To be honest, I’m not a huge fan of New Year’s Day celebrations. I am usually in bed and fast asleep by the time the ball drops.
But I do feel a certain kind of hope as I wake up on January 1st every year. It’s an opportunity to reflect on the past year and set new goals for the next 12 months.
And so, I use that day to write this post, revealing the results of the annual State of Library Marketing survey. Your answers help me plan Super Library Marketing content and episodes of The Library Marketing Show for 2026
Here are the big takeaways from this year’s survey results:
- Increasing physical visits is the most important goal for more library marketers.
- Time and capacity are the biggest challenges library marketers face.
- Frustration with social media effectiveness continued to grow.
- Formal marketing planning remains elusive for nearly half of the respondents.
- Facebook and Instagram are nearly tied for promotional use by libraries.
- Most library marketers either have a budget of $5000 or more or no budget at all.
Basic methodology
The survey was fielded in September 2025 and received 125 total responses, a 15 percent increase in responses over 2024. Questions included multiple-choice and open-ended items about platforms, goals, budgets, planning, evaluation cadence, AI usage, and the biggest challenges facing library marketers.
Who responded
- 86 percent work at a public library.
- 8 percent work at an academic or university library.
- 2 percent work at some other kind of library.
Size of libraries
- 38 percent serve a population of 25,000 or less.
- 26 percent serve a population between 25,000 and 50,000.
- 14 percent serve a population between 50,000 and 100,000.
- 8 percent serve a population between 100,000 and 250,000.
- The rest work at a large library.
Marketing experience and workload
- 88 percent of the respondents to this survey report having three or more years of experience.
- 60 percent of respondents say promotion is one of many responsibilities they have.
- 40 percent are working solely on library marketing.
Social media platforms used by libraries in order of popularity
- YouTube
- TikTok
- Threads
- X
Budgets
- More than $5,000: 32 percent
- No budget: 22.4 percent
- $1,000–$5,000: 16 percent
- Not certain: 16 percent
- $500–$1,000: 8.8 percent
- $100–$500: 4.8 percent
Top goals for the next 12 months
- Drive visits to the physical library location.
- Reach non-patrons.
- Drive the use of services.
- Increase program attendance.
How effective do libraries consider their promotions?
- 68.8 percent say somewhat effective.
- 12 percent say very effective.
- 18.4 percent say somewhat effective, not very effective, or not effective at all.
The top five most pressing challenges for library promotion
#1: Time & capacity
41 percent of respondents stated they feel they lack the time or resources needed to perform their jobs effectively. This is a huge shift from 2025, when staff buy-in was ranked as the number one challenge.
As one person put it, “I’m often racing to complete all my tasks. I’m the only marketing person. I try to prioritize the items that are most important. It can be a challenge.”
Another said, “With additional resources, we could expand our efforts significantly. We are constantly busy, and despite an award-winning year of results, there remains the perception that we could always do more.”
But that respondent also shared some advice that I thought was profound.
“We’ve had to accept that marketing will always be a balancing act between capacity, expectations, and impact. At the end of the day, we focus on doing the most we can with the resources we have and ensuring that our efforts deliver real value to the library and the community.
I can assure you that marketers in many other industries with larger staff and budgets feel like they are also always short of time and money. But it shouldn’t be that way, should it? We can’t do our best work when we are stressed, burned out, and chasing success with our hair on fire.
So, this year, I’ll be looking for ways to help you prioritize projects, reuse content, and convince your leadership and coworkers to give you the resources you need.
#2: Social media effectiveness
This challenge rose from the fifth biggest challenge in 2025 to the second spot in 2026.
You can hear the frustration in this respondent’s comment: “The ever-changing algorithms! What worked in the past is dead, and we constantly have to learn new things.”
Another said, “I wish we had more time for the team to get training, learn from experts, etc. Also, a budget for apps and tools to make social media content creation easier and more efficient.”
To be honest, it is very hard to be successful on social media. You may have noticed I tried in 2025 to share more tips about ways to promote the library that did not involve social media. However, some of my most popular videos and posts are about social media.
You are telling me you need to use it, and it needs to work. I hear you, and I’ll focus more on social media effectiveness in 2026.
#3: Budget and resources
I often wonder if anyone ever really has enough money to do the marketing they want to do. I suspect the answer is no. But for libraries, and especially in 2025, the money, or lack thereof, was a huge issue.
