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2026 Library Marketing Predictions: What Will Matter Most This Year

Black-and-white historic photograph of a library interior showing several librarians seated behind a large wooden circulation desk, with bookshelves in the background and the text overlay “Experts Make Their Library Marketing Predictions.”
Photo courtesy Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library

Key Takeaways:

  • Authenticity will be a strategic advantage: In an AI-saturated world, libraries that showcase real staff, patrons, and genuine experiences will stand out.
  • Shift from volume to value in marketing: 2026 will reward libraries that prioritize strategic clarity over just doing more marketing.
  • Social media’s role is narrowing: Algorithms and private digital spaces make it harder to reach new audiences.

I don’t know about you, but I like to know what’s coming.

I’m one of those people who read the menu and decide what they’re going to eat before going to the restaurant. Before I go to the airport, I check security times online. I look at the 7-day weather forecast every day and make plans accordingly. Knowing what is ahead makes me feel more comfortable and confident.

I wish there were a solid way to check the future of library marketing so we would know exactly what to expect from 2026. Of course, that’s not entirely possible.

But there are some library marketing minds I trust who can use their expertise to predict what the future holds. So, this year, I reached out to a group of people and asked them to share their predictions for library marketing in 2026. They are:

These predictions are designed to help you prepare for what’s potentially ahead and focus your precious energy where it will matter most.   

Prediction: Libraries that treat authenticity as a strategic asset will earn attention and loyalty in an AI-saturated world.

Artificial intelligence is no longer a future trend. It’s the environment we’re already working in. This year, library marketing will exist alongside a flood of AI-generated content. That reality creates both opportunity and risk.

Libraries have something many organizations don’t: deep, local trust. Jody Lazar notes that in a moment of widespread “AI slop,” authentic, emotionally warm communication becomes a differentiator.

“At Winter Park Library, we will incorporate more real staff members and patron photos and stories to showcase the services we deliver,” says Jody. “Because libraries operate in hyperlocal environments, patrons can trust that our images and communications are human-created and feature real experiences.”

At the same time, Jody emphasizes that libraries can’t ignore the AI conversation. She notes, “At our library, the AI classes fill quickly, as our patrons are eager to learn the new technology. This positions the library as an accessible, tech-forward learning institution.”

Cordelia Anderson reinforces this balance. She says, “Used thoughtfully, AI can be a powerful tool for content refinement, helping us improve clarity, accessibility, and consistency without replacing human judgment, voice, or values. The challenge will be setting clear guardrails, so AI supports our work rather than undermining trust or professional standards.”

Nick Tanzi adds that authenticity will become an increasingly precious commodity.

“To stand out in this environment, libraries should center authenticity in our marketing efforts,” he states. “This means focusing on earnest, rather than highly polished video, and the use of real photos of staff and library patrons.”

“Similarly, human connection will also be at a premium. Social media posts that feature recent in-person gatherings, discussions, and community building will be presented with the promise of similar events in the future.”

Prediction: Library marketing teams that invest time in strategy and audience clarity will see more impact.

If recent years were defined by expansion — more platforms, more campaigns, more content — 2026 will reward libraries that shift from volume to value.

Cordelia Anderson describes a growing opportunity for library marketers to move from constant tactical execution to building strategic infrastructure.

“Many of us are feeling the strain of too many platforms, too many priorities, and constant requests for ‘just one more thing,’” says Cordelia. “The opportunity isn’t doing more, but getting clearer about who we’re trying to reach, what matters most, and how marketing supports the library’s mission and long-term goals.”

Data plays a role in this, but not as a vanity metric. Jody Lazar points to the growing availability of first-party and zero-party data to create more relevant, timely communications.

First-party data is information that a library collects directly from its patrons and audiences through its own channels. Zero-party data is voluntarily and proactively shared by the patron with a library. For example, if your library has opt-in newsletters, your patrons are sharing zero-party data with you when they choose to subscribe to some newsletters and not others.

