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How exactly do you market to a niche audience? I have a viewer who wrote that they work for a particular kind of library and want some help with marketing advice. And I think this advice actually applies to everyone working in library marketing.
So, we’re going to get into niche audiences in this episode of The Library Marketing Show!
Plus, kudos go to a library that introduced a new staff member to the media.
Do you have a suggestion for a topic for a future episode? Do you want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know here. Thanks for watching!
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Photo courtesy Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library
Laura Solomon grew up in upstate New York with a mother who was an avid reader. She took Laura and her brother to the local library about once per week.
“My favorite memory about a library wasn’t directly in a library,” recalls Laura. “When I got the chicken pox and was out of school for days, my mother asked the children’s librarian for books I would like. The librarian sent her home with a huge stack. I loved every book!”
Now, Laura helps libraries with digital marketing and website design for the Ohio Public Library Information Network. I reached out to Laura after the company I work for, NoveList, began work on digital accessibility. And, of course, that made me think of my library friends and their commitment to accessibility.
So, I asked Laura to share her expertise and tips. But first, Laura wants to clear up one misconception. I thought that the push for full compliance was the result of a new law. I was wrong.
Laura says there are no new legal risks, but there is likely to be much more scrutiny and even fewer accepted excuses for not meeting legal obligations after the deadlines.
“There are no changes to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) regarding web accessibility,” declares Laura. “Websites have had the legal requirement of being accessible to people with disabilities for many years. The Department of Justice has long stated this clearly.”
Laura says that, in April 2024, the Department of Justice added two new rulings that impact your library.
There is now an official deadline for compliance for state and local government entities. The specific deadline depends on the population of your library’s community, which is not the same thing as your library’s service area.
“The Department of Justice has drawn a line in the sand because too many government entities (including libraries) have been ignoring the legal requirement.”
Laura Solomon
In addition, there is now an official standard for compliance. WCAG 2.1 AA is a set of internationally recognized guidelines developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to ensure web content accessibility, particularly for people with disabilities. This is the standard your library must meet in order to be compliant.
So, it’s time for your library to get serious about compliance. Where should you start?
“I would recommend starting with automated testing, using a tool like Webaim’s WAVE tool,” advises Laura. “However, I always recommend testing with more than one tool. They will usually catch slightly different errors.”
“Most tools (including WAVE) only check one page at a time, not an entire site at once. It takes manual testing to really dig into things correctly. However, it’s a good starting point for most laypersons.”
“It’s important to understand that the WCAG standard is a technical standard. It’s used to evaluate the code that creates the website, not what you see on the screen. That means it often requires someone with both web development and web accessibility expertise to completely remediate issues.”
“WebAIM also has a great introduction to web accessibility. The best thing a library can do right now is to add accessibility checks into content workflows.”
That means, for every piece of content your library creates, a library will need to check for accessibility, including color contrast, alt text, keyboard navigation, and structured content.
Laura says the most common accessibility mistake she encounters on library websites is a lack of alt text or poorly written alt text.
“As the web has become increasingly visual, much of that content has become completely unavailable to people using assistive technology,” explains Laura. “Alternative text is mission-critical and not just a nicety.”
“Another thing that many libraries do is to pack images with tons of text. This isn’t just problematic for web accessibility, but it’s also poor design.”
Laura says another problem that’s become increasingly pervasive is the use of accessibility overlays, which are third-party products that usually have some kind of button that provides additional accessibility features when activated.
“Accessibility advocates have long begged site owners to stop purchasing these,” says Laura. “They can often interfere with the technology that people with disabilities already use to make their online experiences accessible. Also, they don’t protect libraries from lawsuits. If your library has purchased one of these, I strongly recommend removing it and focusing on making your website accessible from the ground up.”
Your library may feel overwhelmed by both the scope of this work and the cost.
“To be honest, retrofitting a website for accessibility can be more time-consuming and expensive than starting with a framework that already provides accessibility as part of its core functioning,” says Laura. “Sadly, a lot of popular content management systems don’t do this or only provide some accessibility features.”
Your library’s website isn’t the only thing you need to review to be compliant. PDFs, e-newsletters, and social media graphics should also be considered. Laura says it’s difficult to make PDFs compliant. The best advice is to not use PDFs. As for e-newsletters, they have the same requirements as any regular web page. Social media graphics require alt text.
“It’s important to understand that web accessibility includes everything,” shares Laura. “It includes databases, apps, and anything else that connects to the internet. It also includes a lot more than just the blind or visually impaired.”
