very well. I think everyone should read the book and learn more about themselves.

Darlene Staffeldt, State Librarian
Love, Medicine, and Miracles by Bernie S. Siegel. I first read this in the 90s when I was losing my older brother and a good friend (Sheila) to cancer and this book says a lot about what we need to do for ourselves to stay healthy or get healthy.

Della Dubbe, Chair, PLD
Life of Pi and Inheritance of Loss.

Suzi Watne, Chair, SLMD
Probably, the book with the most significant influence for me professionally in the last few years has been Information Power; Building Partnerships for Learning. The significant focus shift from school libraries as resource centers to school libraries as crucial partners with students in the long-learning process is meaningful. That shift underlines and bolds the fact that what we do makes a profound difference in the present and future lives of the students we serve. This book has helped our district’s librarians write a vital curriculum, define collaboration, and continue to move purposefully forward in an ever-changing field.

Beth Boyson, ALA Rep.
The Four Agreements has helped me set goals and guidelines while working with the public, which has saved me lots of angst and hurt feelings and given me the freedom to achieve.

Norma Glock, PNLA Rep.
Heidi’s free-loving spirit and honesty has made her my “tipping point.” As the blurb on the back of the book says “even the goats love her.” How can you go wrong with a role model like that?

Carlene Engstrom, Director at Large, West
The Title is Reframing Organizations, Artistry, Choice, and Leadership by Bolman and Deal. How is it serving as my tipping point? I think I am still on the tipping part, but the book shows managers how to look at organizations from different viewpoints, thus frames. Each frame calls for a different interpretation or reaction of the same or similar situation and a different approach at looking at situations. It is a great tool for helping a manager determine the best way to respond to leadership situations. This was the text used at the Harvard ACRL Academic Leadership Institute 2007.

Gail Wilkerson, Director at Large, East
I have enjoyed reading both Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High and Crucial Confrontations by Kerry Patterson. Both address the power that respectful conversations have to transform people and relationships.

Suzanne Goodman, Chair, Awards & Honors Committee
So Big, by Edna Ferber, taught me at a time when I needed it that one’s unique life experiences can add up to rich character. These experiences should be welcomed, encouraged, and quietly celebrated.

Mary Anne Hansen, Chair, Cates Committee
All Creatures Great and Small -- a "tipping point" for me because reading about James Herriot's life and his experiences with God's creatures and the natural world is a magical experience for those of us whose lives are richer because of our connection with our pets.

Judy Hart, Co-chair, Conference Planning Committee
Desert Solitaire: A Season in the Wilderness by Edward Abbey.

Lisa Mecklenberg Jackson, Co-chair, Conference Planning Committee
I read The Art of Parenting Twins before my twins were born. I like to think it gave me a “heads up” on what to expect with two tots at the same time!

Marje Doyle, Chair, Professional Development Committee
Quilting book- because if I don’t take time for myself no one is going to make sure that I do… all work and no play… DDC – There are answers out there to just about everything but you need to be able to find them. Our systems may not be perfect but they are better than some and certainly better than none. I’ve wanted to be in libraries since I was young and this is part of the reason why.

Jean Neilsen, Chair, Public Library Director Interest Group
My tipping point book is Collapse by Jared Diamond. I took away a renewed understanding of how one person really does make a difference.

Carol Grover, Co-chair, Trustees Interest Group
The Betty Crocker cookbook has been my chief domestic reference book for the nearly 40 years of married life. As our dietary needs change with age, this book is still the first resource I use when trying to adapt recipes to our needs.

Don't forget to let me know if you have any PR & Marketing ideas for this MLA Committee!

Lisa Mecklenberg Jackson
Legislative Staff Attorney/Librarian
Montana Legislative Branch

PR Hint of the Month - Jan 2007 - Blogs

Hi Wired librarians,
I recently came across this story and thought it would be a good one to use for a PR Hint. Perhaps many libraries in Montana already use blogs. If not, perhaps something to explore? We have a blog for the MLA 2007 Conference in the works so look for that in the near future!
Please also note the "cool quote" at the end of the article which relates to moving beyond job descriptions--something I completely agree with. Hope you find this useful!
Lisa
On behalf of the MLA PR & Marketing Committee

A HUMAN VOICE
by Marylaine Block

One of the innovations I've been delighted to see on library web sites is the blog. What makes me even happier is how many public, academic, school, and special libraries are now doing it.
One reason I like blogs so much is that the format virtually compels you to talk like a person, not like the official voice of the library. Most official library prose is careful, neutral, restrained, and, not to put too fine a point on it, boring beyond belief. How often have you heard a librarian (accurately) describe a character in a book as "icky," as "Liz" did on Madison Public Library's MADreads blog <http://www.madisonpubliclibrary.org/madreads/>? The grayness of our prose is odd, considering that librarians are readers who know what sparkling prose looks like. And all the odder when you consider that most librarians are really pretty interesting people.

