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10 New Infographic Ideas To Prove the Value and Power of Your Library

Photo courtesy Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library

I was scrolling through LinkedIn when a post by a librarian named Kaitlyn Carpenter, who works at a high school in Houston, Texas caught my attention. She said:

“One of my favorite things that Houston Independent School District library services implemented this year has been our monthly infographics! I love digging into data and understanding trends in my library like:

  • Wednesdays are always our busiest days.
  • Ninth and 10th graders are often the most likely to visit the library.
  • Comparing how circulation fluctuates throughout the school year.”

“Infographics like these allow libraries to market to their school and district to show impact! I have made it a part of my practice to include marketing images and graphics in every weekly eNews that goes out.”

Kaitlyn knows the power of infographics

The content management company Marq.com has compiled a ton of research on the value of infographics. Among their findings:

  • About 90 percent of the information transmitted to the brain is visual. Infographics are a perfect way to turn static, boring information into visuals. And that’s important because…
  • People remember 65 percent of information when it’s paired with an image. In contrast, they remember just 10 percent when they hear it or read it without an image.

Most libraries use infographics to share statistics, like summer reading participation and impact. But your library can use an infographic to demonstrate much more than numbers!

10 innovative ways to use infographics in your library marketing

Storytelling

Use infographics to tell a story about a patron’s journey and how the library affected their life. The visuals can depict all portions of the story.

You can introduce your patron as a main character. Show the problem they face. Illustrate the solution available at the library. And then end with graphics that show how your patron’s life was impacted by their interaction with the library.

Explain Your Strategic Plan

An infographic is an engaging way to easily explain the complex information contained in most library strategic plans.

You’ll want to start with an overview of your mission and vision, followed by specific goals and the steps to achieve them. Use graphics to demonstrate the timeline for the planned work.

Here’s a great example from the Winnipeg Public Library and another from my former employer, The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. When I worked at the library, we used this infographic to explain the strategic pillars to staff and to the public.

Testimonials and Quotes

Want to share powerful quotes about the importance of a library program or service? Include testimonials from patrons and community members in your infographic. This adds some humanity to the data.

California State Library added testimonials to their infographic explaining the impact of free lunch services.

Tutorials

We know some community members have difficulty using library resources like databases or vendor apps. (Remember how many people struggled with the Libby App?) Some members of the public may find long, text-based tutorials to be to complex.

You can turn those text instructions into a visual how-to guide to help community members ingest the information. Here’s a fun, two-page infographic from Falvey Library at Villanova University. It explains everything a student needs to know about the library as they start a new school year.

Compare and Contrast

Instead of just sharing statistics, use an infographic to compare metrics before and after library interventions. The visuals go a long way to clearly illustrating the impact of your library work.

You can also use an infographic to explain why library services are superior to other resources.

Arkansas River Valley Library System’s infographic shows the free library services that can replace paid subscription services.

Service Bundles 

Create a flowchart showing how a patron uses multiple services.

For example, your patrons may start by visiting your library’s website, where they sign up for a cooking program. When they get to the branch to attend the program, they may pick up a cookbook from a book display. Inside the cookbook, they may find a bookmark promoting the library of things.

An infographic illustration of that patron journey helps explain the interconnectedness of library services to board members, lawmakers, and potential partners.

Delray Beach Public Library explains the interconnectedness of its services in this infographic.

Visualizing Partnerships

Use an infographic to show how the library collaborates with other local organizations, schools, and businesses. This will demonstrate how the library actively engages with the community, which builds trust and awareness. It can also highlight additional services and programs available through these partnerships.

Here’s a great example from the Tampa Bay Library Consortium explaining how the Institute of Museum and Library Services Funds help Florida library programs.

Library Accessibility

Your library can use an infographic to illustrate how the library makes resources accessible to different demographics. This includes children, seniors, and non-English speakers.

For example, if your library knows that 95 percent of seniors who attend tech skills programs learn to use tech fluently, you can demonstrate that with graphics.

Bonus tip: For accessibility of your infographic, create a downloadable alt-text document for the infographic. This allows people who use screen readers to consume the infographic. Here’s an example from EBSCO. Scroll to the bottom of the illustration and you’ll see the prompt to download the alt-text version of this infographic.