“People with disabilities are not a small part of our communities; statistically, they represent at least 1 in 4 people. Libraries are about serving their communities, and this is an especially important way in which they can do that, regardless of legal requirements.”
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Are you marketing and promoting your library by yourself or with a very small team? Do you feel overwhelmed and stressed, like there’s never enough time in the day to do everything that needs to be done?
I have five tips to help you make the most of your time and be efficient with your library marketing without getting stressed. We’re going to talk about it in this episode of The Library Marketing Show.
Plus, kudos goes to a library that managed to work a talking point about the value of libraries into a story about a book returned decades after its due date.
Do you have a suggestion for a topic for a future episode? Do you want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know here. Thanks for watching!
Subscribe to this blog, and you’ll receive an email whenever I post. To do that, enter your email address. Then, click the “Follow” button in the lower left-hand corner of the page. You can also follow me on the following social media platforms:
I’m not sure this is healthy for me. Still, I’ve been thinking about Facebook organic reach a lot lately. I’ve been wondering: Does it make any sense for libraries to post organically to Facebook anymore?
I think there are some hard truths about Facebook that we need to work through. We’re going to do it in this episode of the Library Marketing Show.
Do you have a suggestion for a topic for a future episode? Do you want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know here. Thanks for watching!
Subscribe to this blog, and you’ll receive an email whenever I post. To do that, enter your email address. Then, click 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
I will confess to you that I am worried about the future of libraries.
The news that the current United States Presidential administration intends to eliminate the Institute of Museum and Library services is devastating. For some libraries, the funding from IMLS accounts for a huge percentage of their annual budget. In my day job with NoveList, I’ve heard that some U.S. libraries are worried they won’t have enough money to buy books, let alone pay staff and keep buildings open.
Libraries in other parts of the world are facing threats, too. Canadian libraries are beating back book censorship challenges. In the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand, funding cuts continue to threaten libraries. It’s a scary and infuriating time to be a library marketer.
I’ve been compiling a list of things that library marketers can do to protect their jobs and prove the value of their promotions and their libraries. Putting a plan in place and acting on that plan makes me feel less helpless and hopeless. So, here’s what I want you to do.
Stay focused: Set goals and center your energy there
Focus is critical during turbulent times. You may be tempted to think that you must promote everything the library offers to fight back against budget cuts. But I can say from experience that this method is ineffective and exhausting for you and your audience.
This is where goal setting can be critical. Pick the three biggest goals for your library for the next six months. For example, you might say Summer Reading, opening a new branch, and increasing the circulation of print items.
Next, you set goalsfor each of those three items. Use numbers, active verbs, and decide on a timeline for when that goal will be completed. Do not set a goal of “We hope to get more people to participate in Summer Reading.” Instead, say, “By August 15, we will increase participation in Summer Reading across all age groups by 10 percent.”
Next, use the divide and conquer method to focus your promotions on those goals. You’ll want to spend about 75 percent of your promotional time on these three key areas. What will you do with the other 25 percent?
Incorporate value-driven messages into your calendar
With the remaining 25 percent of your energy, you’ll focus on repeated messaging that conveys core library values. Use messaging that focuses on the library as a welcoming place where privacy is protected and where community members can pursue learning, creativity, and connection. Here are 4 ideas for how to do that.
1. Use positive storytelling
Share real-life stories of how the library is a refuge for students, job seekers, new residents, and others who need a safe, quiet, or supportive environment. Give your patrons opportunities to share why the library feels like a safe and welcoming place for them through video clips, quotes, or social media posts. Need inspiration? Here’s how one library marketer does it.
2. Feature library services that center on safety and comfort
Promote meeting spaces, quiet study areas, free Wi-Fi, literacy programs, or social services partnerships that help patrons feel secure and supported.
3. Celebrate the joy of reading
A Scottish librarian once told me, “Reading for pleasure is fairy dust.” It’s magic. It transports you, teaches you, and inspires you.
One way to connect with the readers in your community is to do more collection promotion, focused on the joy that the reading experience brings. Your readers are fierce library supporters, and they’ll be the first to defend you from attacks. Engage them with more reading recommendations!
4. Use visual cues in the library
Display signage that communicates safety and inclusivity, such as “All Are Welcome Here”, “Your Library, Your Space”, and “Come as you are. Stay as long as you like.” You can use AI to help you come up with short, non-political phrases that will convey the message of welcoming.
