You don’t need to be a former journalist to get your library in the news. You just need a good story and a willingness to build relationships with local reporters.
If you work in library marketing, you almost certainly have a long list of responsibilities that have nothing to do with public relations. Adding media relations to that list can feel overwhelming, especially if your library doesn’t have a dedicated PR specialist and you don’t have any experience with the media.
But press releases and media outreach are an important part of your library marketing strategy. And if you’re not thinking of the press as part of your marketing channels, you are missing opportunities to earn meaningful coverage.
The press release isn’t dead. But its use has changed.
Michelle Garrett recently wrote about why press releases are playing a bigger role in PR and marketing. She points out that press releases do more than announce news to journalists. They also provide consistent messaging across an organization’s website and other marketing channels.
I agree with that advice, especially for libraries. A press release can be the starting point for a blog post, an email to community partners, social media content, and more. It gives everyone a reliable source of information and helps ensure that the library is telling the same story wherever people encounter it.
But… your press release must not be the entire PR strategy.
Sending a press release and hoping someone covers it is not a strategy. A release is a tool that helps you communicate the news. And the relationship you build with a reporter and the resources you provide are almost always more important.
I spent nearly 20 years working as a broadcast television journalist before moving into library marketing. I know firsthand that newsrooms have to make difficult decisions about which stories to cover, and they often have limited time and resources to do it. You have to be okay with the fact that not every press release will result in a story.
But you will get more coverage when you start thinking beyond the release itself and consider how you can help a reporter recognize the news value, gather the information they need, and produce something their audience will care about.
The easier you make it for a journalist to understand and tell your story, the better your chances of getting coverage.
Give reporters the materials they need, even when they can’t attend your event.
Let’s say your library is opening a new branch or celebrating a major renovation. You send a press release, invite the media, and hope a reporter shows up to cover the event. Sometimes someone comes, but sometimes nobody does.
That doesn’t mean your story is over.
At my library, when we have a branch opening, we don’t usually get media coverage at the event itself (not that we don’t try!). So, we take photographs, capture B-roll video, and record soundbites that help tell the story. Then we send those materials to the media right after the event, and outlets use them in their coverage. We make it easy for the reporter to download the files, identify the people featured, and contact us with questions.
This approach works for more than branch openings. Consider trying this for author visits, summer reading celebrations, new service launches, community partnerships, and events that demonstrate the library’s impact.
Think about what a local TV station or newspaper might need to put together a story without sending a crew. You could provide a short video of the new space, a few high-quality photos, a quote from your library director, and a brief explanation of what the opening means for the community.
Here’s an example of a story shot entirely by my team, which appeared on one of our local TV stations after the opening of a library branch.
Build relationships with reporters before you need them.
One of the most valuable things you can do for your library’s media relations is get to know the journalists who cover your community.
You don’t have to become best friends with every reporter in town, and you don’t need to send them a weekly email just to stay on their radar. Start by learning who covers local news, education, family activities, community development, and other subjects that overlap with your library’s work.
At my library, we cultivated a relationship with a reporter from Axios Cincinnati who then came to cover an author visit with R.L. Stine. (Read that story here).
That kind of coverage is valuable because it gives the library room to tell a richer story. Instead of simply announcing that an event happened, a reporter can explore why it matters, who benefits, and what it says about the community.
You can start building these relationships by following local reporters’ work, learning what kinds of stories they cover, and sending them information that genuinely fits their interests. When a journalist contacts you, respond promptly and help them connect with the right staff members, community partners, or library users.
Most importantly, don’t contact a reporter only when you need something. Share useful story ideas throughout the year, even when you aren’t promoting a major event, and respect their deadlines and editorial decisions.
Think about recurring coverage, not just one-time publicity.
Not every successful media relationship starts with a press release. Sometimes the best opportunity is a recurring segment, a regular column, or an ongoing partnership that gives the library a predictable way to reach an audience.
My library has a standing segment called Chapter Chat with Fox 19. That arrangement gives us a recurring opportunity to talk about books and reading with a local television audience.