Environmental Impact

Show the library’s efforts in sustainability and green initiatives. Use visuals to demonstrate eco-friendly programs, such as recycling, energy-saving measures, and community gardening projects.

If your library has undergone a renovation or built a new building and you’re Leed-certified, use an infographic to show your community how that designation saves money and the planet.

Volunteer Contributions

Infographics easily explain the impact of volunteers on a library. The visuals can help you clearly show the number of volunteer hours. They also illustrate the types of activities volunteers assist with. Additionally, they convey the value volunteers add to the library.

Need help creating your infographic?

I am not an artist. I can barely draw stick figures. So creating an infographic is daunting to me. This post explains the process I use to plan and create an infographic.

Hey library marketing friends: I’m teaching a pre-conference workshop at LMCC this year with my amazing coworker Caleigh Haworth. It’s all about marketing your collection. Registration is open now.

P.S. You might also find this helpful

The Top 13 Places To Find Library Content To Share When You’re Tired and Overworked (Bookmark This Post!)

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🚀Boost Your Library’s YouTube Channel Now: The 10-Second Solution

Watch this video now

#LibraryMarketing Show, episode 254

There’s a very simple trick that you can use to get more views on your YouTube channel. It takes about 10 seconds of your time. I will show you exactly what to do in this episode of The Library Marketing Show.

Plus we’ll give kudos to a library that drew a lot of attention to a very delicious-sounding event.(Here’s a hint: 🥒)

Do you have a suggestion for a topic for a future episode? Want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know here. And thanks for watching! 

Miss the last episode? No worries!

Will I see you soon?

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Why Blindly Following Marketing Advice Can Lead You Astray

Watch this video now

#LibraryMarketing Show, episode 253

The subject of today’s episode may surprise you. I want to talk about expert marketing advice. As a library marketer, you should take the advice of experts, including myself, with a grain of salt. I’ll explain in this episode.

Plus our kudos will be given to a library that did some promotional work AFTER an event. I’ll show you why this is a brilliant strategy.

Do you have a suggestion for a topic for a future episode? Want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know here. And thanks for watching! 

Miss the last episode? No worries!

Will I see you soon?

Subscribe to this blog and you’ll receive an email whenever I post. To do that, enter your email address. Then click on the “Follow” button in the lower left-hand corner of the page. You can also follow me on the following social media platforms:

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AI Revolutionizes Internet Search for Your Library. Master This Simple Trick for Visibility!

Watch this video now

#LibraryMarketing Show, episode 252

Artificial intelligence, or AI, has many implications for library marketing. And now, AI is changing how people search for your library on the internet. But…

There is one, relatively easy thing you can do to ensure people find your library when searching for it on ChatGPT, Google’s Perplexity, and Microsoft’s CoPilot. We’re going to get into it in this episode of The Library Marketing Show.

Plus we’ll give kudos to a library that’s cross-posting videos from one social media platform to another. Normally, this is a no-no but there is an exception… and this library is taking advantage of it!

Do you have a suggestion for a topic for a future episode? Want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know here. And thanks for watching! 

Miss the last episode? No worries!

Will I see you soon?

Subscribe to this blog and you’ll receive an email whenever I post. To do that, enter your email address and click on the “Follow” button in the lower left-hand corner of the page. You can also follow me on the following social media platforms:

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3 Game-Changing Revelations for Your Library’s Back-to-School Marketing 🚌

Watch this video now

#LibraryMarketing Show, episode 251

In a few weeks, kids in your community will head back to school. This time of year is a marketing opportunity for all libraries! Lucky for us, one of the major social media platforms just published a guide for marketing to back to school. I’ll share the top three takeaways for library marketing during back-to-school time in this episode.

Plus we’ll share kudos for a library that did something extraordinary by harnessing the power of their loyal library fans.

Do you have a suggestion for a topic for a future episode? Want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know here. And thanks for watching! 

Miss the last episode? No worries!

Will I see you soon?