A library's blog allows its readers to get to know the library staff in a far more meaningful way than through their formal transactions, which may otherwise be limited to strictly utilitarian questions like "How do I get a printout of this page," or "Where can I find this book?"

Betsy's Blog <http://www.champaign.org/teenspace/read_watch_listen/betsys_blog.html>
at the Champaign Public Library, for instance, reveals this "middle-aged teen librarian" as someone who's up to date on current teen interests, and who knows exactly how to pique their interest. Note the items, "Teenage Stringless Guitar Player Needed, or the Prize No One Wanted" ("Respond quickly if you need some Black Diamond guitar strings plus picks and a strap"), and "How can you NOT love a book with a crowned cow on it" ("Cows, football, and a frustrated teenage girl add up to a fun summer read.")

A blog is also a good way to acquaint your public with services they didn't know you offered. The St. Joseph County Public Library blog <http://www.libraryforlife.org/blogs/lifeline/>, for instance, tells people about a variety of ways they can turn old family photos into Christmas gifts. In the process, it explains how the library can help them learn about preserving old photos, identifying and dating them, and tracing family history.

Similarly, when the Santa Clara County Library's Latest SCCoop <http://146.74.224.231/> announces a book talk on "books and media appropriate for gift giving for all age levels," and its Graphic Novel Discussion group, it's telling people who still may not realize it that librarians are happy to help you find the kind of books you want to read or give. (You'd be surprised how few people know that libraries offer readers advisory services.)

A blog encourages, nimbleness of response to recent events, because for many libraries, it's far easier to add something quickly to the blog than to the web site itself. For instance, as I'm writing this, the Iraq Study Group report has just been released. The Topeka-Shawnee County Public Library's Paper Cuts <http://papercuts.tscpl.org/> immediately added a link to the online document, and noted that "If you don't like reading long documents online, our library has three circulating copies... and one that will always be available for in-library use..."
The Allen County (IN) Public Library <http://acplinfo.blogspot.com/> used its blog to announce a new current information feature: an automatically generated, automatically updated mashup of images of new books acquired each day <http://blog.acpl.lib.in.us/amzamash/book_wall.php>)
And if there's any notion in the public's mind that the library provides information only for serious or educational purposes, the library's blog will swiftly show them otherwise. On the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, for instance, the Springfield-Greene County Library's Teen Thing Blog <http://thelibrary.org/teens/teens.cfm> linked not only to turkey and vegetarian recipes for Thanksgiving dinners, but also to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade line-up and to a site that explained "the history and science behind Spongebob, Snoopy and friends." The Memphis Public Library & Information Center Reference Highway blog <http://mplic.wordpress.com/> recently posted links to Tennessee restaurant inspection scores and "The Secrets of Mystery Shopping Revealed."

The blog is also a wonderful way for library directors and staff to explain themselves to the public - their policies, issues they're grappling with, new services they've introduced, etc. Among my favorites are Kankakee Public Library's She Said/He Said <http://lions-online-shesaidhesaid.blogspot.com/>, the musings of director Cindy Fuerst and assistant director Stephen Bertram. Among the things they've recently discussed are how, by considering only the best fit for the job, they've managed to hire a staff that matches the racial and ethnic composition of their community, and why some traditional old services have been rethought or replaced with others that fulfill the purpose in new ways.

But a library blog does need to be approached with commitment, as a library service that like any other requires daily or at the very least weekly attention - people won't click on a blog that rarely gets updated (though to some extent that can be mitigated by making the blog available as an RSS feed). Somebody has to keep supplying content.

One way to do that is to require several library staff members to contribute regularly to the project. MADReads (mentioned above) and Memphis Reads <http://memphisreads.blogspot.com/> are among the team blogs in which a number of distinct librarian voices are heard recommending both books and library services for readers.

Finally, a blog is a place where your community can talk back to you, because blog software automatically permits comments. The fact is, people don't like top-down communication: we all want to talk back. Allow your users to contribute to the site, and you'll have a nice informal feedback mechanism to find out what your users think about your existing services, website, collections, and recommendations, and what they'd like to see added or changed.

If you're not yet a blogging library, take a look at how these and other libraries are doing it - the Blog without a Library Wiki maintains a lengthy set of links to all types of libraries that maintain blogs at <http://www.blogwithoutalibrary.net/links/index.php?title=Welcome_to_the_Blogging_Libraries_Wiki>.

I'll bet you'll see a model that appeals to you, or inspires an even better idea for your own library.

* * *
COOL QUOTE:
All too often, especially in larger settings, bureaucracy creates tidy little job descriptions into which staff are jailed. What this mathematically driven system does not take into account is that human beings are complex creatures with more than one ability. A person may be
a whiz at answering reference questions, but what if they can also sew a very convincing Sponge Bob costume? Will the Youth Services Department go without this asset because costuming is not in the job description for reference? Maybe your cataloguer is expert at Microsoft Access. Will he/she be allowed to work on a database for the Circulation people, or will it be more important to protect one's turf?

