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Want to Make the World a Better Place? Tools and Tips For Libraries to Combat Racial Inequity in Their Communities

Photo Courtesy Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County

In the United States, a week of riots and violence protesting racial inequities was enough to send me in paralysis of inaction. It was soul-crushing. Like many of you, I sat at my computer or scrolled through my phone. I felt anger and despair. I felt hopeless and helpless.

I’m just a library marketer. What can I do to help?

Equality, inclusion, and diversity are social justice issues. Social justice aligns with the core values of library work. Equal access, educational equality, free service, and safe spaces are all essential and valuable library missions.

Many of the librarians I work with have hearts bent for social justice. They may not be aware of it. But their empathy, compassion, and drive to pass on information and ideas make the world a better place.

Every time a library staffer teaches someone to read or feeds someone or helps someone to get a job or offers a space for a group to meet in safety and peace, they are doing social justice work. Every time a library staffer recommends a diverse book or helps someone fax an unemployment claim to job services or helps a minority-owned business owner secure a grant or a patent or a trademark, they are doing social justice work.

If you feel that the problems of the world are too numerous or too difficult, that your job is too small, that no one cares about what you do or say, YOU ARE WRONG. You do make a difference working in a library. And you have the power to change lives.

This week, I want to share a list of resources and ideas to respond to racial inequity. I believe that libraries can help our communities to be more equal, inclusive, and diverse. Here is advice I’ve learned from experts, and tools to help you make changes in your collection, your marketing, and ultimately, your community.

What is your #1 library marketing worry or concern right now?

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Thank you for your response. ✨

Be aware of your own bias. I was raised to be prejudiced. I must consciously work on my own mind. And so should you. We must all make a habit of constantly questioning our own beliefs and reactions.

It’s not easy. It’s work we must do every single day. It starts with educating yourself. I’ve found several resources to help me with this. The best is this fantastic list of anti-racism resources for white people. There is also this great list of resourcesto help with racial division and the ongoing COVID crisis on the Facebook page Libraries Step Up (in times of crisis).

I also turn to friends like Kim Crowder. Kim is a former library marketer who now runs her own consulting firm aimed at helping organizations like libraries to make sure they are diverse, equal, and inclusive in their marketing, workforce, and services. She’s written for this blog on diversity in library marketing.

Kim is offering an anti-racism course on how to live an inclusive life. Inclusive leaders and professionals live diverse lives. She says, “Anti-racism and silence cannot inhabit the same space. Find out tools you can take with you and ways to grow and influence those around you. Let’s get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Humanity must lead.”  Sign up for her newsletter now for more details.

Recommend diverse books. One of a librarian’s main jobs is to recommend books to readers. This is your chance to create empathy in your community.

There are SO MANY resources to help you find diverse titles, including the website for the social movement We Need Diverse Books and The Children’s Book Council. My friends at the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County responded this week by quickly pulling together a list of books about race and anti-racism, which they displayed at the top of their Overdrive page. Your library can replicate that.

You can also turn to the Own Voices movement to find diverse books. Own Voices is an adjective that describes a book about diverse characters written by authors from that same diverse group.

If you aren’t familiar with diverse titles, there are two great places to find these books. The first is NoveList. (Note: I work for NoveList.) I have found many library staffers have no idea that their library is a subscriber. Check your library’s website. If you have NoveList, you can use it to find diverse and Own Voices books to recommend.

The other place is Pinterest. Searching “diverse books” and “Own Voices” on Pinterest will lead you to a host of booklists created by librarians, publishers, and other book industry websites.

Lift up diverse voices on your platforms. If you have a blog or a newsletter, ask patrons and community leaders from diverse backgrounds to write for you about their experiences at the library and beyond in the wider world. The library is built on stories. Those stories can be a way to affect change in the world. There is no more powerful way to do this than to amplify diverse voices.

Be intentional about adding diversity to story time and programs. Children’s librarians, you have the power to influence the next generation of readers. Read diverse books and share songs and crafts from diverse cultures at your story time. My favorite example is happening on the DC Library Facebook page, where they’ve posted bi-lingual story time videos.

The DC Library is also leading the way with diverse presenters for their programs. Be intentional about including presenters and experts from a variety of backgrounds, abilities, and perspectives. Your library is a safe space where ideas and information are shared. Let’s make sure we include all voices in discussions about all subjects, large and small.

Use diverse images in all your marketing. Representation matters. The library is a place where everyone in your community feels welcomed and included. Studies show that younger library users are more likely to respond to marketing that includes visual representations of diversity.