“Marketing is shifting toward personalization,” she notes. “And with responsible use of data, our communications can become even more relevant and timely. First-party and zero-party data are critical to understanding our users, but privacy and safe data handling must be ensured through clear and strict guidelines.”

Prediction: In 2026, social media will be more about connection than reach.

Social media remains a core marketing channel for libraries, but its role is narrowing. Emily Bradshaw notes that algorithms are becoming increasingly personalized, making it harder than ever for libraries to reach people who aren’t already inclined toward library content.

“For example, Instagram recently announced the ability to fine-tune your algorithm by adding or subtracting topics you’re interested in,” shares Emily. “Social apps want to keep people online as long as possible, so they feed you content they think you will enjoy. This makes it difficult to reach people who don’t already have an interest in your library or library-related content.”

“This year, assume your social audience is composed of your existing fans or fans of libraries in general, so tailor your social content to speak with those fans. After all, social media is a conversation! To reach folks who don’t engage with the library, traditional marketing strategies will be more effective than using social media.”

John Jackson sees another trend: Users are spending more time in private digital spaces like group chats and direct messages.

“It will be a challenge for libraries to engage with users who rarely step beyond those private spaces,” states John. “Combine this with algorithmically defined feeds, and now you have a situation where a library’s content may never get any eyeballs unless it can simultaneously ‘stop the scroll’ and be worth sharing.”

“I expect this will drive library marketers to create content that is intentionally designed to be shared across platforms (i.e., there’s some social benefit to the user if/when they share the library’s content), but that may also leave marketers in the dark concerning assessing the true impact of any digital campaigns.”

Katie Rothley predicts that ongoing social media fatigue and shrinking attention spans will impact the content libraries’ posts.

“We will need to vary kinds of content to keep audiences interested, intrigued, engaged, and staying connected,” predicts Katie. “Doing a simple text post, a short video, a beautifully captured candid photo in the library, a thoughtful and encouraging text-based post, will counteract waning attention spans.”

Prediction: Libraries that lean into hyperlocal storytelling and partnerships will deepen relevance and emotional connection.

Emily Bradshaw says, as national and global news cycles become increasingly overwhelming, people are seeking grounding, connection, and meaning closer to home. She predicts that hyperlocal marketing will grow even more important in 2026.

“People seek connection in their own communities,” Emily says. “The trend to support local businesses and highlight local ‘hidden gems’ will continue to grow in 2026.”

“This is a wonderful opportunity for libraries to harness their spaces, programs, and marketing strategies to focus on community building. Have conversations with local businesses and organizations to collaborate on events, programs, or services. Highlight patron success stories. Design your next campaign around a local tradition or icon. Focus on what makes your community unique!”

Prediction: Libraries that invest in marketing as essential infrastructure, rather than an add-on, will be better positioned for sustainability and trust.

Strong marketing doesn’t happen by accident. And it doesn’t happen without resources. Cordelia Anderson frames communication as a public service.

“Strong marketing doesn’t happen without staff capacity and the right tools,” she says. “For example, robust email marketing isn’t just a promotional channel, it’s a direct, equitable way to reach people with information they’ve opted into and actually care about.”

“Investing in better email platforms, audience segmentation, and training allows libraries to reduce noise, increase relevance, and serve communities more effectively, especially as social algorithms become less reliable.”

John Jackson is even more direct: Facing challenges in 2026 will require skilled content strategists and creators.

“Smarter marketing, building connections, hyperlocal relevance: none of this will be possible without content strategists and content creators who have the right skills, experience, staff, and equipment to bring this to bear,” contends John. “It behooves library administrators to commit when it comes to external communications. It’s not enough to have an amazing library. You’ve got to keep selling it, over and over and over and over again.” 

Prediction: The most effective library marketing in 2026 will make people feel seen, supported, and welcome, not just informed.

