Managing posters sounds simple until you’re responsible for dozens of them.
A viewer recently asked how to keep library displays current without spending hours tracking down outdated posters. It’s a challenge many libraries face.
In this episode of The Library Marketing Show, I share a few practical tips for creating a poster management system that’s easier for staff.
Plus, kudos go to an entire country of libraries! Watch the video to find out why.
Do you have a suggestion for a future episode’s topic? Do you want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know here.
Photo courtesy Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library
Quick Summary
Print marketing is not dead. When used strategically, it helps libraries cut through digital noise and even strengthens digital marketing.
Measure return on investment of print marketing with opt-ins, QR codes, custom trackable links, and interactive prompts.
Repurpose print content across social, blogs, and email to extend its reach and prove its impact.
Every day, I run with anticipation to the mailbox.
I can’t help myself. As a member of Gen X, snail mail was a significant part of my life when I was growing up. A letter or postcard from a family member or friend brought me such joy. We had phones, of course, but no social media. So if a friend went on vacation, I couldn’t follow each step of their journey on Instagram.
I also love mail because it’s physical. There is something about the feel of paper in your hands that adds to the joy of reading. It’s why I prefer print books to eBooks.
And I know that digital correspondence is also permanent, but there is something different about a stash of letters, held together with ribbon or string, kept to be read again years later.
What does any of this have to do with library marketing?
The 10th Annual Super Library Marketing survey closed a few weeks ago. I’m analyzing the results now and will publish the full report on January 5, 2026.
But one theme has emerged already: Library promotions are getting lost in the constant digital noise.
I work with hundreds of libraries worldwide every day at NoveList. They’re all facing this struggle. And some are beginning to lean on print to cut through the noise.
That’s because print still matters when it’s intentional, measurable, and audience-focused.
Print is not dead. It’s strategic!
It might feel old-fashioned or even risky to invest staff time and budget in print. After all, email and social media offer instant metrics and quick reach. But here’s the truth: Print has never been more valuable.
Now, I realize this statement may come as a surprise. Readers of this blog know how much I value email marketing. It is, hands down, the most effective use of your marketing time.
But clever library marketers know that there are some audiences we cannot reach with email. Print helps you connect the dots between those groups. It can spark attention in people who might otherwise overlook your digital promotions. And it can deepen the relationship with those who are already engaged with your library.
Imagine this: You’ve been on a store’s email list for years, eagerly clicking through their sales messages. Then one day, a coupon shows up in your mailbox. Suddenly, the brand feels even more present, more valuable, and you’re more likely to act on the next email, too. (BTW, this example is born of my own experience with Bath and Body Works!) And it works because…
Print doesn’t replace digital marketing; it amplifies it.
How do you know if your print marketing is working?
Here’s the challenge I’ve always faced with print marketing: How do you prove that it’s effective? How do you know it’s worth the investment? Because, let’s face it, print can be costly.
Here are five concrete ways you can measure the effectiveness of print marketing at your library.
1. Start with an opt-in model for longer print publications.
Many libraries print thousands of copies of their print newsletter or magazine. Then they send them out to all the people living in their service area. They might also send copies home with each child in their school district.
I totally understand that strategy. But it’s akin to sending un-targeted email messages. If someone isn’t already engaged with the library, the sad truth is they may throw that print piece in the trash. That’s a waste of money for the library and a waste of time for you.
A better approach is to ask readers to opt in to the publication. There are a couple of ways to do this.
Ask people to sign up either when they sign up for a library card or through an email campaign.
Send your print publication to anyone who donates to your library’s fundraising groups.
Put copies out in your branches. You can also distribute copies to partner organizations with locations that have a lot of foot traffic, like museums and theaters. Be sure to include a QR code so those new audiences can sign up to receive their own copies at home.
2. Make your print marketing interactive.
Ask readers to post a social media comment on a story or an event in your print publication. This works really well for print calendars and fliers.
Add a unique hashtag to the piece, and ask people to use it when they post their comment. Then count how many comments you receive.
You can also ask readers to send an email with an answer to a special prompt, like, “Which storytime is your child’s favorite?” Create a special inbox to receive comments from your print publications. Then you can count the number of emails you receive.
3. Use custom trackable links.
When I worked at the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library, I used Bit.ly to create special trackable links for our website. With a free Bit.ly account, you can edit the back half of a link and then track how many people click on it. This makes it easy to see which traffic is coming directly from your print marketing.