Our library looks expensive because we have a cataloger doing an RA newsletter, a reference clerk writing music, and circulation clerks putting up displays. Does this make our organizational chart a little fuzzy? Maybe. Welcome to the human race. And I dare you to find a bored KPL staffer!

Steve Bertrand, Assistant Director, Kankakee Public Library, on the library's blog She Said/He Said, Nov. 15 2006, http://lions-online-shesaidhesaid.blogspot.com/2006/11/talent-20.html

Lisa Mecklenberg Jackson
Legislative Staff Attorney

PR Hint of the Month - Nov 2006 - Great PR/Fundraising Ideas

Hello Montana Librarians,

If you haven't had a chance yet to check out WebJunction, you'll want to do that as soon as you can. There's great stuff on this site--and it's priced right! It's FREE! Just discovered is this great list of fundraising ideas. Some of these are super. Check out number 35--my personal favorite.

Happy Library Marketing!
Lisa

Funding Brainstorm
Description: A list of funding ideas and resources collected from the Rural Library Sustainability workshops, training institutes, and from other discussion areas on WebJunction.

1. Visit WebJunction's discussion areas on funding
http://webjunction.org/forums/category.jspa?categoryID=12. There's a wealth of ideas there from around the country!

2. Consider various levels of grant makers/funders: Local
businesses, government (mayor & council, political representatives-local, state, federal), foundations (local, family, national), individual donors, retired employees and community members.

3. Ask local bank what services/funds they may provide to community groups, often interested in technology funding in particular

4. Seek out mini-grants from local business, eg. Walmart, Sam's Club

5. Consider all types of relationship building within your community, even with beauty salons, realtors and morgues!

6. Study up on searching <http://librarygrants.blogspot.com/> &
writing for grants.

7. Seek out state library coordination for shared/traded services across the state

8. Form partnerships with other organizations (schools, parent/teacher groups, hospitals, social service agencies, parks service) as it's often the expectation of funding agencies that you will be doing this.

9. Social enterprise developing income streams using assets and resources currently available, see Aztec Public Library

10. Establish a Friends group, see starting a friends group http://webjunction.org/forums/thread.jspa?threadID=719&tstart=0 forum on WJ

11. Friends or no friends, use some of FOLUSA's best ideas <http://www.folusa.org/html/best4.html>

12. Post wish list on library Webpages, share across the desk or with local businesses

13. Solicit gift certificates or prizes from local businesses for special events/programming

14. When building new construction, recognize contributors on bricks, furniture, and equipment

15. Ice cream social & silent auction

16. Seek special honorees/benefactors

17. Have a used computer sale when upgrading

18. Encourage patrons to keep the library in the public mind for memorial

19. Help my town form a long range planning committee and then eventually include the library for future funding

20. Consider alternative fund raising such as E-Bay sales of old
books

21. Search Foundation Finder
<http://fdncenter.org/findfunders/;jsessionid=RDKGB5UPXUE4XTQRSI4CGXD5AA
AACI2F> for more grants

22. Work with area Arts & Humanities Council for grant opportunities

23. Contact local businesses to provide gifts/services for Customer Appreciation Month

24. Hold a tea for mothers and daughters to raise money for books

25. Find champions of libraries in legislature and communicate with them

26. Put ads in publications where donors are likely to access-civic newsletters, etc., promoting library as tax shelter and bequest possibility

27. Solicit sponsors for special collections

28. Garage sales, booksales, raffles

29. Get a "place at the table" in your community so all come to realize the benefits of partnering with the library: better community learning, health, commerce, quality of life, etc.

30. Lead efforts to develop a local task force, advisory board eg. Community Capacity Building Team

31. See more online resources for Rural Librarians Promoting Public Libraries http://webjunction.org/do/DisplayContent?id=12793

32. White Pine Public Library has a "parking meter" in front of their circulation desk that collects change from the patrons. They use the change to buy big ticket items that aren't usually covered by technology grants.

33. Post a "Buy a Book" campaign on your website like the East Meadow Public Library <http://www.nassaulibrary.org/emeadow/>

34. Traditional Registries can be set up for libraries as "wish lists" at many online vendors sites, like Amazon.com. If your trustees support this, it requires regular maintenance, but potential great additions to your collections and equipment.

35. Ask restaurants to partner in a fundraising event like "take your library to dinner" or Dish Up Literacy <http://www.dishupliteracy.org/>

36. Write a cookbook for a fundraiser and call it something like: The Hungry Librarian (thanks esmeralda)

37. See more Funding Strategies http://webjunction.org/do/Navigation?category=405 on WebJunction


Lisa Mecklenberg Jackson
MLA PR & Marketing Committee Chair

PR Hint of the Week - Jan 21, 2004 - Programming

One of the best PR tools I have in my job as Public Relations Coordinator is adult programming. Programming in general, be it adult or children's, is a powerful PR tool. It fosters relationships within the community in several ways.

