Library Marketing Toolkit

This practical guide offers coverage of every element of library marketing and branding for all sectors, including archives and academic, public and special libraries.

Potter, an academic liaison librarian at the U. of York, UK, presents a guide to elements of marketing and branding for librarians in all sectors, including archives and special collections and academic, public, and special libraries. He addresses seven key concepts for marketing; the stages of strategic marketing; branding through a visual identity, promotional materials, and merchandise; building design, signs and displays, and marketing the space; utilizing websites, search engine optimization, mobile websites, email, and social media; new technologies like Quick Reader codes, geolocational apps, Web 2.0 catalogs, podcasts, wikis, slide sharing, and video marketing; collaborating with and reaching people; internal marketing; library advocacy; and tips for special collections and archives. Twenty-seven case studies from librarians from the US, Canada, the UK, Australia, Singapore, and New Zealand are provided. A companion website has additional case studies and other tools. Distributed in the US by Neal-Schuman. Annotation ©2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

This is a toolkit of ideas to inspire action. As libraries continue to fight for their survival amid growing expectations, competition from online sources and wavering public perceptions, effective marketing is increasingly becoming a critical tool to ensure the continued support of users, stakeholders and society as a whole. This unique practical guide offers expert coverage of every element of library marketing and branding for all sectors including archives and academic, public and special libraries. Packed with globally-sourced case studies from thought-leaders and those at the cutting edge of library marketing it provides innovative and easy-to-implement techniques and ideas. The key topics covered are: marketing strategy; essential marketing tools and techniques; getting the most out of social media; marketing on a budget; library branding; marketing to internal stakeholders and with third parties; marketing special collections and archives; and, library advocacy as marketing. This is essential reading for anyone involved in promoting their library or information service, whether at an academic, public or special library or in archives or records management. It's also a useful guide for LIS students internationally who need to understand the practice of library marketing.

Acknowledgements		xi
Introduction		xiii
About marketing		xiii
About this book		xv
1 Seven key concepts for marketing libraries		1	(10)
The seven concepts		1	(6)
Anchoring these ideas in marketing theory		7	(4)
2 Strategic marketing		11	(26)
The marketing cycle		11	(23)
1 Decide on your goals		16	(1)
2 Market research		17	(10)
3 Segmentation		27	(3)
4 Set objectives		30	(1)
5 Promotional activities		30	(1)
6 Measurement		30	(4)
7 Evaluation		34	(1)
8 Modification		34	(1)
Developing a marketing plan		34	(3)
3 The library brand		37	(28)
Quick definitions		37	(1)
What is library branding?		38	(2)
Visual identity		40	(12)
Merchandise		52	(5)
Slogans		57	(3)
Branding and marketing a converged library and IT service		60	(5)
4 Marketing and the library building		65	(14)
Library design		65	(4)
Signs and displays		69	(2)
Marketing the library as space		71	(8)
5 An introduction to online marketing		79	(12)
The library website		79	(2)
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)		81	(2)
Mobile websites		83	(5)
E-mail		88	(3)
6 Marketing with social media		91	(28)
Do your patrons use social media?		91	(1)
General principles of marketing with social media		92	(7)
Twitter		99	(8)
Facebook		107	(6)
Blogs and blogging		113	(2)
Tumblr		115	(1)
Google+		116	(1)
LinkedIln		116	(1)
Conclusion		117	(2)
7 Marketing with new technologies		119	(20)
Quick definitions		119	(2)
Video marketing		121	(3)
Image sharing		124	(1)
QR Codes		124	(3)
Geolocational apps		127	(3)
Web 2.0 catalogues and live chat		130	(3)
Podcasts		133	(1)
Wikis		134	(1)
Slide sharing		134	(1)
Viral marketing		135	(1)
Technology and teenagers		136	(3)
8 Marketing and people		139	(14)
Collaborating with people		139	(7)
Reaching people		146	(7)
9 Internal marketing		153	(16)
The importance of internal marketing		153	(1)
Marketing to internal stakeholders		154	(11)
Marketing with internal stakeholders: co-operative promotion		165	(4)
10 Library advocacy as marketing		169	(8)
National campaigns and local marketing		169	(1)
Promoting your library in response to criticism of libraries in general		170	(1)
Advocacy, promotion and positive messages		171	(3)
The library media narrative		174	(1)
Trojan horse advocacy		175	(2)
11 Marketing special collections and archives		177	(20)
Introduction		177	(3)
Access, access, access: marketing digital collections		180	(5)
Genealogy		185	(1)
Tailoring your marketing to fit the cultural landscape		186	(2)
Mounting and promoting a more traditional exhibition		188	(1)
Learning from museums		189	(1)
Crowdsourcing		190	(3)
Marketing audiovisual materials		193	(2)
A final word on marketing libraries		195	(2)
Appendix: Glossary of Web 2.0 tools and platforms		197	(4)
References		201	(4)
Index		205

Ned Potter is Academic Liaison Librarian at the University of York. He won the SLA Europe Early Career Conference Award 2011 and was named a Library Journal Mover and Shaker in 2011. He is the founder of the LIS New Professionals Network, is the New Professionals Support Officer for the CILIP Career Development Group (Yorkshire & Humberside) and has been involved in several national New Professionals events. He blogs as The Wikiman and presents regularly on marketing libraries and the echo chamber phenomenon.