4. Add QR codes.
Add a QR code to your print piece, then track how many scans you get. One library marketer I spoke with takes this a step further by creating a different QR code for each poster, depending on where it’s displayed. That way, she can compare engagement across different locations or departments!
Pro tip: This strategy works for all your library’s print pieces, from bookmarks to event flyers. If you ever feel like you’re doing too much print marketing, the data you collect from trackable links and QR codes can help you make the case for (or against) continuing.
5. Repurpose your content across other channels.
Save time and amplify your content by repurposing stories from your magazine or newsletter into social posts, blog articles, or email content. If those repurposed pieces perform well digitally, it’s another signal that your print marketing is resonating.
When I worked at the library, many of the stories we published in our quarterly newsletter or on our blog were repurposed in this way. This helped us to get more traction for the stories and gave us another way to measure whether the story is interesting to our audience.
This trick can also help your community to learn that you have print promotions and give you a reason to solicit sign-ups for the print version!
How is your library using print marketing?
I’d love to hear how your library is using print. Share your experiences in the comments below.
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It’s been a while since I’ve seen a print news magazine from a library. And this one was so good, I had to reach out to the editor, Karen Jensen, the library’s Community Liaison. She and several other employees manage all the marketing and public relations for the library. Karen also oversees grants and volunteers and is the liaison for all six of the library’s Friends groups.
A native of Valparaiso, Indiana, Karen graduated from Ball State University with a liberal arts degree. After college, she worked for a large radio station in the Midwest as a copywriter. She also took on a variety of jobs within the equine industry. Her love of horses was fed by her childhood library trips.
“I was a horse-crazy little girl (who grew to be a horse-crazy adult) and was so completely drawn to Marguerite Henry’s Misty of Chincoteague, King of the Wind,and Walter Farley’s books, The Black Stallion,” remembers Karen. “Books were some of my favorite gifts as a child and adolescent and my nose was buried beneath the pages much of the time. The rest of my leisure time was spent in the barn with my beloved horses!
Her passion for horses and a business prospect brought her to Ocala, Florida where she worked primarily within the public and nonprofit sectors before joining the library in 2009.
“The first issue of our quarterly WORDS magazine was in the spring of 2009 before I joined the library system,” recalls Karen. “I arrived in time to spearhead the fall issue and have served as the magazine’s editor since that time.”
“The magazine provides a central information source for all events, and updates on library information and resources, in both print and digital formats. It offers a professional means for sharing information with elected officials, community partners, and a myriad of other groups and individuals with whom we all come in contact.
-Karen Jensen
“Although by no means our only method of communicating with the public, it is a key reference point for all staff when working within our community.”
Words has evolved from its original eight pages to its current 20 pages and is funded entirely by the Friends of the Ocala Public Library. Work on each issue starts six months before the publishing date.
“There is a creative meeting with managers and supervisors quarterly where we establish the theme and content for the next issue,” explains Karen. “Upon the selection of the theme and content, I will seek volunteer writers from within our library staff, as well as within the community.”
Words is unlike other library newsletters, in that it’s a balanced mix of in-depth stories and library promotion. The issue I received included a patron interview on fall traditions, a piece on a historic tourist destination, and a preview of an upcoming library program featuring a chef from the World Equestrian Center. It’s informative, educational, entertaining, and beautifully designed.
“The number of print copies has always been small, with a current print quantity of 4,500 for three issues and 5,000 for the summer issue for nine library locations,” says Karen. “In addition to the small print quantity, the library system uses a mail management system (LibraryAware) to disseminate monthly updates to more than 80,000 patrons in Marion County.”
I’m not surprised to learn that Words is a hot commodity for patrons.
“We hear from patrons and community members asking, ‘When is the next issue coming out?’” explains Karen. “And, as with many print magazines, there are always special favorites that really resonate within our community. Typically, it is themes about natural resources in our county or other highlights. People really love learning about their community and we certainly want that to include their public library!”
“We now have very few remaining print copies at the end of each quarter and typically run out before the end of the quarter at our larger branch locations. We do, as supplies allow, take print copies to outreach events, but more than likely have a flyer with the QR code and how to sign up to receive a copy available at tabling events.”
“Our library system administration and staff love the magazine and even when it is an add-on to workloads, are so very proud of the final result. And there is really nothing to compare with receiving an email from a community partner, an elected official, or a mom of three who says, ‘I just love Words!’”
Karen’s advice for any library looking to start a news magazine
Tip #1: Start with a plan.
Establish goals, audiences, what is to be accomplished, and by whom, early on.
Factor in how you will measure your outcomes. This is really such an important part of any public relations/communication efforts. How will you know if this is a cost-effective endeavor? What is the ROI?