First of all, library programs can emphasize library related topics, like book discussions, computer classes or author readings. Programs in this category might interest a smaller, select portion of the general community, but are still helpful in making the library more visible.

Secondly, library programs can be as diverse as the community. While mirroring the community interests, programs can still include topics as varied as the community. We've had successful program series on a wide range of topics, from travel to hobbies, to writing a living will, and whatever falls in-between. When you're willing and able to experiment and take a chance you might draw in new faces and new support for the library.

Programs can also support and be supported by the arts. We have a strong summer music series, regular art exhibits and receptions and an annual book festival. All of these types of programs have established our library as integral to the artistic life of the community.

Finally, programs can offer what's unavailable in a community or serve the underserved. For example, our library is beginning a once-a-month foreign and independent film series tonight.
Response to the publicity has been huge. Regardless of the turnout, I can safely wager new faces will be in the audience.

So, turnout is one example of community relationships programming enhances. Often time, it's the community members themselves who are called upon or who volunteer, to present programs. This establishes relationships with individual members and groups within the community. A personal connection is worth its weight in gold for public relations.

Finally, the stronger and more consistent your programming is, the more the community comes to know, trust and rely on the library as a community center, which is how I've always seen the library's role in a given community. When a library takes that role on in the minds of the community members, it becomes a strong and vital aspect of a healthy community.
Since I've been doing programming one thing I've learned is though turnout is important, offering the opportunity is even more important.

Jude Smith
Public Relations Coordinator
Great Falls Public Library

PR Hint of the Month - March 2007 - Hot Direct Mail Campaign Idea

I read the following article in this month's edition of Successful Promotions and thought it fit nicely with the PR Hint that Lisa sent out a few months ago on fund-raising ideas.

On behalf of the MLA PR Committee: Hot Direct Mail Campaign Idea:
"Puzzle Promo Generates Donations" by Jen Zorger
Successful Promotions March 2007

A hospital with a shortage of beds? That's hardly a prescription for good service. San Antonio Community Hospital (SACH) in Upland, CA, has been puzzled for years by this dilemma: not enough beds in its emergency department. Sure, the hospital has big plans for a new building that would increase the capacity from 18 to 52 beds, plus add 102 private rooms with telemetry capabilities-but to foot the bill, they need a lot of help from donors.

Christie Rose, manager of special events and annual giving for the SACH Foundation, wanted to send prospective donors some sort of lumpy mail to grab their attention. "Since what we're doing is trying to build a new emergency room and patient tower," she says, "I thought of all the puzzle pieces that have to come together to make that happen-and I thought, 'Why not a puzzle?'"
She consulted Ernest Nicastro, principal of marketing firm Positive Response. They worked with a promotional products supplier to create a jigsaw puzzle showing the hospital campus. The polybagged, unassembled puzzle mailed to high-income community members, along with a cover letter that played on the puzzle/solution theme.

"The cost for this mailing was more than double the amount this nonprofit typically spends on a fund-raising mailer," Nicastro says.

"Nevertheless, this one mailing brought in more than twice the normal amount the hospital generates from direct mail over the course of an entire year."

Rose notes that an average mailing for her foundation may draw from $8,000 to $15,000 in donations. The puzzle mailing brought in nearly $120,000 and she expects those donors to keep giving. "If you have a device or a vehicle to keep people involved with your product or your cause, then they continue to come aback to you," she says. "It's all good-it all helps."

She points out that for some promotions, ROI builds over time. Studying four past mailings, she found that the initial donations they drew totaled $51,000, but over several years, the same donors went on to give $246,000.

Patricia C. Spencer
Outreach & Volunteer Coordinator
Lewis and Clark Library

PR Hint of the Month - July 2007 - July Promotion ideas

Summer is in full swing and I came across some neat marketing ideas in a trade magazine that I thought I'd pass along to you this month....some fun stuff that you could easily incorporate into a window or book display.

Did you know that July is:
1st-31st: National Bikini Month....what about some beach displays or fitness themed displays.

6th-29th: Tour de France...Cycling themed displays are a perfect way to liven up the summer; consider having a Tour de France type contest with prizes for those who reach the specified reading goal or milestone. In addition, it would be a good time to showcase your travel section with an European get-way themed display.

12th: Henry David Thoreau's Birthday, a perfect time to celebrate staff! In Walden, Thoreau said, "If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer." Take time to celebrate what a wonderful library staff you have with a summer themed office party.

