Category Archives: Public Relations

Why would an organization want to devote a scarce resource (e.g., staff time) to supporting a blog? Current library literature is full of answers, including organizational transparency and putting a human face on your institution. Simply put, blogs have the potential to get the word out about your mission, services, and goals in a way that traditional marketing materials may not.
We are bombarded with so much “PR-speak” every day that when we see a cookie-cutter press release or hear a typical media sound bite, we tend to tune it out. At least, I know I do. That’s where a blog with a human voice and a conversational tone can be a breath of fresh air.
This was brought home to me last week when I read a Lincoln Journal Star article about Lincoln Police Chief Tom Casady starting a blog. According to the article, Casady sees the blog as a way to offer interested readers insight into issues he handles on a daily basis.
If comments left in response to Casady’s posts are any indication, reaction so far has been extremely positive. Many individuals have expressed appreciation to Casady for taking time to share his thoughts and perspectives. The comment that really jumped out at me, however, is one that I think superbly illustrates the power and potential of blogging. In response to Chief Casady’s April 12, 2007 post, titled And the Oscar goes to…, reader Chris comments:

“As a rational adult, I know that Police Officers are human beings, just like everyone else. To have concrete examples shared here takes that rational thought and makes it an emotional one. Emotion wins in real life. Emotion wins at traffic accidents, at polling places, at point of sale. Emotion connects people. Last week when you were on the TV news I wouldn’t look up from my laptop. Next week, I will, because I now have a “connection” to Chief Cassady. He’s no longer just a figure of authoroty. He’s a part of my online social network. As a person over the age of – say – 30 years old, you may scoff at this tenuous “connection”. But make no doubt about it, it is fact. You name the place, and emotion wins.” (Excerpted from
http://lpd304.blogspot.com/2007/04/and-oscar-goes-to.html#comment-2374010857755114797)

Wow! What a testimonial to the power of the written word and a free Blogger account!

What are you doing to tell the world that your library is relevant to the life of the community. Try using the marketing research and promotional dollars that ALA spends on behalf of all libraries to get the message across.
April 15-21, 2007 is National Library Week, a time when libraries of all types and the people who use them come together with the American Library Association and its Campaign for America’s Libraries to celebrate the contributions of all libraries, librarians and library workers in our nation’s schools, campuses, and communities.
Nebraska Public Library Staff and School Library Media Specialists can put Nebraska libraries in the forefront by encouraging local radio stations to play one of the following PSAs during National Library Week, April 15-21. Volunteer to record the psa at the station or just give them the text of the following psa for their on-air talent to read.
:30
Celebrate National Library Week! Come together with your librarian this week to get trained professional assistance to help you find what you’re looking for. Whether you’re looking to connect with a new job or a DVD for family movie night, your library has what you need and the librarians on staff to help you find it. Come together with the information you need @ your library.
A message brought to you by the American Library Association’s Campaign for America’s Libraries and [name of your library]
OR
:30
Research shows that the highest achieving students attend schools with good library media centers. It’s easy to see why. Everyday, school library media specialists come together with teachers to help students develop the information searching skills they need to succeed both in school and throughout their lives. And the school library is the place where students can come together with new ideas, their favorite books and to study with friends. The [name of your library/school library media center]: where students, teachers and ideas come together.
A message brought to you by the American Library Association’s Campaign for America’s Libraries and [name of your library]
If they want to know more, the following talking points might be of use:
Libraries today are enjoying a golden age in which public, school, college and university libraries are flourishing not only within the physical confines of bricks and mortar, steel and glass, but also in the continuously expanding Internet universe.
The facts speak for themselves: library use is up nationwide. More than 2 billion items were checked out last year, and librarians serve nearly 1.8 billion visitors annually. At our library…[Insert information about your library: stats, unique programming, etc.]
Rather than threatening our libraries, the age of technology has only complemented our services and expanded our reach. This is because libraries are about more than information and data sharing.
Libraries are about community.
Research in 14 states has found that students with well-developed school libraries consistently score 10-18 percent higher on reading and other tests. Just recently a group of 15 seniors who met each day after school at their library learned that 100 percent of their group was selected for early admissions at some of the nation’s most selective colleges. College and university librarians help students conduct research, either in person or online through “ask a librarian” services. In fact, they answer almost 73 million reference questions each year – about twice the attendance at college football games.
For more information, see www.ala.org.
Thanks and please comment on this Blog to let us know how much airtime you get.
Mary Jo Ryan, Communications Coordinator
Nebraska Library Commission, The Atrium, 1200 N St., Suite 120
Lincoln NE 68508-2023, 402-471-3434, 402-471-2083-FAX
http://nlc.nebraska.gov
“If we couldn’t laugh, we would all go insane,” Jimmy Buffett.
Mary Jo Ryan, Communications Coordinator
Nebraska Library Commission, The Atrium, 1200 N St., Suite 120
Lincoln NE 68508-2023, 402-471-3434, 402-471-2083-FAX
http://nlc.nebraska.gov
“If we couldn’t laugh, we would all go insane,” Jimmy Buffett.

Did you know that ALA has a Committee on Rural, Native and Tribal Libraries of All Kinds?
This committee was established in 2004 “to review issues and challenges facing rural, native and tribal libraries of all kinds; to collaborate with other ALA units addressing the needs of rural communities; and to serve as an advocate for and partner with libraries serving rural, tribal and native populations.”
I was especially impressed with their Advocacy resources. On their web site you can find an 8 page PDF tipsheet, A Small but Powerful Guide to Winning Big Support for Your Rural Library, which helps address the many challenges associated with gaining support for rural libraries. The Small but Powerful Online Toolkit for Winning Support for Your Rural Library provides even more strategies and resources for rural librarians.
How do you win support for your library? What works? What doesn’t work?
Share your stories and help others learn from your experiences!

Have you heard the rumors?
“Libraries are obsolete.”
“We don’t need libraries (or librarians) because everything is on the Internet.”
“There is no future for libraries.”
I don’t believe any of that, and I bet you don’t either.
But what do you about it? What do you say to someone who believes the rumors?
Well, now you can find inspiration from this list of 33 Reasons Why Libraries and Librarians are Still Extremely Important.
This is a great resource for quick sound bytes to counter the rumors that are spreading about libraries. The list covers all sorts of arguments for libraries and librarians, from “libraries aren’t just books” to “libraries and librarians improve student test scores”.
So, how do you advocate for your library? How do you educate and inform people about the importance of libraries? Share your tips and tricks with us!