Subscribe to this blog and you’ll receive an email whenever I post. To do that, enter your email address and click on the “Follow” button in the lower left-hand corner of the page. You can also follow me on the following social media platforms:

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Here’s a Reasonable Way for Libraries To Promote Lesser-Known Services so You Can Stop People From Saying, “I Didn’t Know the Library Had That!”

Watch this video now

#LibraryMarketing Show, episode 250

Library marketers want to make sure that their entire community knows everything the library has to offer. That’s a tall order.

Is it even possible? I have some advice about that today that may surprise you. We’ll get into it in this episode.

Plus we’ll give away kudos to a library that created a one-of-a-kind QR code with a complimentary campaign to educate the community about their offerings!

Do you have a suggestion for a topic for a future episode? Want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know here. And thanks for watching! 

Miss the last episode? No worries!

Will I see you soon?

Subscribe to this blog and you’ll receive an email whenever I post. To do that, enter your email address and click on the “Follow” button in the lower left-hand corner of the page. You can also follow me on the following social media platforms:

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The Clever yet Simple Trick One Library Marketer Uses To Remind Her Community of All Her Library Offers Every Day of the Year!

Photo courtesy Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library

When Donna Forbis graduated from the 8th grade, her parents gifted her a 10-speed bike. Her mother decided she was old enough to ride to the Peoria Public Library‘s Lakeview branch. 

“Back then, kids were not allowed in the adult stacks, so I was limited to my ‘side’ of the library,” remembers Donna. “I was very short (under 5′ tall), so even as a teen, I still looked like a kid. My ventures into the adult stacks would sometimes draw ‘looks’ from other patrons, but the library staff knew I was in search of mysteries I had not yet read!”

Donna’s love of the library never abated. She now works for the Illinois Prairie District Public Library. The library is small, with rural and suburban areas covering a service population of about 25,000 residents.

“We have fewer than 25 staff members (including our Director) servicing our six branches,” explains Donna. “Many staff members do double- or sometimes triple-duty.”

“My official title is Marketing & Events Coordinator, but I am also the branch manager for our Germantown Hills branch. I oversee all adult programming at our branches, and I coordinate with our Youth Services Librarian/Assistant Director on teen programming. I am responsible for creating nearly all of our promotional materials. What I don’t generate myself is usually shared with me to make sure it fits our style and brand before being shared with the world.”

It’s a lot of work, and Donna’s library still struggles to reach community members, especially regarding their programs and events. But Donna’s library is doing something that seems old-school yet innovative: A wall calendar!

“The idea for the wall calendar came from our Director,” explains Donna. “Several area outlets like banks and stores used to offer free wall calendars to their customers, but the practice has dropped off in recent years. While the world might be more comfortable with digital calendars, many patrons still want a wall calendar. Since the banks were not offering free calendars anymore, we decided to fill that void.”

“With a wall calendar, we can promote the library every day for a full year inside our patrons’ homes. We want our patrons to think of us as their go-to for research and resources, educational and entertainment opportunities, and a central community gathering spot. The calendar is a daily reminder that we are here for our neighbors.”

Donna and the rest of the library staff spent about three months working on the format and layout for the 8.5″ x 11″ wall calendar.

“The first version was nothing more than a stack of stapled papers, with notes on each page of a suggested layout,” recalls Donna. “Then I created an initial mock-up of the calendar in MS Publisher and shared it with our Director for critique. From her feedback, I shifted some photos around, added, and subtracted date-specific holidays, and determined what other information we wanted to include.”

“One topic of discussion was whether to have the library info pages at the beginning of the calendar or the end. My logic was, that if the info pages were at the end, behind the December calendar, they would be accessible to users all year long without taking the calendar off the wall.”  

The final calendar is a mix of fun content and library news. You can see it here.

“Our calendar is set up to highlight our branches, reading challenges, and some of our evergreen programming,” says Donna. “We also provide ways to connect with the library through a page filled with links and QR codes to get to our website, catalog, calendar, reading challenge platform, and social media channels.”

The library printed 725 copies and distributed them beginning the week before Christmas. Calendars were available at each branch and through some of the library’s community partners, including nursing homes and daycare centers.