It is difficult, but not impossible, to find free diverse stock photos. Some good choices are Pexels diversity photo collection, Nappy, Women in Tech, and Unsplash.

Use social media for good. I know your social media feeds feel like a cesspool of hell. It doesn’t have to be that way. Libraries can help by curating content on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

You should, of course, share library resources to help your community learn about diversity and inclusion. But also look outside the library for content to share. Share posts by readers and people in your community from diverse backgrounds. Start a conversation with your followers about diversity. You can even do this live on Facebook or Instagram. And share posts from local organizations about events or educational opportunities tied to diversity and inclusion.

Do you have more ideas for how libraries can help their communities deal with racial inequalities and promote diversity? Please leave a comment below. Thank you for reading this.

Subscribe to this blog and you’ll receive an email every time I post. To do that, click on the “Follow” button in the bottom left-hand corner of the page. Connect with me on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.  

 

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Which Libraries Are Kicking *ss on Facebook? A Viewer Seeks Inspiration

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The Library Marketing Show, Episode 47

Angela answers a viewer question from a librarian at Pearsall Public Library. This librarian feels like she’s “drowning” on Facebook. She wanted to know if there were any libraries doing a great job on Facebook right now. The answer is…yes! Watch for my picks and add your own library Facebook page to the comments.

Also Kudos to everyone doing curbside service videos.

Don’t forget to subscribe to this series to get a new video tip for libraries each week! Thanks for watching.

Want more Library Marketing Show? Watch previous episodes!

I also have a new video series, 60-Second Book Reviews.

This blog consists of my own personal opinions and may not represent those of my employer. Subscribe to this blog and you’ll receive an email every time I post. To do that, click on “Follow” button in the bottom left-hand corner of the page. Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.   

 

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Why the Circle of Promotion is Your Best Bet for Library Marketing

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The #LibraryMarketing Show, Episode 46

Angela explains the Circle of Promotion and how all of your marketing tactics should tie together so we can reach our whole community. Here is the blog post by Angela’s former library that she talks about in this video.

Also Kudos to the Spartanburg County Public Library. They are doing a Pandemic time capsule, which is a fun activity. Their contest rules are also hilarious! Check it out here. 

And subscribe to this series to get a new video tip for libraries each week! Thanks for watching.

Want more Library Marketing Show? Watch previous episodes!

This blog consists of my own personal opinions and may not represent those of my employer. Subscribe to this blog and you’ll receive an email every time I post. To do that, click on “Follow” button in the bottom left-hand corner of the page. Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.   

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Your Library is Reopening: How to Communicate New Rules to Your Staff and the Public During a Pandemic

Photo courtesy Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County

What is your #1 library marketing worry or concern right now?

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Thank you for your response. ✨

In many parts of the United States, library boards and senior staff have decided to reopen in the next few weeks. My social media feeds are filled with posts from library staff airing concerns over a return to “normal” library duties.

The plans vary. But it appears that most institutions are slowly phasing in services. Some libraries are doing curbside only. Some are opening drive-thrus. And some are fully allowing patrons back inside their physical buildings. 

When your library settles on what to do, it will be your job to let your staff and community know what’s happening. This week, I spent a lot of time compiling the best advice I could offer to help you communicate a library reopening during a pandemic.

As you know, communicating is SO important. Your staff, your regular customers, and your community need to know what you are doing and what changes you are making to keep them safe. They will need you to say it more than once. And they will need time to digest all this information.  

A guide to communicating your library’s new policies

It starts with the staff. So many libraries think about customer communications first and forget that staff need to know what is happening. If your library is contemplating reopening, be open and honest with your staff about all aspects of what that will entail. Ask for feedback and listen respectfully to staff concerns and ideas. Adjust your plan where you can.

And expect pushback. It’s uncomfortable. People are scared. And there are members of your staff who will be vocal about their disapproval. If you are a library leader, find ways to address the concerns of staff. The Library Management Group on Facebook is a helpful resource for advice from other managers.

When sharing news with your community, use all your tactics. Create a page on your website where you put all your re-opening information. Link to it from your homepage and, for the time being, in the bio of all your social media accounts.

Make a video, or several videos, to explain the changes. If your library has accounts on multiple social media platforms, use all of them to tell people about your plans. And make your re-opening plans the exclusive focus of a social media live event. You can really build excitement and interest by publicizing the livestream where you’ll unveil the plans and take direct questions from the audience in the comments or chat.

Send emails to your community and patrons. Ask community partners to help share information about your reopening. Finally, pitch your reopening as a story to your local media. 

