And now, if you're reading this, you too have come to believe that you need to be more visible. Not only do you "get it," but you've decided you can't sit on the sidelines anymore.
WHY THIS BOOK WAS WRITTEN
Of course we know it's not all on the internet, and assuming the user's time and convenience is worth something, it's certainly not free, but how do we convince our users and our funders. Whether virtualization is the librarian's idea or forced upon him or her by management.
WHY DID I WRITE THIS BOOK?
Somehow, this has made our job so easy that people think "anyone" can do it.
DEFINITIONS
Public Relations says this is who we are, this is what we do, for whom and when. Public relations] influences perception, attitude, and opinion by transmitting information about the benefits of using library products and services” (Weingand 1994, 145).
MY DEFINITIONS
Gupta and Ashok Jambhekar add levels at top and bottom, and the lowest level is lousy service: "The employee actually goes out of his way to annoy the customer." Even higher than Weingand's unexpected level is exceptional service, when the interaction is pleasant, the staff courteous, and the customer leaves wanting to return. Finally, there is "thinly disguised contempt [TDC]," called by Tom Peters "the greatest barrier to sustained superior performance" (in Barter 1994, 6).
IMPLEMENTING A CUSTOMER SERVICE PLAN
In short, efficiency means doing things right, while effectiveness means doing the right things. And when you do 20 percent right, that's productivity nirvana.
CHANGE MANAGEMENT
A good explanation of the Pareto Principle can be found in Richard Koch's The 80/20 Principle: The Secret of Achieving More with Less.). The changes are part of the normal routine and the change process is now complete.
WHY MARKET?
The main goal of marketing is to ensure that the library remains an information hub in the community.” It starts with understanding the special characteristics of services – their invisibility and intangibility.
WHO SHOULD MARKET?
Librarians should not engage in service marketing as it is now' but as it might be (Seddon 1990, 35). A good asset for a marketer librarian is an entrepreneurial spirit – a willingness to try new things and to treat the library as a business (or a business within a business) whether it is for profit or not.
WHAT TO MARKET?
It forces you to look at all aspects of the library to make sure each one is cost effective. Users and staff need to perceive the personality of library services.
WHEN TO MARKET?
I'm sure other marketing opportunities will become apparent once you start thinking about cross-selling.
WHERE TO MARKET?
An advantage of offering services to external customers is that the library can move from being a cost center to a profit center. This alone could improve the library's ability to withstand cuts or elimination in an economic crisis.
HOW TO MARKET?
She was surprised to learn that patrons were unaware of many of the library's new acquisitions. Put the library's return address on the back of the card so the patron can mail it to you.
HOW ARE WE DOING?
HOW DID WE DO TODAY?
This will cost money, so make sure a portion of the client development budget is allocated to the library. CLE students place course materials (books, tapes, etc.) in the library so they can be shared - or at least cataloged. Faculty also exert a great deal of influence over students and can easily influence their opinions of the library.
CREATING AND WRITING A PUBLIC RELATIONS PLAN
A SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) analysis is a very common technique for analyzing the environment in which a library operates or could operate in the future. It includes strengths (areas in which the library has strong capabilities or competitive advantage, or areas in which the library can develop capabilities and strengths over the time period covered by the plan); weaknesses (areas in which the library does not have the necessary capabilities to achieve the goals or expected deficiencies); opportunities (situations outside the library that, if taken advantage of, could improve the library's ability to fulfill its mission, either now or in the near future); and threats (situations outside the library that could harm the library and must be avoided, minimized, or managed). A vision statement is what you want the library to become sometime in the distant future.
PUBLICITY BASICS
If the message reaches the right people, but focuses on the characteristics of the product, it is likely to be filtered out” (Seacord 1999, 3). Two of the most powerful ways to get your message noticed and remembered are a slogan and a mascot. In a game on the online search engine, Ask Jeeves, a customer started saying, "Don't ask Jeeves, ask Jenna!" While she's none too happy with the catchphrase, it's easy to remember, communicates the librarian's superiority over the web, and sticks in the minds of her patrons.
SPECIFIC FORMS OF PUBLICITY Brochures
It is very important to make sure that the full name of the library and its address, telephone, fax, e-mail and website are in an easy-to-see place. There should be a header at the beginning containing the name of the newsletter, the library's name, the date, volume and number. Use one of the non-rectangular shapes now available (they don't cost more).
