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Facebook Is Limiting Links: Here Are 7 Tips To Help Your Library Navigate This Change

Alt text: A black-and-white historic photo of a library interior with tall bookshelves, freestanding book displays, decorative arches, and a checkered tile floor. A translucent gray text box at the top reads, “Tips To Adapt to FACEBOOK LINK RESTRICTIONS,” with “FACEBOOK LINK RESTRICTIONS” in large turquoise letters.
Photo courtesy of Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library

In my last post, I shared the news that Meta is charging some Facebook Pages to post links and what that could mean for libraries.

This week, my team and I sat down for our monthly digital library marketing statistics chat. The Facebook change came toward the end of September, and we’ve seen a slight decrease in engagement and reach. We anticipate an even bigger drop next month.

And we had to wonder: What should we do, long term, to adapt to this change?

One commenter on my last post said, “Please just stop using Meta products and X. Libraries have expertise in information science. Find a better way. Choose platforms that have the potential to enhance democratic society instead of continuing to bow down to the tech oligarchy. Teach your patrons how to stay connected. Help them make the switch.”

That certainly is an option.

For right now, my advice is:

Don’t ask: How do I get around Facebook’s link restrictions?
Ask: Why am I relying on Facebook to send people somewhere else in the first place?

My library is staying for now because that’s where most of our community is.

If you’re also staying on Facebook, here are seven practical ways to prioritize your links, create content that stands on its own, and connect with your community without relying on Facebook to drive every click.

1. Don’t panic and don’t immediately buy a subscription

Current reporting indicates this is an expanding test and rollout, rather than a universal rule for every Facebook Page. Meta has previously described the restriction as a test designed to determine whether increased link-posting capability adds value for paying subscribers.

So, don’t spend $50+ a month simply because you heard Facebook is charging for links. Determine how many external links your library actually posts and how much traffic those links generate. That will give you a data-driven wya to decide how much Facebook is worth to your library. And speaking of data…

2. Look at your data before deciding what to do

Go into Google Analytics and ask:

  • How much traffic to our website comes from Facebook?
  • Which link types perform best and drive meaningful website visits?
  • Are those visitors registering for programs, downloading things, using databases, getting a library card, etc.?

Here’s an important fact: Link posts already are not a major part of what people see on Facebook.

Meta’s Q1 2026 Widely Viewed Content data showed that just 1.3 percent of Facebook post views in the U.S. included an external link, down from 9.8 percent in 2022.

That’s a pretty remarkable statistic. The question isn’t “How do we keep posting all our links?”

It’s: Which links are important enough to distribute on Facebook?

3. Create a link strategy

So, we only get two external links on Facebook every month. What should they be?

For my library, we’ll be focusing on the large, systemwide programs and services, like Summer Reading, Winter Checkout Challenge, Author Talks, branch renovations or reopenings, etc.

Everything else gets communicated through our other channels like email and our blog.

4. Learn to communicate your message without a link

For example:

“Need help with your genealogy research? Our librarians can help you find census records, military records, obituaries, and more. Drop a request in the comments, and we’ll tell you how to get started.”

Now, using this method does mean you’ll need to respond to comments, which can take more time and be difficult for libraries with a small or nonexistent marketing staff.

So, consider carefully whether your library can sustain that type of post.

5. Use comments strategically but don’t assume they’re a loophole

When Meta tested the restriction in 2025, TechCrunch reported that links in comments weren’t affected by the test.

But Social Media Today specifically noted in its 2025 reporting that Meta was also experimenting with restrictions around links in comments.

And I’ve heard from some libraries that say they tried the “link in comments” workaround, only to have the comment disappear!

So I wouldn’t build your entire strategy around “just put the link in the comments.”

You can test it. But don’t assume Meta won’t eventually restrict that too.

6. Push people toward channels you actually own

This is the big lesson I want you to remember.

Facebook can change the rules tomorrow. Instagram can change the rules tomorrow. TikTok can change the rules tomorrow.

Your library’s website, email list, text messaging, and physical locations are all under your control. They’re properties you own. Social media is rented land.

I’d encourage libraries to use social media to build awareness, while using owned channels to build relationships and drive action.

For example:

Facebook: “Here’s why our new cooking program is going to be fun.”

Email: “Registration is open.”

Website: Full details + registration.

In-library: Staff recommends the program.