With cuts to funding and the closure of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (and all its grants), U.S. libraries in particular faced huge difficulties finding the money to market effectively.
In 2026, I’ll continue to provide tips that libraries can use without spending a fortune.
#4: Staff and leadership buy-in
I can sense sheer frustration from many respondents that their coworkers and their bosses don’t understand or support their efforts.
”Staff view participating in marketing efforts as someone else’s job, and not important,” said one respondent. “We have a social media committee that writes blog posts and manages our social media platforms, but they see very little value in posting to social media and aren’t active in social media in their personal lives.”
Said another, “There is only so much you can do from one department. In the end, the branches must facilitate the promotions and participate.”
“Also, there is still an old-school mentality of marketing in the branches that does not conform to the professional branding needed to elevate marketing throughout the library system.”
“My challenges continue to be the lack of director-level support for formalizing a process to incorporate a broader focus on non-program offerings in our publicity campaigns,” laments a third marketer.
I’ll continue to look for ways to offer tips and strategies for library marketers facing this problem, which is related to the final big challenge…
#5: Planning and strategy
It’s difficult for library marketers to know what to focus on when there is no overall plan or strategy for the promotions or for the library, in some cases.
In fact, 47 percent of respondents said they have no formal marketing plan to follow. And even when they have a plan, library marketers face challenges without someone at the helm directing everyone and keeping the focus clear.
“We have one plan, but different people do it differently,” lamented one respondent. “There are a lot of different skill sets and thoughts about marketing. It can be hard to try to get some on board.”
Another shared this wish for 2026: “Convincing management that a strategy we all adhere to really would be more effective than being spontaneous.”
Look for more posts and videos in 2026 about how to convince senior leaders to create a strategy and, if that doesn’t work, how to make your own plan!
How libraries decide what to promote
When asked how they choose which programs, services, or resources to highlight, respondents revealed a mix of strategy and necessity. About a quarter said decisions are anchored in strategic plans or leadership priorities, often guided by directors, committees, or formal marketing calendars.
Another 25 percent rely heavily on usage data and registration numbers, giving extra attention to underused services or events with low signups. Cost plays a big role, too. High‑investment programs, outside presenters, and grant‑funded initiatives often rise to the top.
Many libraries aim for fairness by rotating coverage across branches and age groups, while others admit choices are still ad‑hoc or driven by staff requests.
A smaller but notable group prioritizes seasonal themes and cultural relevance, trying promotions to holidays or trending topics.
So, while some libraries have formal frameworks, many are still juggling competing priorities and making reactive decisions when time is short.
Lessons that changed marketing approaches
I asked a new question this year: What’s one thing you learned this year that has changed your approach to marketing and promotions?
The most common answer was rethinking social media volume. Many library marketers learned that posting less, but with more intention, can boost engagement and free up time for higher‑impact tactics.
Others embraced email segmentation and onboarding email series.
Video remains a priority, with several respondents focusing on short‑form content while acknowledging capacity limits.
Partnerships stood out as another bright spot: collaborating with schools, local organizations, or influencers amplified reach and built trust.
Interestingly, AI sparked mixed reactions. Some respondents experimented and found it unreliable, while others leaned on it for editing and idea generation.
Suggestions for improving Super Library Marketing and “The Library Marketing Show.”
I also use this survey to get feedback on what I’m doing now and how I can improve! Here are some suggestions that I’d like to respond to.
- “More examples or case studies from libraries in different regions and cultural settings, especially those working with multilingual communities or limited resources.” This is a great idea and one I will work more diligently to fulfill in 2026.
- “Maybe highlight some things that DIDN’T work. It both makes failure okay and shows that we can learn when things don’t turn out as we expected.” Wow, great idea! And I’ll try to find some examples for you.
- “I appreciate the transcript you provide. Would it be too hard to use photos as examples of what you’re talking about during your kudos?” As soon as I read this response, I started doing it… I hope you noticed!
- “I would just like to see captions on the videos so those of us in common workspaces can watch them without sound.” I do provide captions on all my videos on YouTube and LinkedIn. To turn it on, click on the “CC” button in the lower right corner under the video.
- “Focus a little bit more on academic libraries and special libraries.” Great idea–I would love to do more of that in 2026.
PS Want more help?
Your 2026 Library Marketing Kickstart: The Posts and Tips You Can’t Miss
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Super Library Marketing: Practical Tips and Ideas for Library Promotion 