Create one core message and repeat it. You are going to have to say the same things and repeat the same information before the changes sink in.

Remember the Marketing Rule of 7? People need to hear a message seven times before they are compelled to take an action. It applies in this instance. And, with the vast amount of information coming at them from various sources, your community may need MORE than seven messages to fully grasp your library’s new service requirements. 

For maximum effect, settle on a few sentences as your core message or talking points. Repeat those on all your channels.

For social media, post your message at varying times of the day to make sure that it’s seen by as many followers as possible. Add your message to all your email marketing campaigns. Ask staff to practice your message as talking points so they can deliver a consistent answer when they receive questions from people at the desk, at the door, or by phone. Add the message to your holds slips and receipts. Add your message to videos. If you do live virtual events, ask staff to repeat the message before they go into their main program. 

It’s going to seem redundant to you. But a consistently repeated messaging campaign works.

But don’t overwhelm people. I received a reopening email from a library this past week with no less than 18 calls to action! It was overwhelming. And I didn’t click on any of them.

Don’t make that mistake. The services you provide are going to be different for different people. If you can break your messages up by audience, do so. And instead of sending one message with EVERYTHING in it, send two or three messages containing your core talking points, plus two to three details that pertain to a targeted audience. Your readers will be better able to digest and retain the information.

Use your signage wisely. I know many libraries are putting a good deal of information on their signage to keep interactions with the public to a minimum. But remember that too much signage will look crowded, cluttered, and overwhelming to your patrons. Take some time to plan where you’re place signage, and what they will say, for maximum effect.

Don’t forget to keep stakeholders and legislators in the loop. It’s important to send regular updates about what your library has been doing during the shutdown and what it is doing now as it plans to resume physical service. Highlight the many ways your collection was used even when your building was closed.

Legislators love numbers… so check your library statistics for use of digital resources. Point out trends. Show how your library helped the community cope with the stresses of the shutdown. 

Why is this so important? Right now, we must send the message that the library is always valuable. A time is coming when the economic crisis caused by this pandemic will lead to budget cuts. We need to do everything we can on the front side of this crisis to save as much of our funding as possible. And that starts now, with communication. 

Resources to help you deal with reopening

Self-Care for Library Social Media Staff in the Midst of a Crisis like #COVID-19

Don’t Stop Communicating! Tips for Handling Library Promotion Overload During a Crisis

Libraries and Social Media Facebook Group

Libraries Step Up in a Time of Crisis Facebook Group

Subscribe to this blog and you’ll receive an email every time I post. To do that, click on the “Follow” button in the bottom left-hand corner of the page. Connect with me on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.  

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The Very Latest Research on Social Media and How It Affects Library Marketing

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The #LibraryMarketing Show, Episode 45

Angela goes over the latest study from Sprout Social which lays out the latest research on how people are using social media, plus how they view social media use by brands. The same study then compares how marketers *think* people use social media and how they view brands. The difference is fascinating, and there is a lot of great insights for libraries.

Also Kudos to the Monroe County Public Library. They released a video called “A Cautious Path to Phasing In Services” which manages to be formal and light-hearted at the same time.

What did you think of this episode? Are you struggling with marketing and promotion right now? Do you have tips for handling this crisis that you can share with other libraries? Do you have a nominee for the Kudos segment? Drop a comment below! And subscribe to this series on YouTube to get a new video tip for libraries each week!

Want more Library Marketing Show? Watch previous episodes!

This blog consists of my own personal opinions and may not represent those of my employer. Subscribe to this blog and you’ll receive an email every time I post. To do that, click on “Follow” button in the bottom left-hand corner of the page. Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.   

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Marketing is Not a Dirty Word! Why Libraries Need to Promote Themselves Now, More Than Ever

Photo courtesy Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County

Back in February, I had the great pleasure of attending and speaking at the Edge 2020 conference in Edinburgh, Scotland. While there, I heard from librarians across the United Kingdom as they shared stories about the fantastic work happening in their libraries. You can now see video of all the sessions on their web page.

Scott Simpson, Head of Library & Information Services, and Paul Martin, Systems Development & Support Officer, East Renfrewshire, discussed their library’s program, “Do Your Bucket List at Your Library.” Attendees can visit places they’ve always wanted to see, pretty much anywhere in the world, using a VR headset and guidance from a library staffer. Simpson and Martin told us that many older people use VR to revisit places they haven’t seen in years or to show their families where they grew up.

I think this is brilliant. And marketable. And I said so on Twitter.