7. Don’t abandon Facebook. Change its job

I don’t entirely agree with the commenter who is begging us to leave Facebook altogether. Your audience expects you to be there.

You can train them to go elsewhere to connect with your library in a more meaningful way. But in the meantime, I think there is still value in posting on Facebook.

It can be your:

  • awareness channel
  • storytelling channel
  • community conversation channel
  • customer-service channel
  • discovery channel
  • entertainment channel
  • trust-building channel

And that’s consistent with what we’re seeing from Meta’s own product direction. Meta says its Facebook AI Search experience is increasingly designed to surface answers based on what people share publicly across its apps, not simply send people somewhere else via links.

Your Facebook posts should answer questions, tell stories, show experiences, or teach something.

For example, instead of posting: “New children’s programs are available! See our website for details. [LINK]”

Try:

“Three things happening at the library this week for kids:
🐛 Monday: Storytime with bugs
🎨 Wednesday: Art Lab
🦖 Saturday: Dinosaur Day

Which one would your kid choose?”

That gives people something useful even if they never leave Facebook.

Want more help?

How to Keep Promoting the Same Library Services Without Sounding Like a Broken Record

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Facebook Is Limiting Links: Here’s How Libraries Are Responding

**Alt text:** A black-and-white historic photo of a library reading room with long tables, chairs, desk lamps, and bookshelves lining the walls. A translucent gray text box at the top reads, “Libraries Respond to FACEBOOK LINK RESTRICTIONS,” with “FACEBOOK LINK RESTRICTIONS” in large coral-pink letters.
Photo courtesy Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library

Here’s how libraries are trying to adapt their Facebook strategy, prioritize valuable content, and reach their communities without relying on external links.

Some library marketers recently opened Facebook and found an unwelcome surprise message: Meta will now let them publish only two posts with external links each month unless they pay for a Meta One subscription.

The restriction isn’t affecting every Facebook Page yet. But reports indicate that Meta has expanded a test it began in December 2025, and more Page managers are encountering the limit following the launch of Meta One for Business. You can read the reporting from Social Media Today.

For libraries, this is more than an annoying platform adjustment. We use links to help people register for programs, find books, access databases, get library cards, locate community resources, and take action on advocacy issues.

So, I asked library marketers how they are responding. Their answers show that there is no perfect workaround. But libraries are already testing new approaches, adjusting workflows, and reconsidering the role Facebook plays in their marketing.

Strategy #1: Moving links into the bio

The most common immediate response is to direct followers to a collection of links in the Facebook Page bio.

Robin Johnsen, who is Webmaster and Technology Marketing Specialist at Lake County Public Library in Indiana, said their library added its Linktree link to its bio and plans to use “link in bio” language in new posts.

But she is not convinced that this will produce the same results.

“We’re not particularly satisfied with this approach,” says Robin. “We know from Instagram that people don’t really like going to a link in the bio and those links aren’t going to get a lot of traffic.”

Robin is especially concerned about the extra step required of users.

“We’re going to get less traffic to our resources and events. People just don’t like being redirected elsewhere to click something else. If it’s not as convenient as possible, they bounce.”

Robin Johnsen

That concern is particularly relevant for any library that is trying to get people to do something more consequential than simply read a post. Robin pointed to a recent advocacy campaign about the Federal Communications Commission’s comment period surrounding eRate. The campaign depended on the library’s ability to connect people directly with the resources they needed.

Ashley Littleton is also moving toward a “link in bio” model in her role as Programming and Outreach Coordinator at the Charles County Public Library in Maryland.

Ashley decided to standardize the library’s Facebook and Instagram links and is using Linktree to highlight campaigns, programs, and other priorities.

She is also creating a one-page guide to help the social media team use this approach consistently.

It reads, in part, “Routine posts should use the links in our bio. To keep CCPL’s Facebook and Instagram posts consistent and make it easy for patrons to find information, do not include direct URLs in social media posts. Instead, direct patrons to the appropriate permanent link in the CCPL bio.”

Her guide gives staff specific calls to action based on the type of post:

  • Program promotions send people to the events calendar. 
  • Materials lead to the catalog. 
  • Service and digital-resource posts point people toward the library website.

The guide also makes an important distinction: Not every social media post needs a link. Staff spotlights, displays, celebrations, behind-the-scenes content, reading recommendations, and entertaining posts can stand on their own.