How often will the newsletter be published?
Who will the editor be?
Who will manage the production?
What are the costs associated with the news magazine production and how will the costs be covered?
Tip #2: Determine what combination of formats is going to work best for your audiences.
If cost is a factor, digital format will be the most realistic.
Explore a mail management platform that will work for your community of patrons. We selected LibraryAware and it has really helped to expand the footprint far beyond the print or website reach.
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:
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:
You may wonder, is it possible to over-communicate with my patrons?
Can you send too many emails, do too many social media posts, and put up too many posters and flyers in your library?
There are some telltale signs that you’re overdoing it! I have four tips to help you determine if you are flooding your community with too many messages in this Library Marketing Show episode.
Plus kudos go to a library that received press coverage for the return of a long overdue book with a funny note inside!
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!
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:
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!”
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You may remember her from this interview last year. I spoke to Barbara about her work turning a stodgy, boring annual report into a storytelling masterpiece.
One thing I love about Barbara: she is always looking for ways to improve.
Hear about Barbara’s approach to the annual report this year
A few months ago, she sent me an email with a link to her current annual report. It is also amazing.
And this year, Barbara decided to take it a step further and promote her report, activating staff to help. So of course, I wanted to know how she did it.
Barbara told me she first spent time thinking about the emotional impact she wanted her annual report to have on the community.
“What do we want our audience to think, feel, and do,” said Barbara. “We wanted to make sure that people can see that we were relevant to their lives, and the lives of the communities. So that’s how we want them to feel this is for them. This is something they are excited about and want to be involved with.”
“We want them to actually reach out and be involved in what we’re doing, to become a volunteer, to become a community member, to bring their skills to work with us, or to actually just come in and enjoy what we do. and just participate and get the value of for them in their lives of what libraries can bring.”
Hear Barbara talk about the goal of this year’s annual report.
Barbara’s first step in this new mission was to focus on the many target audiences for her annual report.
“The audience could be people who are library users but they’re probably people who aren’t library users,” explained Barbara. “They may be potential funders or sponsors, local government officers, and the people who provide our funding. We needed to advocate the value that we have, and that we bring to the city.”
Barbara’s team tried something new this year: a social media campaign to expand the reach of the stories her library is telling. And if you think people aren’t interested in social media posts about an annual review, you would be wrong.
“We had a series of five posts over five days, which were highlighting those key details from the annual review,” explained Barbara. “On Twitter, we had a 4.9 percent engagement rate compared to 2.5 percent, which is the average for the month.”
“There was a particular post that had a 6.5 percent engagement rate on Facebook. That usually averaged 2.5 percent for the month. So, it did engage with people. People were commenting on it, people were sharing it, and the engagement rate was higher than the normal engagement rate. We’re really pleased with that.”
And this year, Barbara and her staff got the rest of the library staff involved. Staff linked to the annual report in their email signature.
“We really emphasize the fact that this was an opportunity for them to not necessarily have a conversation, but through their email, they’re connecting with people, and people can see that annual review,” said Barbara.
The library has one main organizational social media account and branch accounts. Barbara and her staff worked to get all the administrators of the branch accounts to help in the social media promotion of the annual report. Her team provided context and made the ask very simple.
“We talked about what we’re trying to achieve,” said Barbara. “‘We really want you to share those posts through your social media.’ And that’s what they did.”
The plan to involve staff to help spread the message worked so well, Barbara’s team now uses it for every major campaign. She explains the impact her library hopes to have by marketing and shares examples of posts with high engagement garnered with staff support.
“We give examples of the posts that really made a difference because they got behind it,” revealed Barbara. “For example, our summer reading challenge that we do for children every summer, that absolutely by staff getting behind that campaign really made a difference. We’re starting to build that. It’s gaining momentum. And the staff are seeing the value of that engagement, they’re seeing the value of the fact that they can amplify the message and by amplifying influencers as well. “
Barbara hopes her annual report does more than inspire her community to act and support her library. She hopes it inspires you, her fellow library marketers.
“You’ve got your story,” said Barbara. “The people use your libraries, your volunteers, your staff, they know the story too. And there are so many nuggets to choose from. Think about the beginning, the middle, the end, what you’re trying to do, and what you want people to do. It really, really works. It’s the story of the people that’s really important.”
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The Library Marketing Show, Episode 133: In this episode, I’ll address a recent discussion in the chat of a virtual conference I attended.