Donna also promoted the availability of the calendars through the library’s regular marketing channels. And until just a few weeks ago, she posted a notice of the calendar’s availability in every library email newsletter. They managed to hand out nearly all their copies.

“We are very pleased with how it came out, and our patrons have been very appreciative,” remarks Donna. “When looking at it from a cost-benefit analysis, we spent a little under $2300 (plus shipping) for the calendars. That equates to roughly $200 per month in advertising spread across our community for a full year. And it is in a form that our patrons want and need. Even on a tight marketing budget, the expense was worth it.”

If Donna does the calendar again for 2025, she says she’ll have the final design done by Thanksgiving, so patrons have a longer window of time to pick one up.

And where will her next great library marketing idea come from?

“Inspiration can come from anywhere,” declares Donna. “I maintain connections with other library marketers through the Library Marketing Book Club, the regional Heart of Illinois Library Marketing networking group, and professional groups like the Illinois Library Association’s Marketing Forum.”

“One of my all-time favorite pieces of library marketing came from the Invercargill (New Zealand) City Library back in 2017, which was 2 years before I became a library marketer! They did a parody of a Hollywood Reporter magazine cover featuring the Kardashian clan at the height of their Keeping Up with the Kardashians fame. When I look at it today, I still laugh!”  

“I keep an eye on what advertisers in other industries are doing through organizations like Adweek, HubSpot, and other marketing tracking organizations. If someone on one of those platforms is writing or commenting about a particular piece of advertising, it may be worth noting.”

“As far as other libraries go, I am awed daily by my peers! Because of my ‘solo marketer’ limitations, whenever I see a library with a catchy video on TikTok, Reels, or Shorts, I am completely jealous! There are not enough hours in the day for me to learn how best to shoot and edit videos, get them uploaded, and do it regularly to build and maintain a following and get all my other stuff done!”

Donna has a piece of advice for anyone working on library marketing.

“Regardless of the situation, whether you have a program or promotion you want to try, need money or materials, or anything else – If you don’t ask, the answer will always be ‘No.’”   

“People generally want to be helpful and be of service, but often they don’t know the best way to do it. Tell others what you need and ask them for their help, and you might be surprised at the answer, even for the ‘impossible’ ask!”

P.S. You might also find this helpful

What’s It Like To Promote a Library With a Non-Circulating Collection? Marketer at a Cultural Institution Takes Us Behind the Scenes

Subscribe to this blog and you’ll receive an email whenever I post. To do that, enter your email address and click on the “Follow” button in the lower left-hand corner of the page. You can also follow me on the following social media platforms:

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Interviewing Techniques Anyone Can Use To Land a Powerful Quote for Your Library’s Blog, Video, Social Media, or Press Release

Photo courtesy Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library

Interviewing a stranger about their library experience is intimidating for many people. If the thought of having an intentional conversation to elicit a sound bite you can use in a blog, video, social media post, press release, or other content sounds daunting, the post is for you.

Why a powerful quote is important.

Your audience wants to hear directly from the people impacted by your library’s work. Whether that is your staff, director, board members, or patrons, a good quote can drive home your work’s value.

A quote can convey passion or a strong point of view. It can turn a story about statistics or complicated concepts into something understandable and relatable. A quote can also establish an emotional connection with the reader or viewer.

And, if your goal is to catch the attention of local media, a good quote can make your press release, blog post, or email stand out. Because…

The media knows when your quote is fake.

I worked in a local television newsroom for nearly 20 years before I became a library marketer. And I’m here to tell you… journalists can tell when you’ve made up a quote for a press release.

I understand why it happens. Your director or coworkers may tell you they trust you to put words in their mouths. It seems less time-consuming than doing an interview.

But the media can tell when you’re making it up. That’s why an interview, however short, is key to getting an authentic quote. So here are tips to make the interview process smooth and successful.

Prepare as much as possible.

If you are interviewing a co-worker, a board member, or the director of your library, take a few moments to see if there is any documentation that gives you clues about their background. Search their LinkedIn profile and board minutes. Do a Google search to see if they’ve ever done an interview. You may learn new facts about them and their speaking style.