John Jackson predicts 2026 will begin a golden age of library storytelling, inspired by libraries that have invested in high-quality video, on-camera talent, and serial content.

 “The media success of libraries like Columbus Metropolitan Library and Los Angeles Public Library is going to drive more libraries to invest in creative storytelling,” he says. “The libraries that can muster the right amount of creativity, leadership, and resources will focus on slow storytelling (think: Craighill or Planet Money) and serial content (think: “Roomies” by Bilt or “Chit” by Jay Renshaw). This will likely drive libraries to mimic each other on social, so the challenge for any library content creator will be to find a way to rise above it all and deliver content that is both uniquely entertaining and directly relevant to their communities.”

Josh Mosey offers a sobering counterbalance. “Polarization, pay-to-play platforms, and social media fatigue aren’t going away,” he contends. “In such a climate, I believe the best course for libraries is to lead by example in their content posting strategy.”

“Consider the needs of your users. Try to break the doomscrolling cycle by giving attention to positive stories, humor, and empathy. If nearly 80 percent of the posts you create feed people’s self-worth, they are more likely to listen to the 20 percent of the posts that call them to action.”

“The cure for polarization is to see and treat everyone with kindness, empathy, and love.  I think this year is going to continue to challenge us, but while we still have a voice to call people together, we must use it. We’re not in this alone, and the people who stand against us are not our enemies, but potential future patrons who deserve the respect they may be currently denying others.”

Katie Rothley echoes this emotional shift, predicting a move toward more relational, supportive, and healing messaging.

“Library marketing will continue to become a source of comic relief, entertainment, greater authenticity, and more emotionally connecting through messages of encouragement, validation, support, advocacy, and empowerment,” predicts Katie. “I think it’s possibly an unconscious or deliberate response to the stressors of news, politics, mis- and disinformation, division, artificial intelligence, and a need for comfort, real-ness, resources, community, belonging, and feeling welcome, cared about, included, and seen. Especially when it comes to inclusion and healing the trauma of 2025’s political actions.”

My Prediction

I’ve seen many libraries making statements this month that 2026 is going to be “The Year of the Reader” or “The Year of the Book.” The New York Public Library’s new strategic priorities include this statement: “Increase the number of readers, expand access to books in all forms, and foster a culture of reading in an era of digital distraction.”

Many libraries are realizing that books are the main reason people get a card. They can be the bridge to other services at the library… and libraries are starting to take advantage of that bridge.

That’s why I predict a return to a focus on the collection as the core brand of the library. Libraries and library marketers will do more to share the joy of reading with the community and reconnect with readers to build trust, loyalty, and support for their libraries.

What are your predictions for library marketing in 2026? Share your thoughts in the comments.

PS: Want more help?

The State of Library Marketing 2026: How Emerging Trends Will Reshape Our Strategies

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The Secret to Library Instagram Success? Start With the Story, Not the Promo

Photo courtesy Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library

Key Takeaways

  1. Start with a video concept, not a promotion. Focus on an engaging idea first, then connect it back to library services. This approach makes Reels feel authentic rather than like an advertisement.
  2. Keep production simple and relatable. Using an iPhone, a tripod, and free tools like CapCut or Instagram’s Edits app creates approachable videos that audiences find more trustworthy than overly polished content.
  3. Engagement matters more than views. The most successful Reels spark conversation, shares, and community pride. Your library wants impact that goes beyond vanity metrics.

Emily Bradshaw was a book lover from an early age.

“Some of my favorite library memories were from the Scholastic Book Fairs at school,” Emily recalls. “Our school librarians did such a great job getting us excited about books, and the book fairs were the pinnacle of that excitement.”

Emily, who grew up in the far southwest suburbs of Chicago, came to work in a library in a roundabout way. First, she became a high school English teacher. Then, she got her MLIS. She spent about five years as a Reference Librarian whose “other duties as assigned” included marketing. Marketing was her favorite part of the job, so she started to look for marketing-specific library jobs.