Think about what your library could offer a local outlet. Could a librarian recommend books for different age groups, share tips for parents during the summer, demonstrate how to use a digital resource, or explain how the library helps people navigate a common challenge?
Local television and radio stations, community newspapers, podcasts, and digital news outlets all need interesting content for their audiences (especially for morning shows!). Your library has knowledgeable staff, useful services, and stories about real people that can help meet that need.
The trick is to pitch an idea that benefits the outlet’s audience rather than simply asking for a chance to promote your library. A segment about helping reluctant readers find books they love is more compelling than a request to advertise your summer reading program.
Once you establish a recurring opportunity, you can plan and share the responsibility across your team. You might rotate librarians, prepare a list of seasonal topics, or create a simple calendar so you aren’t scrambling to come up with an idea every time the segment comes around.
Send the press release when the news is relevant, and be ready to respond.
Sometimes a press release works exactly the way you hope it will. This year, my library sent out a press release about our summer meals program, and we received calls from the media just 30 minutes later.
That’s a great reminder that journalists are often looking for timely stories that connect to something happening in the community. Summer meals are a natural fit for coverage about food insecurity, family resources, and ways to support children when school is out.
It also illustrates why you shouldn’t dismiss a press release simply because you’ve sent them in the past without getting a response. The right story at the right time can get attention, particularly when it connects to a need that people are already thinking about.
Before you send a release, ask yourself a few questions.
- Why would someone outside the library care about this news?
- Is there a timely community issue or a real human story behind it?
- Which reporters or outlets are most likely to cover it, and what would make the story useful to their audiences?
Then make sure you’re ready when the calls come in. Know who can speak on behalf of the library, have the key facts and contact information ready, and identify staff members or community partners who could offer additional perspectives. If a reporter needs an interview that afternoon, a quick response can make the difference between being included in the story and missing the opportunity.
You can find more practical advice in my earlier article, Breaking News: Make Sure Your Library Gets More Press Coverage with These Six Tips from a Former Journalist.
Okay, so when should your library send a press release about?
You don’t need to send a release for every program on your calendar. If you do, you’ll create more work for yourself and risk making your announcements less meaningful to reporters who receive them.
Instead, look for stories that have a clear connection to the community. A new building, a major service change, an unusual partnership, a significant community need, or a program with a compelling human story may be worth pitching to the media.
You should also consider the timing. A program that seems ordinary to library staff might be especially relevant during back-to-school season, a community crisis, or a time when families are looking for affordable activities. The news value often comes from the connection between what the library offers and what people need right now.
And remember that your library’s story doesn’t have to be about the library itself. A story about a family who found support through a library service, a teen who discovered a passion for reading, or a job seeker who used library resources to find employment can help people understand the library’s impact in a way that a list of services never will.
Don’t let media coverage go to waste.
When your library earns coverage, share it. Post the story on your website, include it in your newsletter, share it on social media, and let staff and community partners know about it. You can also thank the reporter and outlet publicly when appropriate, which helps reinforce the relationship.
You can repurpose the coverage into other content, too. A television interview might become a short video on your website, while a newspaper story could provide material for an email highlighting the impact of a service.
Finally, measure more than the number of stories you earn. Track whether the coverage generates calls, registrations, visits to a service page, program attendance, or conversations with community partners. Those outcomes will help you understand which kinds of stories are worth pitching again.
Where to start if you want to be more strategic with press coverage.
I’m not suggesting you add another complicated process to your workload or spend hours chasing reporters who aren’t interested in your news.
Instead, start small. Identify a handful of local reporters whose audiences overlap with yours, prepare a simple list of story ideas, and make sure you have a process for responding when journalists reach out. When you have a newsworthy announcement, send a concise press release directly to the people most likely to care about it.
You can also build a small library of photos, video clips, staff experts, and community success stories that will make future media outreach easier. Over time, those resources and relationships can become one of your most valuable marketing tools.
The goal isn’t to get your library into the news every week. It’s to help more people understand what your library does, why it matters, and how it makes their community better.
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