Think about how you might structure your piece before you even write it.

That structure may lead you to questions to ask.

For example, readers may notice that I often start library profiles on this blog with some facts about my subject’s life before they worked in marketing. I ask people to tell me about their childhood library and their work before libraries, to build the scene and give a deep background on my subject. Use this technique for any interview leading to a blog post, social media post, or video.

If you are interviewing to get a quote for a press release, I suggest writing the press release before doing the interview. Leave spaces where a quote or two would grab the media’s attention and add context and emotion to the story you’re trying to pitch. Now you’re ready to write your questions.

Craft targeted questions that elicit insightful responses.

  • Use simple sentences and language.
  • Add intention to your questions. If you want someone to share a firsthand experience or observation, craft your sentence to gently lead your interviewee to that answer.
  • Ask open-ended questions. If you must ask a yes or no question, follow up with “Why?” to give your subject the nudge to elaborate.
  • Still stuck? Use your tools. ChatGPT can help you craft questions for your interview.

To show how this works, I typed into ChatGPT: “I am interviewing my library director about a new partnership that will help community members land a job or advance their careers. Can you give me some sample questions I might use to get a good quote?”

Here is the list of questions ChatGPT gave me.

  • Can you please provide an overview of the new partnership aimed at helping community members with job placement and career advancement?
  • What motivated the library to pursue this partnership?
  • How do you envision this partnership benefiting members of our community?
  • Could you elaborate on the specific resources or services that will be made available through this partnership?
  • In what ways will the library be collaborating with the partner organization to deliver these resources and services effectively?
  • How will the library measure the success of this partnership in terms of its impact on community members?
  • Are there any demographics or groups within the community that stand to benefit most from this initiative?
  • How does this partnership align with the library’s broader mission and goals?
  • Can you share any success stories or examples of how similar partnerships have been effective in other communities?
  • What steps will the library take to ensure that community members are aware of and can easily access the resources and services offered through this partnership?

That is a huge list! It’s a great start. All I would need to do is go through and tweak the questions to match the tone I want to set and to sound more like something I would say.

Now comes the fun part: the interview!

6 tips for conducting the interview

  • #1: Record the conversation.
  • #2: Talk a little about yourself to get the conversation started.
  • #3: Ask an easy first question to calm everyone’s nerves.
  • #4: Encourage elaboration on interesting points.
  • #5: Let the person talk. Don’t be afraid of silence.
  • #6: Paraphrase or summarize key points to nudge the interviewee towards a quotable response.

P.S. You might also find this helpful

Library Marketer Shares Brilliant 4-Step Plan for Getting Press Coverage and Building Personal Relationships With Media

Subscribe to this blog and you’ll receive an email whenever I post. To do that, enter your email address and click on the “Follow” button in the lower left-hand corner of the page. You can also follow me on the following social media platforms:

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What’s It Like To Promote a Library With a Non-Circulating Collection? Marketer at a Cultural Institution Takes Us Behind the Scenes

Photo courtesy Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library

Growing up in Columbia, Missouri, Lili Pangborn visited her local library nearly every day after school.

“The library staff quickly began to recognize me,” recalls Lili. “They would offer to help me with homework or chat about whatever books I was reading at the time. I feel like this willingness to help others is common among library staff; libraries truly are a special place for community collaboration!”

Lili still spends nearly every day at the library. She’s now the Communications Coordinator at the Newberry Library, a non-circulating research and cultural archive library in Chicago.

The library has a diverse collection of rare books, manuscripts, maps, and secondary literature that can help researchers interpret and understand original source materials. It also offers programs and exhibits.

Lili works with the Director of Communications and two graphic designers to promote the Newberry.

“Much of our marketing is focused on promoting our public events,” explains Lili. “We frequently collaborate with the Public Programs, Adult Education, and Exhibitions departments to develop marketing strategies specific to each team’s needs.”

“I believe that to successfully promote our institution, it is imperative to fully understand all aspects of how the library functions. For that reason, I try to maintain working relationships with colleagues across all departments at the Newberry, even those with whom we don’t work as closely.”

Lili’s library is quite different from that of most of my readers, as are her marketing goals.