Build your email lists
Social media platforms are more divisive, and many people are leaving them. You need a way to directly communicate with your community without algorithms! Right now, start working on building your subscriber list for emails. Here is a step-by-step guide for doing that.
Track metrics to prove your value
I know it’s time-consuming. But tracking marketing metrics helps you prove the value of your work by providing data-driven evidence of your impact on the community.
Metrics like email open rates, social media engagement, and website traffic show how well your library is connected with patrons. Compare your metrics to the industry averages to show the value of email marketing.
You should also track event registrations, program attendance, and resource usage tied to promotions. These numbers will allow you to show how marketing drives participation. For example, if you track metrics, you can tell your supervisor and your board of trustees that the rise in participation in summer reading was the direct result of your promotional campaign. when requesting funding or staffing.
Hard data will help protect the funding and staff you may have to work on marketing. If you don’t believe it, this library’s experience with metrics may cause you to change your mind.
Remind yourself of your successes
Library marketing always comes with setbacks, but remembering your past successes reminds you that you’ve overcome challenges before and can do so again. I have two ways that I practice this concept.
Every two weeks, I write a post for our company Teams channel about the content and emails we’ve released and their results (if I have them already!). I also give shout-outs to the coworkers who helped us with different pieces of marketing. I don’t ever want to take it for granted that everyone I work with knows what my team does and why our work is valuable.
At the end of every day, I take just a second to acknowledge everything I have done that day. It’s a simple but effective way to remind yourself that you are working hard and making progress… because progress in marketing sometimes seems very slow!
Network with others
This is the perfect time to join groups that relate to your work. You may need those connections if your job is threatened. And it’s always a positive boost to have people who understand library marketing in your circle.
The Library Marketing Book Club is a great option! We meet every two months to discuss a marketing book and to share ideas about marketing. In between meetings, we celebrate successes and ask for help with projects on our Facebook and LinkedIn pages. You can sign up for the club here.
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:
One of the hardest parts about working in a library is the bureaucracy! It can slow everything down, including approval for your marketing materials.
I’ve been there. I might not be able to fix it completely, but I have five things you can do to help make that approval process a little less painful, and that’s in this episode of The Library Marketing Show.
We’ll also give kudos to a library that got an unusual and exciting patron testimonial during Library Lovers Month.
Do you have a suggestion for a topic for a future episode? Do you want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know here. Thanks for watching!
Subscribe to this blog, and you’ll receive an email whenever I post. To do that, enter your email address. Then, click the “Follow” button in the lower left-hand corner of the page. You can also follow me on the following social media platforms:
Did you know there are seven things that you can learn by taking a marketing survey? I believe library marketers should be taking surveys from brands and companies because you can learn a lot about how to survey!
I’m going to share some tips with you and why I think it’s really important to take those surveys in this episode of The Library Marketing Show.
Plus, we’ll give kudos to a library that received press attention for a unique outreach program.
Do you have a suggestion for a topic for a future episode? Do you want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know here. Thanks for watching!
Subscribe to this blog, and you’ll receive an email whenever I post. To do that, enter your email address. Then, click 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 Siobhan Egan was a teenager, she kept a big secret in the trunk of her car.
“After I got my driver’s license, I used to drive around to all the local libraries and hit up their Friends book sales,” explains Siobhan. “I would buy tons of books and store them in the trunk of my car because I didn’t want my parents to know I was spending all my money on books.”
“I got away with it for many months until my dad took my car for an oil change and found my trunk stuffed with books. Unsurprisingly, my parents just laughed and told me they weren’t surprised.”
Nowadays, Siobhan is the Community Engagement Librarian at Barrington Public Library. She does all the marketing for this library, which serves a population of about 17,000 people. She also runs programs. She’s busy but not too busy to play pranks on her patrons.
“I’ve always been a big fan of April Fools’ but only when the pranks are fun and lighthearted,” says Siobhan. “I wanted to do some sort of library April Fools’ prank that would make people laugh and also help bring attention to the library. My goal with our April Fools’ pranks has always been to show the library as a fun and innovative place and to get attention on social media.”
And so, in 2022, an idea formed. The library had just recently created a Library of Things as well as completed a reorganization of our collection and the creation of a space called the “Library Lounge” with tables and cozy reading chairs as well as a newspaper and magazine collection. Siobhan realized she could be creative, get attention on April Fools’ Day, and promote the space by… filling it with cats!