15th: National Ice Cream Day! Each year, Americans spend $20 billion on ice cream. Whether to mark the happy ending to their day or as a welcome retreat from the summer sun, patrons are willing to bite on ice cream flavored promotions. Think about hosting an ice cream social in appreciation of your patrons. Or, consider an ice cream themed display featuring cookbooks devoted to this favorite summer treat.

22nd: Parents' Day.....The fourth Sunday of July is Parents' Day, a tribute to the women and men whose devotion as parents helps strengthen society and form foundations for the future. Perhaps a display of parenting books or better yet, staff favorites for good family reads...encourage families to take time to read together.

28th: National Day of the Cowboy. Recognized as a day to honor cowboys, cowgirls, rodeo athletes, musicians, and everyone contributing to the Western culture of America. Host a Cowboy Poetry Slam or a workshop on storytelling or entice everyone in from the heat with a viewing of a John Wayne classic. Displays could feature everything from rodeo books to western memorabilia collections.

31st: Paperback Books Introduced. Get caught reading! Although books with a softbound cover were first introduced in Germany in 1841, the first modern Penguin paperback was published by Sir Allen Lane in London in 1935. It was called "Ariel, or the Life of Shelley," by Andre Maurois. Put a bookmark in the hand of every patron today. Bookmarks should feature your library's logo, hours, phone numbers, and web address.

Taken from Successful Promotions, January/February 2007.

Happy summer!
Patricia
On behalf of the MLA PR & Marketing Committee

Patricia C. Spencer
Public Information Officer & Volunteer Coordinator
Lewis and Clark Library

PR Hint of the Week - Dec 15, 2003 - World Holidays

Holidays are a time of celebration and I'm sure we are all in the
holiday spirit. What better way to share the holiday spirit and
promote peace on earth than by celebrating the uniqueness and
diversity around us. Why not create display tables or have an open
house featuring holiday traditions from around the world. Even if
there are not a lot of ethnic groups in your community, historically
there may have been ethnic groups who were a part of the founding of
your towns (ask your local historical society for more information).
There are also generally people willing to share their ancestral
backgrounds or high school exchanges students in the schools wanting
share their culture. Even better, why not dedicate an entire year to
celebrating a variety of holidays from around the world. You could
celebrate the Chinese New Year, White Day (the Japanese version of
Valentines Day), Dia de los Muertos, etc. By celebrating these traditions we can educate our communities about the wonderful diversity in our world.

For great examples of world holiday traditions check out these sites:

http://www.zuzu.org/daze.html

http://yahooligans.yahoo.com/around_the_world/holidays/

http://www.kidsdomain.com/holiday/xmas/around.html

Wishing you all peace in your world,

Jennie Stapp

Technical Services Librarian
Montana Historical Society

PR Hint of the Week - Jan 26, 2004 - Community Involvement & Library Displays

In the January 2004 issue of Library Journal John Berry pays tribute to the San Diego public library system. You may be aware of the serious financial problems facing the California State Library. And yet, even in dire times the San Diego's library is receiving $312 million dollar to finance substantial library expansion including a new main library with multiple branches. Much of the credit goes to the library director who, through her involvement in the community, keeps the library in the forefront of the minds of city officials.

We all recognize the vital role libraries play in our communities but others may not. It, therefore, becomes our responsibility to make community leaders understand the relationship between a strong, well-supported library and a vibrant community. This take diligent community involvement including attending city council and/or chamber of commerce meetings; taking leadership roles in all community planning meetings and programs, etc. Why not invite meeting groups to host their meetings in the library?

It is also relatively simple to create a table or booth which can be manned during community festivals, school programs and other community events.

These displays can be customized to the particular event and should highlight related library materials.

See the following links for information on creating eye-catching library displays:
http://star61451.tripod.com/marketingthelibrary/id4.html
http://www.librarysupportstaff.com/libsigns.html
http://www.makessense.co.uk/vegan/resources/LibraryDisplayGuide.ptml

Jennie
Technical Services Librarian
Montana Historical Society

PR Hint of the Week - Feb 23, 2004 - Local Newspapers

Do you love your local newspaper? Montana is blessed with many small-town, locally run newspapers that focus their attention on the surrounding community. Many of us have a love/hate relationship with our community papers. My experience is that these papers tend to get their facts correct about half the time; they can be very one-sided and, especially in the case of small town papers, are filled with local gossip (very entertaining and great for genealogists but not really news-worthy). Newspapers' biggest advantage though is that they reach a large percentage of our constituents.

And through their articles, papers offer essentially free advertising.

The key is to be sure the newspapers run positive, promotional articles that loudly splash how wonderful we are. Be sure to develop a good relationship with the local news/events reporter (who in the case of very small papers may also be the editor and photographer). Regularly invite this person to the library. Reporters can take photos and write up articles about new materials your library has received. If you have up-coming events, don't just promote it through a blip in the local calendar, write a news release about why the event is significant or how it will benefit the local community. If one of your staff is recognized in some way, through an award, a presentation they give, or an idea they have to improve library services, be sure this person is recognized in the paper.