Strategy #2: Creating a permanent Facebook link post

Heather Baker, Public Relations and Marketing Manager at Troy-Miami County Public Library in Ohio, is taking a slightly different approach. She created a post called “Need a Library Link?” and pinned it to the top of the library’s Facebook Page.

“I figured it would be an ongoing list,” says Heather. “Interestingly enough, there was no limit to the number of ‘links’ I could put in the post.”

I thought this was a great approach, and I’ve asked my social media specialist to do the same. We’ll be monitoring our metrics to see if it works.

Heather says her library’s Facebook Pages were restricted while it was promoting a large Dolly Parton-themed event. She used the free month of Meta One to get through that immediate campaign and then canceled the subscription.

Going forward, she plans to reserve links for priorities.

“My plan is to be strategic about using the registration links in my events. I added those to my post instead of the website links, since they don’t appear to be limited yet. I also added links to more of my website pages to my bio on my Facebook main page.”

Heather Baker

This approach gives followers a consistent place to look for frequently requested destinations without requiring each individual post to contain a link.

Strategy #3: Testing action buttons and links in comments

Veronica Potenza, who is Head of Technology and Reference at Wyckoff Free Library in New Jersey, is exploring several options. Her library is adding Linktree to its “About” section, but she is also investigating Facebook’s Page action button.

“You can only have one at a time for a page, but it can be changed any time,” she explains. “It could be to send a message or set as a direct link to a site. However, depending on what you set the action to be, it can’t always be ‘applied’ to a post. I still have to look into it some more.”

She has also seen libraries place links in a comment rather than in the original post. But the results are inconsistent.

“A few people suggested adding links in a comment on the post, which seems to be working for now, but one commenter said they got cut off from doing it,” adds Veronica.

I heard from other libraries who also said they were blocked from adding links in a post comment. The application of that rule appears to be inconsistent.

So, links in comments may be worth testing. But libraries should not build their entire strategy around a workaround that Meta could restrict or that may already work differently from one Page to another.

Strategy #4: Looking at third-party scheduling tools

Third-party scheduling tools are another possible workaround, but they raise their own questions.

Robin Johnsen said she had seen reports that scheduling tools allowed some libraries to continue posting links.   

“We have a pro Canva account that includes this service, but have discovered it does not allow for the inclusion of alt text in scheduled posts,” says Robin. “So it’s back to the drawing board on that one since it doesn’t meet our accessibility standards.” 

Ashley Littleton said her team relies heavily on Buffer. However, when she responded, Buffer was still determining how the Facebook change would affect its platform.  

Paying may not be an option for most libraries

The obvious question is whether libraries should simply pay for Meta One. That decision may be more complicated than its cost.

Robin Johnsen said government entities are listed as ineligible for Meta One, which means her library cannot purchase the subscription even if it wants to. She is working to have the library recognized as a government organization on Facebook and is also pursuing official nonprofit recognition on the platform in hopes of receiving better customer support.

“Theoretically, if we are recognized on Facebook as a government org, the link restriction could be lifted,” says Robin. “However, I’ve had no luck convincing Facebook that we are one, so I have a support ticket in about that.”

Rethinking Facebook’s role

The most important response may not be a technical workaround at all.

Robin Johnsen said her library will run tests and may eventually explain the change publicly, ask patrons how they prefer to receive resources, and shift more attention to other platforms.

“Facebook will become a much less effective platform for us,” says Robin. “After I run a few tests, depending on the results, we will likely make a public post explaining to our patrons why our posting has changed and asking if they have any feedback on a better way to get them the resources they’re accustomed to.”

“Of course, we’re also looking into shifting our focus to other social media sites. I hear LinkedIn is hopping.” 

Ashley Littleton views the restriction as another example of a platform creating inconvenience and then charging organizations to remove it. But she said the lack of communication was the most frustrating part:

“I’m not even surprised or irritated by the change. I feel like this is just the subscription model streaming services use, where intentional inconvenience becomes a revenue stream. But their absolute lack of transparency and communication is what really annoys me.”

Ashley Littleton

So now what?

None of these approaches is a guaranteed solution. Meta’s restrictions may continue to change, and libraries are reporting different experiences across Pages and publishing tools.

For now, the best response may be to test carefully, document what happens, monitor referral traffic, and avoid building a new strategy around a loophole that could disappear tomorrow.