That’s how, three years ago, she landed a job as the Content Coordinator at Helen Plum Library in Lombard, Illinois. Among her responsibilities is the library’s Instagram account. 

Now, here’s something I probably shouldn’t confess. But I want to be fully transparent.

I love scrolling Instagram. But I’m finding that it’s tough for one person working in a remote office to create engaging content, particularly videos, for Instagram.  (Know your weaknesses, dear readers!)

A few months ago, after watching hilarious/inspiring/creative posts on the Helen Plum account, made by Emily, I emailed her and begged her for help. She looked at the account I am trying to build and sent me a list of tips. (Thank you!)

Then, I asked her if she would also share her expertise with my readers. Here is her interview. Scroll to the end for the tips Emily shared with me for making engaging, effective Instagram Reels.

What inspired you to start creating Instagram videos for Helen Plum Library?

I started at Helen Plum in September of 2022, and short-form video was quickly becoming the most popular form of social media, so I knew we had to start consistently making videos. My job includes the management of our social accounts, so I always just considered it a regular part of my job from the beginning.

How do you decide what content to feature in your videos? 

I always start with a video concept instead of starting with a promotional need (with a few exceptions). Maybe this is a hot take (and perhaps a difficult argument to make to your admin), but I find that starting with “How can we promote XYZ service” usually results in less engaging, less effective content.

If you flip the order and start with a video concept, then try to make it relevant to your services and organizational mission, the promotional aspect will follow.

The few times I’m asked to promote a specific program or service, I spend a lot of time thinking about how I can make it engaging and not appear “promotional,” because no one likes being advertised to.

-Emily Bradshaw

For instance, this video’s concept started with an audio clip I liked from BBC’s The One Show of Harlen Coben discussing the benefits of reading. The original video went viral, and I thought it was a compelling audio clip to use over shots of our collection. I didn’t start with “how can I promote our collection,” but this video does promote our collection by nature.

What tools or apps do you use to film and edit your videos?

I film on an iPhone, which works well for the persona we present on social media. We’re a mid-sized, friendly hometown public library, not filmmakers or professional advertisers. So I don’t want our videos to look overly produced or fancy. I honestly think having an overly polished look for Reels puts people off since it makes you look less relatable and more like an ad.

I also use a basic tripod. You should always use a tripod for stationary shots. You may not realize how big a difference it makes until you see it.

For audio, I use lapel mics for on-camera speaking if it’s appropriate for the video. To record voiceovers, we’re lucky enough to have a recording booth in our makerspace. But before we had that, the voice memos app on my iPhone worked just fine!

Editing tools depend on how complex the video is. If it’s simple, I use the Edits mobile app, which is Instagram’s answer to CapCut. If the video requires more labor-intensive editing, I use the free desktop version of CapCut because editing on a tiny phone screen gets difficult. After I’m finished in CapCut, I still use Edits to add captions, audio, or other features before posting to Instagram.

Adam Moserri has said that Instagram is giving a slight boost right now to Reels that use Edits, so I take advantage of that. (Aside: everyone should follow Adam on Instagram – he is constantly giving updates on Instagram tools, algorithms, and more!)

Do you use a script or storyboard before filming, or is it more spontaneous?

It depends: the more complex the video, the more thorough my planning. For shorter, simpler videos, the storyboard just lives in my head. For others, I simply write down a list of shots I need.

If I’m doing a voiceover video, I write a script and a shot list to go with it. And for the most complex videos, I have a detailed outline of shots, timing, which people are in which shots, etc.

But sometimes the result is a bit different than my original plan. I always film more than I need so that while I’m editing, I have options for what works best.

How do you get your coworkers excited about participating in videos?  

This is a common struggle. From my experience, if you start making engaging content that people enjoy, your coworkers will earn your trust and become more comfortable. When I started two and a half years ago, I was on my own, but now that we have a booming Instagram account, I have coworkers asking to be in videos!