The commenter said, “I struggle with marketing our digital collection when my goal is getting people back in the Library. I am thankful for our digital collection and how it meets the needs of patrons, but when patrons mostly use our digital collection, they don’t come into the library. How should I be rethinking this?”
Kudos in this episode go to Rhone Talsma of the Chicago Public Library. Watch the video to find out why he’s being recognized.
Do you have a suggestion for a topic for a future episode? Want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know in the comments. And subscribe to this series to get a new video tip for libraries each week.
Thanks for watching!
Subscribe to this blog and you’ll receive an email every time I post. To do that, enter your email address and click on the “Follow” button in the lower left-hand corner of the page.
I love to read anything in print. The texture and smell of the paper, the actual physical weight the words have in your hands, and the ability to re-read and annotate the pages give a sense of importance to the printed piece that you can’t get when you read something online.
Digital exhaustion is a real phenomenon, and the pandemic has only made it worse. According to Statista, the average daily time spent with digital media is expected to increase from seven hours and 50 minutes in 2020 to just under eight hours in 2022.
Even though people are spending more time online, that online space is crowded. It’s harder for the library’s message to break through all the content noise.
People want a more personal connection to their marketing. A printed promotional piece appeals to the senses. It’s tangible. It occupies physical space and creates the value of possession. Your audience must physically interact with it, and that makes it authentic and reliable.
And for members of our community who don’t have access to the internet, or who don’t have a connection strong enough to support streaming videos or high-resolution downloads, print is the key to marketing success.
Most libraries have a printed newsletter. I want to challenge your library to take that piece and transform it into a powerhouse marketing tool.
To do that, you’re going to trim down the number of events in the piece and add stories about your library and its patrons.
Here’s how you can transform your newsletter into a promotional masterpiece that people will want to read. There are examples of great library print pieces at the end of this post!
Make a plan and an outline.
Divide your publication into pages. Then, plot out what you are going to put on each page.
You’ll want to create a balance between the sections of your piece. Start by dividing your publication into thirds.
One third will be dedicated to promoting collection items, including booklists, streaming music and movies, your physical movie and music collection, and magazines.
One third will be dedicated to events and programs.
The final third will be stories about patrons and staff and the ways the library has impacted their lives.
Pick one big story to serve as your cover.
Some cover stories we used at my library included:
A father and son who visited all 41 branches of our library in one day.
Once you determine your cover story, place it in your outline about halfway through your publication. You want people to have to read several pages to get to it.
Here are some other ideas for stories to put in your publication.
Staff and patron reading recommendations, including quotes about why they love and recommend the books.
Stories behind the forming of a book club.
A profile of a teacher or a school librarian who takes advantage of services like teacher collections and support from the library.
How your library has helped someone find a job or earn a degree.
Profile of a small business that used your library to launch a successful company.
Behind the scenes of a certain department at your library. For example, I interviewed the manager of our Preservation Lab, which restores and preserves rare items in the library’s collection such as military uniforms, books written on palm leaves, and all kinds of historically valuable photographs. In another issue, we took people along for a ride with our Outreach Services and talked to the people whose lives were changed by the simple act of bringing books to their homes.
Make sure each page includes at least one call to action.
End each article with a call to action, like, “To learn more, email us.” Or “To join this book club, visit our website.”
The whole point of your print publication is promotion. Make sure that you give your readers a way to interact with your library and take the next step.
Give yourself time to edit and review.
Typically, it took me about a month from start to finish to write, edit, and review my 12-page print publication. Specifically, my timeline looked like this:
Four weeks before we went to print, articles written by other staff were due.
Three weeks before we went to print, I thoroughly read and edited each article. I used my own punctuation and grammar skills, plus Microsoft Word’s review editor, and a Grammarly extension on my browser to perfect each article.
Two weeks before we went to print, I made copies of the publication and passed them around to at least five staff members inside and outside of my department. I asked them to carefully read the articles and mark any mistakes they noticed.
One week before we went to print, I gave copies to senior leaders for final approval.
I also made a copy for myself and read it out loud. This is a trick I learned from journalism school that I still use today for this blog! Your brain may automatically correct errors when you read silently in your head but if you read each word out loud, as if you are doing it for an audience, you’ll find missing words or grammar errors that you never noticed before.
Some examples of great library print promotional pieces that incorporate promotions and stories about the library (that you can read online!)
Does your library have a print publication that you’re really proud of? I’d love to see it! Please let me know where I can read it by hitting the Feedback button on the bottom left-hand side of this page.
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Super Library Marketing: Practical Tips and Ideas for Library Promotion 