Remember, our users are readers, that's what keeps us in business. Why not promote ourselves where they tend to read?

Jennie Stapp
Technical Services Librarian
Montana Historical Society

PR Hint of the Week - March 29, 2004 - Small Town Pride

I'd venture to say that a large reason many of us choose to live in Montana is the small-town feeling of community pride in our home towns. We live in communities where we all must support local events for them to be valuable and beneficial. One of the best ways to gain support for your library events is to show support for your other local community activities.
Attend your students sporting events, volunteer to judge at speech and debate tournaments, listen to school and community concerts, sponsor a float in annual parades, etc. Your students or patrons will be delighted to see your interest in their activities and will be that much more willing to attend events you sponsor. And think of how much fun you'll have in the process.

Jennie Stapp
Technical Services Librarian
Montana Historical Society

PR Hint of the Week - Oct 7, 2002 - Teen Read Week

Next week, October 13-19, is Teen Read Week. From the TRW website
(http://www.ala.org/teanread), "Teen Read Week is a national literacy
initiative aimed at teens, their parents, librarians, educators,
booksellers and other concerned adults. It began in 1998 and has been
celebrated the third week in October each year ever since.
"Books have to be fun before they can be work," says author Rodman
Philbrick. The main theme for the Teen Read Week initiative is "Read
For The Fun Of It," and a sub-theme that is different each year has
served as a basis in developing programs in schools, public libraries,
and bookstores."

This year's theme is "Get Graphic @ your library" and focuses on
graphic novels and comic books. Vist this year's TRW site
(http://www.ala.org/teenread/trw/) to see this year's cool manga-style
graphic, read about ways other libraries are celebrating, find ways to
publicize your events, discover tips for collection development, and
more.

The graphic novel format is extremely popular with teens, and, as many
of you know, I am a huge fan as well. How can a librarian NOT love
books that get teenagers and college students to come to the library
in droves?! The other day I observed several patrons gathered 'round
my graphic novels shelves, companionably comparing favorite titles.
One young man was wearing a ripped black t-shirt and grimy black
jeans, had a dozen facial piercings and purple hair. He was excitedly
discussing his favorite g.n. with a second young man clad in
Wranglers, snap-front western shirt, and cowboy boots. Listening
avidly was a twelve year old boy, a library regular and huge manga
fan. Sitting at a nearby table, engrossed in reading Battle Angel
Alita, were several young teen girls.

It's not too late to plan a little something for next week, even if it
is just to print out a reading survey for teens (available on the teen
read website) or handing out bookmarks with reading tips. Maybe go through
some catalogs and order a few graphic novels for your collection. At
the very least, take a look at the websites and start planning Teen
Read Week for next year. There you will find a variety of great info,
including lists of award-winning titles for teens, dates for TRW
through 2006, a poem about reading, tips for enjoying reading, and much, much more.

Don't forget to register as a TRW participant! You will get to print
a cool certificate of participation (print on a color printer if you
can) and will receive copies of Comics Journal to give away.


Linette Ivanovitch

PR Hint of the Week - Nov 18, 2002: Are You on the Trail?

Sometime in the next four years you may get a bit tired of me asking, "Are You on the Trail?", but get used to it! One of the most interesting and promising educational, inspirational, and public relations-related opportunities to come the way of our Montana libraries is the Lewis & Clark Bicentennial. I hope you're excited about it, I hope you are gathering information about it, and I hope you are either directly participating or at least keeping tabs on your local and regional planning committees. What an opportunity for libraries to be the true "center of the community" that we envision!

Beginning in June of 2003, we going to be providing the MLA "Lewis & Clark Bicentennial Passports" to any libraries which want to participate. (Actually, we're going to give the legislators a "sneak preview" with a passport of their own at Legislative Day.) We will get passports to as many librarians as possible at the April convention so that you're ready to hand them out in June.

These little passports have a welcome from MLA, encourage folks to visit libraries while they're enjoying the Lewis & Clark experience in Montana, and provide a place for library stamps and stickers or notes. For the stamp part, you can use your regular library stamp (name and address), and you have a 1 = X 3 inch area to stamp in.

Now if that's all you want to do, that's fine - folks can use the rest of the area of "notes and stickers" to write notes about their experience in your area.

If you want to do more, you can create a sticker which tells some local history or Lewis & Clark-related history from your area. You have a 3 X 3 inch area for that, and 3 X 3 stickers are available in sheets from several of the library materials suppliers. You can create the copy for stickers on several of the publishing programs such as print shop or MS Publisher. Maybe your area already has stickers available which deal with promotion of your area or its history. Get creative!

Please note that these passports are not just "handouts" for the local kids. We will have special things for them which can be used during Summer Reading Programs or for special programs during the year.