That’s when this back and forth happened.

The discussion has been on my mind ever since. I thought about it last week, when I recorded an episode of The Library Marketing Show about the need for libraries to keep communicating their value. I want to expand on that point.

The debate surrounding the word “marketing” in libraries is not new. When I worked for a large metropolitan public library system, my department was often met with skepticism or wary looks from librarians.

Most staffers wanted me to promote their programs and events. But many told me they felt weird or icky about promoting the non-program library work, like the collection or summer reading or homework help or online resources.

Library staff was more than happy to talk one-on-one about how great their library was. But there was something off-putting about loudly proclaiming the value of the library in mass library promotions.

Frankly, we must get over it. We must stop being humble. We must talk more about the work we do in our libraries, as loudly as we can, to as many people as will listen. Our very existence depends on it.

I don’t mean to be overly dramatic. But I am deeply worried about the future of libraries.

Marketing is not a dirty word. The importance of library marketing is the reason I started this blog five years ago. It is my mission to help library staff communicate their value to the public.

I love the library industry. I truly believe that libraries are the key to building a fair, educated, and empathetic society.

We’re not very good at marketing libraries, to be honest. In 2018, OCLC released this report on the marketing approach of public libraries in the United States. According to the data, 96 percent of US libraries said they use social media. I bet that number is much higher now. 70 percent send emails (also probably higher now, due the pandemic).

Here is the bad news. At the time of this report, only 40 percent of public libraries had a communications strategy. Only 17 percent said their strategy was current.

Why?  75 percent of libraries say they don’t have the necessary staff resources to do marketing. They don’t even have a marketing professional on their staff. That’s a big red flag, my friends.

I’ve been frustrated by the lack of focus on library marketing for years. But now, amid a pandemic, when library buildings are closed and when libraries face imminent budget cuts, it’s become a serious problem.

Many library staffers make an assumption that the community knows what they do in the library. But I am certain your community does not know the full extent of your impact.

They don’t know how you help craft the resume of the single parent looking to get a better job so he or she can provide a better future for their family. They don’t see how you help a terrified cancer patient research the latest treatment option. They don’t have any idea that you provide after-school homework help or teach young children to love reading. They don’t have a clue that your building is the only safe space a teenager has to hang out. They don’t know that the library is sometimes the only place where a child in their community gets a meal. Heck, half the time, they don’t realize you have eBooks.

It’s important to talk about all your work–loudly, openly, and all the time. It’s more than pride. It’s survival.

If you educate your community about the work of your library, it’s going to be painful for leaders to make budget and staff cuts. Your community will come to defense if they understand the loss that those cuts will mean for their community.

This is a change in mindset for libraries. This is not something that you’ll talk about once at a staff meeting and forget it. This is something we need to do every day, without fail.

Now is the time to make marketing one of the main focal points of your library’s outreach. It’s our duty to advocate for our own professional services and expertise.

Your patrons don’t want you to remain neutral. They want you to take a stand.

If your library isn’t centered on marketing, you might well face more problems than just getting people to your programs.

The very survival of your library depends on marketing.

Subscribe to this blog and you’ll receive an email every time I post. To do that, click on the “Follow” button in the bottom left-hand corner of the page. Connect with me on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.  

 

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Don’t Stop Communicating! Tips for Handling Library Promotion Overload During a Crisis

Watch Now

The #LibraryMarketing Show, Episode 44

When you’re trying to figure out how to get all the work you have to get done during this pandemic and you’re feeling overloaded, the one thing you SHOULD NOT sacrifice is communication with your community. In this episode, Angela shares tips to make room in your day for promotion and for celebrating what you can get done instead of being hard on yourself for what gets left on your “to-do” list.

Also Kudos to The Richland Library in South Carolina. Their marketing team recently won the 2020 American Advertising District three (North Carolina, South Carolina & Virginia) Award WIN for their Access Magazine. 

What did you think of this episode? Are you struggling with marketing and promotion right now? Do you have tips for handling this crisis that you can share with other libraries? Do you have a nominee for the Kudos segment? Drop a comment below! And subscribe to this series on YouTube to get a new video tip for libraries each week!  

Want more Library Marketing Show? Watch previous episodes!

This blog consists of my own personal opinions and may not represent those of my employer. Subscribe to this blog and you’ll receive an email every time I post. To do that, click on “Follow” button in the bottom left-hand corner of the page. Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.   