“As an independent library that is free and open to the public, of course, our overarching goal is to get people in the doors, engaging with the collection, learning, reading, and discussing,” says Lili. “However, unlike school and public libraries, our focus isn’t necessarily on literacy or early childhood education.”

“We are non-circulatory, which means library users cannot take collection items out of the library. Because of that, we aim to promote how users near and far can engage with the Newberry and promote the message that our collection is for everyone, not just scholars or research fellows at the library.”

“There are so many ways our collection can benefit personal or professional work, so one goal is to make sure our audience is aware of our collection specialties and how they can be utilized.”

“For example, if you are from Chicago and want to learn more about your neighborhood or a certain Chicago event, we have tons of materials on Chicago history, culture, and political movements. If you are curious about the Indigenous communities local to your area, we have a wide breadth of materials from various regions across the American continents. Or, say you are interested in building your family tree, the Newberry has a slew of materials relevant to genealogic research, not just Chicago specific!”

“Many of our audience members are interested in learning from the items in our collection but are not interested in conducting formal research. So, we also want to make sure people know about the wide breadth of opportunities available to engage with the collection in a less formal setting, through our public programs, adult education classes, and exhibitions.”

I came to know of the Newberry Library through one of my readers, who mentioned that they admired the Newberry’s Instagram account. Indeed, it’s a history and book lovers’ dream, with lots of photos and videos featuring historic books, albums, documents, and more.

Lili shares social media posting duties with the Director of Communications, Bob Dolgan.

“We prioritize Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter, though we also have content on YouTube, Vimeo, and Threads,” says Lili. “Because each platform functions differently, I try to tailor the media we share accordingly.

“For example, because Instagram is visually oriented, I’ve found that our audience responds positively when we exhibit unique and interesting items from our collection in a visually appealing way.”

“Facebook is a text- and link-oriented site, we focus more on sharing relevant articles, blog posts, and events. Due to the character limit, Twitter falls somewhere in the middle, and YouTube is primarily used as a hosting site for free recordings of our public programs and video tours of our exhibitions.”

The Newberry also has an amazing blog, Source Material, which features in-depth articles about interesting sections of the Newberry’s collection.   

Lili says Source Material is a collaboration between departments. She’s never at a loss for blog ideas and sometimes gets to author the articles. For example, Lili wrote this piece about the five most-requested collection items of 2023, which was a huge hit with readers.   

“We try to schedule blog posts according to relevant dates or events at the Newberry, which allows us to cross-market each item,” explains Lili. “This is usually in the form of email campaigns and social media posts.”

“Our audience loves to learn more about the behind-the-scenes work at the Newberry and are curious about new ways they can engage with our collection. Our blog posts help inspire this!”

The Newberry also has very clear and recognizable branding. The font, the clean outline of their website, and the images they choose all convey that old-world, historical collections connection but in a modern way.

“I think that sometimes, even if people understand the value of studying the humanities, they struggle to connect that value to their everyday lives,” says Lili.

“As a humanities research institution, a goal of ours has always been to show how the study of art, music, literature, cartography, and history can inform our understanding of the contemporary world.”

“Our website and social media are often people’s first impression of the Newberry, so we want our online presence to reflect that.”

Lili says the communications team at the Newberry is focused in 2024 on positioning the Newberry collection and staff as resources to the community.

For inspiration, Lili looks to other special libraries, such as the Huntington Library, the Folger Shakespeare Library, and the Morgan Library.

“However, I personally admire the Milwaukee Public Library’s media presence,” says Lili. “They do such a wonderful job of tying traditional library goals to lighthearted contemporary media trends. This strategy seems crucial, given the current movement focused on defunding public libraries and limiting access to certain books/subjects. I also love the way they continuously engage with their community members, especially the younger generation of library users.”

P.S. You might also find this helpful

Library Marketer Shares Her Ingenious Trick for Making Sure Her Community Sees Her Social Media Posts

Subscribe to this blog and you’ll receive an email whenever I post. To do that, enter your email address and click on the “Follow” button in the lower left-hand corner of the page. You can also follow me on the following social media platforms:

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