The passports are more meant for families, either local or out of state, who are traveling and enjoying the Montana Lewis & Clark experience. While folks are in your library, what should they see?

Definitely either a special display of Lewis & Clark materials or some signs which point the way to Lewis & Clark materials and other western history materials. Consider signs or bulletin board pin-ups which give lists of Lewis & Clark sites (for the next L&C-related PR hint, I'll have another great list of those websites as well as a new list of L&C related books, videos, etc.). Our committee will also be coming up with special posters which are laminated and give you a place to write in Lewis & Clark related events, materials, meetings, etc.

Encourage creative work in your community - get those artists or art classes, poets or English classes, etc. going on something that can be displayed in your library to promote the Lewis & Clark and local history themes. Consider some storytelling sessions. I can't stress enough that this whole experience should be educational and fun, a chance for libraries to offer more and also enhance our community roles.

Cheryl J. Heser, Director
Rosebud County Library

PR Hint - Nov 2002: PR Turkeys

Happy almost Turkey Day, from your friendly MLA Marketing and PR Committee!

Speaking of turkeys -- how do you avoid hatching a PR turkey?

No, this isn't a clever riddle. It's too late in the semester to be clever.

I mean, how do you really avoid putting time and energy into a project that doesn't work, and, in fact, makes your library look worse instead of better?

One way to avoid turkeys outside the dining room is to look at what has worked for others. An excellent example of a great PR campaign was shared at a recent PNLA Board meeting. Our members from Alberta were generous enough to introduce us to the The Alberta Library's (TAL) latest PR materials. These included bookmarks, mouse pads proclaiming "Libraries:
Your Complete Information Solution", and a CD with a promotional computer game, an ad, and links to library promo materials, including a public Web site (http://www.visityourlibrary.com/index.html).

Check out the above Web site and see how our colleagues across the border promote their libraries. View their TV commercial and explore the TAL public site to see how Alberta explains what you can get "@ your library."

Then enjoy a delicious turkey that you've planned for -- not an unexpected flop!

Regards,
Jan Zauha, for the MLA Marketing and PR Committee

Wednesday, March 5, 2008

PR Hint of the Month - Feb 2008 - Incremental Steps

PR Hint of the Month - Feb 2008 - Incremental Steps

By now, surely you've amassed a repetoire of great ideas from many PR Hints of the Month. Are you doing anything with these? Feel overwhelmed with where to start?

One baby step, then another and another eventually leads to achievement. Most of us are unlikely to hit home-run equivalents with our work or life goals. But by incrementally nibbling at them, we can accomplish most anything, actualizing life dreams and winning at working. Like the Chinese proverb reminds us, "The man who removes a mountain begins by carrying away small stones." [1]

...goals or dreams or aspirations or targeted focus...call it what you like. They come in a variety of forms, anything from a life-to-do-list to aspirational dreams. But their achievement hinges on the same element - incremental action. [1]

There's immense power behind small steps.

You see, people who are winning at working leverage the power of incremental progress to build their performance, reach their goals, actualize their dreams and impact their results. In the process they build their self-esteem, self-trust and self-confidence. They know accomplishment breeds accomplishment; success produces success; and progress multiplies progress. Want to be winning at working? Start fueling your progress with incremental action. [1]

Here's a suggested two-step process to library marketing ideas and projects.

First, assess your progress. Second, align your direction.

Pick one PR Hint to start with. Outline the process to achieve this hint in incremental steps from beginning to end -- write this outline down! Review and indicate how each step fits your library or your schedule. Start with one step, one day. Then after a period of time (at least a week later, at most a month later) review that step -- did it work, need more time to go before starting the next step? Repeat the process of assessing your project, and aligning your direction. Pretty soon you'll be dancing the two-step around your library's PR and marketing projects!

Another suggestion, mark these steps on your calendar. Write it down in your print calendar. Enter it in your online calendar to flag you as an appointment. Simply don't ignore these; if you don't put on your dancing shoes, you won't get to dance to good music!

[1] Assessing Your Progress in "Winning at Working." Nan S. Russell. (c)2007, All Rights Reserved. http://www.nanrussell.com/winningatworking/

PS - Among the many fun activities we're doing, the MLA PR & Marketing Committee are also planning to create a webpage containing an archived list of all the PR Hint of the Months. Check back with us! And let us know if you'd like to participate!

On behalf of the MLA PR & Marketing Committee, do have a splendid day!
Step one...it starts with a smile,
HS

Heidi Sue Adams, MS, AHIP Medical Librarian
Kalispell Regional Medical Center - Medical Library

PR Hint of the Month - January 2008: Making Your Library's Ideas Stick

PR Hint of the Month - January 2008: Making Your Library's Ideas Stick

The following tip for marketing has been blatantly, unabashedly lifted from Chip and Dan Heath's book, "Made To Stick." http://www.madetostick.com/

This book will help you make your ideas stick. By "stick," we mean that your ideas are understood and remembered, and have a lasting impact - they change your audience's opinions or behavior.