It takes time, but that time pays off. If you’re still on your own, there are a lot of ways to make videos without coworker participation, such as POV (point of view) videos.

What types of videos have gotten the most engagement from your audience?

Our most engaging videos have messages that resonate with readers or library lovers. Readers are passionate and want to share that passion, so they share these types of videos with their friends and followers.

An example is our video about “reading what you enjoy” rather than what anyone thinks you should be reading. And more recently, with libraries in the U.S. under funding threats, this video about how we provide free services resonated so much that James Patterson posted it to his feed.

Other types of videos that get lots of engagement include anything humorous (see our spoof of The Bear) and anything in which viewers can share their own opinions. Our series of “Real Librarians Rating Fictional Librarians” has the most fun and lively comments sections of any videos I’ve ever posted, with folks debating the merits of favorite (and not-so-favorite) librarians from pop culture.

How do you measure the success of your videos? 

The number of views is the first thing I measure since it’s what Instagram measures before anything else. However, I still consider many of our lower-view videos successes based on comments and shares.

For instance, I expect videos that are more specific to our local community to get fewer views simply because they are targeted to a smaller population to begin with (like our Lilac Time video). So, with those, I look at the number of comments and shares.

I have also been asked if we’ve seen an impact on our local community. Since we’ve had so much success, do our videos reach actual cardholders, or is the reach too broad? The answer is yes, we are reaching our community. We regularly receive comments at our service desks about how much our patrons enjoy our videos.

How do you stay inspired and avoid burnout when creating content regularly?

I get inspired by other content creators across many industries. I do a lot of scrolling. I save videos that inspire me into an “Ideas” collection on our account, so I have a trove of inspiration there if I need it. These not only include libraries, but also other reader-related accounts — Bookstagram influencers, publishers, etc. — as well as other companies and organizations I follow, especially local ones (all our Chicago-area museums, DuPage County Forest Preserve, etc.).

What advice would you give to a library just starting to create short-form videos for social media?

Scroll. Get a pulse on what’s happening in your content area and in your local community. Then try participating in a trend that you can make relevant to your organization and your target audience. Trends are easy and low-pressure, and they are good starter videos to try if you’re a beginner developing filming and editing skills.

Once you start to feel comfortable with simple videos, don’t be afraid to try your own original content ideas. Your library is unique, so show off what’s unique about it.

-Emily Bradshaw

This is easier said than done, of course, and like anything, it takes time and persistence. But originality will take you to the next level. Try new things, and don’t take yourself too seriously.

Emily’s 6 tips for creating Reels

  1. Using sound bites from Bookstagram creators helps me save time and can have powerful effects. No audio to edit! Here’s an example.
  2. For many videos in which I appear, it’s just me and a tripod with no other people to help (here’s an example of that.) I typically hide an earbud in my ear if I’m lip-syncing or have the audio playing on a separate device nearby.
  3. Creating a video clip content bank of reusable B-roll is incredibly useful in a pinch! I have about two dozen various shots of our adult stacks alone. Batch-filming can also help if you have the time to block out for shooting a bunch of stuff all at once to use later.
  4. Consistent scheduling: I post one video per week for Helen Plum Library, which works for me. Typically, I’m working on next week’s video the week before, so I’m always one week ahead. I find this to be the perfect balance of making sure I have something lined up while still being timely and flexible enough for the content to vibe with the current social media climate.
  5. One of the most valuable things to me is literally scrolling through Instagram and saving videos that inspire me. It also helps me to see what works and what doesn’t.
  6. If you’re looking to expand your audience, I recommend using trial Reels, which will share out your Reel only to non-followers and give you insights. Then you can decide whether to share it with your followers after 24 hours.

Need more inspiration?

Should You Start an Instagram Account at Your Library Just for Teens? Here’s the Pros and Cons List.

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