“The boisterous laugh I received when I presented the idea at our Department Heads meeting was all the approval I needed,” exclaims Siobhan. “I am very lucky to work at a library and under a Director who trusts us enough to go along with whatever crazy idea we have. And when I told her that I thought Library of Cats would be a great way to boost engagement, she loved it.”
That’s when the planning began.
“Because I am primarily a programming librarian, I am constantly thinking and working at least three months out,” explains Siobhan. “I usually start thinking about next year’s April Fools’ Prank on April 2. I write down a bunch of ideas, sit on them, come back, and see if I think they are still funny, sit on them some more, and then start testing them out on my family and colleagues. I usually start with my husband because I know if I can make him laugh, I can make anyone laugh.”
“Then I slowly start floating the idea around to my colleagues and gauge their reaction. If they don’t instantly burst out laughing and instead ask clarifying questions, I know it’s not the right idea, and back to the drawing board I go. I’m happy to say that most years, I’ve gotten it on the first try.”
“On social media, you have about three seconds to make an impact on someone and stop people from scrolling onto the next thing. If you can get them in those three seconds, the likelihood of them engaging with your post (liking, commenting, sharing) skyrockets. So, I work to create graphics or photos that are eye-catching and make people pause or do a double take. A cat sitting under a sign that says ‘Library of Cats’ is incredibly eye-catching if you ask me.”
“At the same time, I am writing down phrases and ideas that come to me; ‘Do NOT leave cats in the book drop!’, ‘Be sure to check the cat-alog to see what breeds and ages are available for check-out,’ and ‘Please note: the library is not responsible for damage to household items or bodily injury caused by cats during the duration of your check-out.’”
“The copy is what really sells the prank. You’ve caught their eye with the pictures, now you need to take it home with copy that is outlandish enough that they keep reading.”
-Siobhan Egan
Siobhan has also done an April Fools’ Day prank featuring Dwayne the Rock Johnson.
“That was actually my favorite prank so far,” confesses Siobhan. “Right after the success of Library of Cats, I had the idea to pretend we had renamed our library, and thus, the Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson Memorial Library was born.”
“I created a new logo for our library, photoshopped him into a bunch of photos around the library, including standing outside the library with our Director, and got to work on the copy for the prank. I even went as far as to create a new sign to put above our front door and down by the street as people drove by.”
“I purchased a cardboard cutout of The Rock (which to this day, lives in my office) as well as bought rocks and wrote Dwayne on all of them to give out. We had many confused people come into the library wondering if The Rock made a huge donation or if we had lost our marbles.”
As you can imagine, community members and patrons of the library LOVE the April Fools’ pranks. The social media posts garner a lot of comments.
“I do love reading all the comments and seeing people share it,” says Siobhan. “I think the best part about the Library of Cats prank was that my dad, who lives in Tennessee, had one of his friends share it with him on Facebook, not knowing that his daughter had been the mastermind. Seeing that kind of reach, across many states, was really cool. It’s also funny reading some of the comments of people who don’t get that it’s a prank and thought we were actually lending cats!”
“99 percent of the feedback we get every year is overwhelmingly positive. And it does amazing things to bring attention to the library. Our Library of Cats prank reached over 100,000 people on Facebook in less than 24 hours.”
-Siobhan Egan
Of course, with April Fools’ Day just two weeks away, I asked for a preview of this year’s prank. Siobhan was a bit tight-lipped about what she had planned.
“All I will say is that I was inspired by the question of how the library could leverage current inflation and skyrocketing prices at the grocery store to increase circulation and help people out,” reveals Siobhan. “It is probably one of the more topical and current ideas I’ve had yet, and I hope something that brings a smile to people’s faces. And I’m sure will also make some people mad…which is part of the fun!”
For libraries considering how to replicate Siobhan’s success, she has some advice.
“I would stress the importance of trusting your gut when you are working on marketing or programming campaigns like April Fools or anything else,” Siobhan says. “If you think something is funny or you have that feeling that something will resonate with people, it probably will. Don’t be afraid to push the boundaries a little bit and challenge people’s preconceived notions of what a library is.”
“Also, be prepared for angry patrons and make sure your staff is prepared as well,” says Siobhan. “With Library of Cats, we had people accusing us of torturing animals and wondering how we could ever consider lending cats. We also had people stop by the check out a cat and then be mad at us that we didn’t actually have them!”
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Super Library Marketing: Practical Tips and Ideas for Library Promotion 