Stories that sticks. We understand it, we remember it, and we can retell it later. And if we believe it's true, it might change our behavior permanently.

Why do some ideas thrive while others die? And how do we improve the chances of worthy ideas?

Given the importance of making ideas stick, it's surprising how little attention is paid to the subject. When we get advice on communicating, it often concerns our delivery: "Stand up straight, make eye contact, use appropriate hand gestures. Practice, practice, practice (but don't sound canned)." Sometimes we get advice about structure: "Tell 'em what you're going to tell 'em. Tell 'em, then tell 'em what you told 'em." Or "Start by getting their attention - tell a joke or a story."

Another genre concerns knowing your audience: "Know what your listeners care about, so you can tailor your communication to them." And, finally, there's the most common refrain in the realm of communication advice: Use repetition, repetition, repetition.

All of this advice has obvious merit, except, perhaps, for the emphasis on repetition. (If you have to tell someone the same thing ten times, the idea probably wasn't very well designed. No urban legend has to be repeated ten times.) But this set of advice has one glaring shortcoming: It doesn't help Art Silverman as he tries to figure out the best way to explain that movie popcorn is really unhealthful.

Silverman no doubt knows that he should make eye contact and practice. But what message is he supposed to practice? He knows his audience - they're people who like popcorn and don't realize how unhealthy it is. So what message does he share with them? Complicating matters, Silverman knew that he wouldn't have the luxury of repetition - he had only one shot to make the media care about his story.
****
The authors of Made To Stick, Chip and Dan Heath adopted the "what sticks" terminology from one of their favorite authors, Malcolm Gladwell. In 2000, Gladwell's book called The Tipping Point examined the forces that cause social phenomena to "tip," or make the leap from small groups to big groups, the way contagious diseases spread rapidly once they infect a certain critical mass of people. The middle section of the book, "The Stickiness Factor," argues that innovations are more likely to tip when they're sticky.

Six Principles of Sticky Ideas

There is no "formula" for a sticky idea. But sticky ideas do draw from a common set of traits, which make them more likely to succeed.

PRINCIPLE 1: SIMPLICITY
Saying something short is not the mission - sound bites are not the ideal. Proverbs are the ideal. We must create ideas that are both simple and profound.

PRINCIPLE 2: UNEXPECTEDNESS
We need to violate people's expectations. We need to be counterintuitive. A bag of popcorn is as unhealthy as a whole day's worth of fatty foods! We can use surprise - an emotion whose function is to increase alertness and cause focus - to grab people's attention. But surprise doesn't last. For our idea to endure, we must generate interest and curiosity.

PRINCIPLE 3: CONCRETENESS
How do we make our ideas clear? We must explain our ideas in terms of human actions, in terms of sensory information. Naturally sticky ideas are full of concrete images - ice-filled bathtubs, apples with razors - because our brains are wired to remember concrete data. Concretely is the only way to ensure that our idea will mean the same thing to everyone in our audience.

PRINCIPLE 4: CREDIBILITY
When we're trying to build a case for something, most of us instinctively grasp for hard numbers. But in many cases this is exactly the wrong approach. Sticky ideas have to carry their own credentials. We need ways to help people test our ideas for themselves - a "try before you buy" philosophy for the world of ideas.

PRINCIPLE 5: EMOTIONS
How do we get people to care about our ideas? We make them feel something. We are wired to feel things for people, not for abstractions.

PRINCIPLE 6: STORIES
How do we get people to act on our ideas? We tell stories. Research shows that mentally rehearsing a situation helps us perform better when we encounter that situation in the physical environment. Similarly, hearing stories acts as a kind of mental flight simulator, preparing us to respond more quickly and effectively.

There you have it, the six principles of successful ideas. No special expertise is needed to apply these principles. There are no licensed stickologists. Moreover, many of the principles have a commonsense ring to them: Didn't most of us already have the intuition that we should "be simple" and "use stories"? It's not as though there's a powerful constituency for overcomplicated, lifeless prose. But wait a minute. We claim that using these principles is easy. And most of them do seem relatively commonsensical. So why aren't we deluged with brilliantly designed sticky ideas? Why is our life filled with more process memos than proverbs?

Sadly, there is a villain in this story. The villain is a natural psychological tendency that consistently confounds our ability to create ideas using these principles. It's called the Curse of Knowledge. To read more, see http://www.madetostick.com/thebook/excerpts.php

Happy New Year! May 2008 be a sticky year for you all!

Sticking to the story,
Heidi Sue, on behalf of your friendly MLA PR & Marketing Committee

Heidi Sue Adams, MS, AHIP Medical Librarian
Kalispell Regional Medical Center - Medical Library