THE COMPUTER AS SALESPERSON
You may also be able to get these covers for free from one of the search services. Write for publication, but remember that magazine articles or advertisements must engage the reader and fit the tone of the magazine. Other good publicity ideas are a "wall of fame" with testimonials from satisfied customers, a "prescription" pad for doctors with a library reference for more information, or a list of the top ten websites in your customers. subject area.
USING TECHNOLOGY
You may also want to put photos of the library or library events on the website so that remote users can feel connected. Put the information they're most likely to want on the front page with clickable buttons in important areas of the page. It is a lot of work to develop and maintain a website, but more and more is expected of the library.
PUBLIC RELATIONS BY WALKING AROUND
GET OUT OF THE LIBRARY
People who would never take the time to go to the library, send an e-mail, or even pick up the phone to call you can stop you in the hall with a question. In one corporation, I found that most of the branch office staff felt that the library was only for headquarters staff. You say you don't have time to "walk around" or serve other customers.
TEACHING AS PUBLIC RELATIONS
Don't wait until the end of the presentation or evaluation form to find out you lost your audience about fifteen minutes into class. In addition to a few examples that you know will produce results, take advantage of audience questions to show additional aspects of the resource. Finally, make sure they have a handout to take away—a cheat sheet, a sample search, or a list of websites—and emphasize that you're ready for additional guidance or troubleshooting.
FEED THEM AND THEY WILL COME
Give students an overall idea of the resource's capabilities; save the details for one-on-one sessions later, or cover them in detailed instructions you hand out after the presentation. One of the more delicate situations information professionals face is tactfully training people who surpass us. Tell them that you realize they are the experts on the business or product, but that you provide the expertise in acquiring, organizing and communicating information.
OPEN HOUSES AND EXHIBITS
If you get a commitment from one of the "bigwigs", be sure to disclose this fact. I handed out stickers that read, "I visited my library today." When attendees returned to their desks, others nearby saw the sticker and were reminded of the open house. Posters that looked like the party invitations were placed in the main lobby of the school and outside the library to invite students.
THE PHYSICAL LIBRARY AS PUBLIC RELATIONS
Post photos taken at the event on the library's notice board and on the website. If you get through to a message, it's short and to the point, or you're trapped in "voice-mail hell" where you're sent from one menu to another without the opportunity to speak to a live person. If you leave a detailed explanation of your needs, I will be happy to assist you as soon as I return.” Such a message creates a better image than “I'm away from my desk.
WORD-OF-MOUTH PUBLIC RELATIONS
OTHER PERSON-TO-PERSON PUBLIC RELATIONS METHODS
Set up displays or displays outside the library - in the student union, dorms, or gym. Tell them that their support is vital to the library's continued ability to help them and the institution. Several hospital staff are aware of Marshall and the library's presence.
BECOMING INDISPENSABLE TO YOUR ORGANIZATION
It also helps the client development department to find new methods for better research and to find and propose business opportunities directly to partners.
AVOIDING LIBRARY CLOSURES
Outsource short-term projects that would otherwise require additional staff, or non-professional tasks such as updating legal loose-leaf services. Make sure you are in control of the decision to outsource or not and what to outsource. No one looks forward to the prospect of downsizing, but if it is unavoidable, the best thing to do is keep a positive attitude and keep marketing.”
PROFESSIONALISM: IT’S MORE THAN A SUIT
I once had a boss who "hated" the word library and insisted I change the name of my facility. I answered the Research Center phone. The answer was invariably, "Is this the library?" I chose to become a librarian. It is time to shed our cloak of invisibility, shyness, complacency and modesty and reveal ourselves to the world as we really are and can be - the Visible Librarian.
INTRODUCTION
- THE PRIMACY OF CUSTOMER SERVICE AND OTHER BASICS
- DOING THE GROUND WORK: MARKETING
- PUBLICITY: THE TANGIBLES
- PUBLIC RELATIONS
LEXIS-NEXIS—“Marketing Tips for Information Professionals: A Practical Workbook”:
THE PERSONAL TOUCH
ADVOCACY: PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER Advocacy and Professionalism