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Virtual Library Programmers–Heads Up! Here’s a Super Easy, Step-by-Step Plan to Establish a Style Guide for Your Library Videos

Photo Courtesy Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County

There’s a trend in library marketing now. It’s born out of necessity and determination.

More libraries are producing videos. They’re using the format to deliver programs to their community. They’re using video to explain the value of their library, as they brace for the economic impact of the pandemic.

I’ve long been a fan of video library marketing. And, even before COVID-19, there was mounting evidence that video is an effective and engaging way to communicate.

Video is easy to produce, really. Anyone with a smartphone and some editing software can make cool videos that look professional. My 19-year-old taught herself to edit this week in about two days’ time. I imagine many of you are doing the same thing.

But there’s one step in the process you may have missed. And for this, I must thank Mary from Evergreen Park Library. She asked me to talk about creating a video style guide. 

Why you need a video style guide

Any content coming out of your library will need to look like it’s coming from your library!

It’s the same philosophy you may have for any print material you create. You likely have rules and specifications about the look of the text, the placement of the logo, the use of colors, and more. Even if your guidelines are just a few sentences, someone along the line has likely laid out the rules.

Your videos need a similar set of guidelines. We want people to be able to recognize your work on all platforms.

And once you create a video style guide, it’s important to make sure everyone who creates content adheres to it. It’s incredibly important that we reinforce your library’s brand to your community. We want them to immediately know the video was produced by your library. Later, when we need support for funding, they’ll remember your work and the value you provide.

Creating your video style guide

In your style guide, answer these questions.  

  1. Logo: How often will your logo be used in the video? Where does it need to appear on the screen? How big should it be? What color should it be? If you have several versions of your logo, which one will be used in videos?
  2. Fonts: What font should be used for onscreen text? What color does it need to be? How large should it be? When should it appear?
  3. Graphics: If your video creators are adding additional graphics, what colors are allowed? What style of graphic should they use? What program should they use to create them? 
  4. Video: How should shots be framed? What resolution do you want recorded? What aspect ratio will be allowed? Do shots need to be focused? Does video need to be stable or will you allow shaky shots?    
  5. Audio: How loud should audio be in your videos? Should on camera talent use a microphone, headsets, or camera audio? If they edit music into the final product, how loud should the music be versus spoken words?  
  6. Talent: Which library staff members are permitted to record, edit, and upload videos? Should on-camera library staff wear something specific, like your library’s uniform shirt or a library branded t-shirt?
  7. Process: Is there a senior staff member who must give final approval for your video? How will the video be transferred between staff members at various stages of editing, approval, and posting?  
  8. Patron privacy: How do you go about getting permission from everyone who appears on camera, even in the background? This is especially important when library buildings reopen, and we start capturing video of patrons. It’s likely part of your library’s overall privacy policy. So, check to see what kind of permission you need to get from participants and set guidelines to make sure your video creators know that’s part of their responsibility.
  9. Liability and copyright issues: What music can your video creators legally use? What still photos can they legally use?  What extra footage can they legally use? Be explicit about fair use standards. 

Examples of video style guides

Pepperdine University

Oxford Brooks University

Washington University School of Medicine

You might also want to read these

Butts in Seats: Which Video Metrics Count as Attendance in the New World of Virtual Library Programming?

Videos Can Reach Library Users at Home Now and in the Future. Here’s Your Starter Kit.

Subscribe to this blog and you’ll receive an email every time I post. To do that, click on the “Follow” button in the bottom left-hand corner of the page. Connect with me on YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.  

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Three SUPER Easy Ways to Get More Results from Your Library Email Marketing!

WATCH NOW

The #LibraryMarketing Show, Episode 43 In this episode, Angela shares three very simple ways you can add punch to your email subject line and header text. Doing one of these three things every time you send an email will increase the chances your recipients will open and engage with your emails. Here is the article with all the fantastic magnet or trigger or power words Angela mentions in the video, broken up into charts that will help you create an emotional reaction in your readers. Also Kudos to all the libraries creating backgrounds for Zoom and Teams meetings using photos of their libraries. Library Journal has a great list of them. Here’s another great list from the Library Land project. If you have a topic for the show, kudos to share, or want to talk to me about library marketing, contact me using this short form.

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Thank you for your response. ✨

Want more Library Marketing Show? Watch previous episodes! Check the Upcoming Events page to see where I’ll be soon. Let’s connect! This blog consists of my own personal opinions and may not represent those of my employer. Subscribe to this blog and you’ll receive an email every time I post. To do that, click on “Follow” button in the bottom left-hand corner of the page. Connect with me on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.     
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