In my next post, which I’ll publish on Monday, Oct. 12, I’ll share seven practical steps library marketers can take to prioritize essential links, build stronger posts without them, and reduce their dependence on platforms they do not control.

Want more help?

The “Grandma Hobby” Trend Is a HUGE Opportunity for Libraries!

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How One Library Built an Intranet That Staff Actually Uses!

**Alt text:** A black-and-white historic photo shows five library staff members carrying stacks of books in a library work area lined with shelves and stacks of materials. A translucent gray text box in the lower left reads, “How One Library CONNECTS STAFF,” with “CONNECTS STAFF” in large purple letters.

When we think about library marketing, we usually think about patrons. But every great patron experience starts with staff who know what’s happening.

That’s why I recently spoke with Nina Kenney, Head of Communications at Lake Villa District Library in Illinois, about how her library transformed internal communication.

The project was a way to strengthen culture, improve workflows, and help every employee, from part-time shelvers to department heads, feel connected.

“This project shined a light on the importance of internal communication. You can’t underestimate it.”

-Nina Kenney

The Problem: A Bigger Building Created Bigger Communication Challenges

When Lake Villa District Library moved into a new 66,000-square-foot building in 2019 — double the size of its previous location — communication became more difficult.

The old building naturally encouraged casual conversations. The new three-floor building meant staff rarely crossed paths, making it much easier for information to stay inside departments.

At about the same time, the library welcomed a new director, launched strategic planning, and created a Learning & Development Coordinator position. That is a lot of information to be shared!

Suddenly, email became the default communication channel for everything. Staff quickly became overwhelmed. It’s no wonder that when the library surveyed employees about their biggest frustration, the answer was clear: Too many emails.

That’s a tough piece of feedback. As library marketers, many of us are tasked with communicating both internally and externally. Half of our job is to make sure all staff have the information they need to do their jobs every day.

So if you can’t send an email every time you need to communicate with staff, what do you do?

The Goal Was About Communication… and So Much More

As the team evaluated intranet platforms, they realized they wanted to:

  1. Reduce email overload
  2. Create a single source of truth and information
  3. Streamline marketing and service requests
  4. Build community across departments
  5. Make part-time staff feel just as connected as full-time employees

That last goal became especially important.

“We really wanted everybody to feel like they were part of the team,” says Nina.

What They Built

Lake Villa eventually settled on a staff hub, which became the “one source of truth” location for staff.

Their staff hub includes:

  • A personalized dashboard
  • Marketing request forms with automated tracking
  • Learning & Development resources
  • Policy documents
  • Board packets
  • Leadership notes
  • Knowledge base articles
  • Project workspaces
  • Team collaboration areas
  • Staff recognition
  • Birthdays
  • Social groups like “What Are You Reading?” and “What Are You Watching?”

One feature Nina especially appreciates is the marketing request tracker. Instead of chasing down emails or worrying about forgotten requests, every project automatically enters a queue.

“I used to miss jobs because requests got buried in email,” laments Nina. “That doesn’t happen anymore.”

Building Community Matters to Staff

So many of us think of internal communication in a very formal, business-like way. I love that Nina’s library took staff communication to the next level,  intentionally building spaces where staff could simply connect.

Employees share what they’re reading. They recommend television shows. Birthdays are celebrated. Staff can publicly recognize one another for great work.

Those little interactions help replace the spontaneous conversations that disappeared after moving into a much larger building. And they create a culture that keeps staff feeling engaged, informed, and connected to the library’s overall mission.

Did It Work?

According to Nina, yes! Staff engagement has been strong, although adoption wasn’t immediate.

The team involved employees throughout development, asked them to help name the platform, and even introduced it with a fun “infomercial” during Staff Development Day.

That investment paid off. Today, staff know where to find updates, training, forms, policies, and project information without digging through overflowing inboxes.

A Surprise Takeaway About Email

One insight from our conversation surprised me. Even after building an impressive employee hub, Nina doesn’t think email should disappear.

When I shared that the library where I work sends a daily staff email, I admitted I initially assumed employees would find it overwhelming. Instead, staff told us they appreciate it. Nina wasn’t surprised.

“Say what you will about email, but it does create community. If people don’t feel engaged or they don’t feel they belong, everything else becomes harder.”

-Nina Kenney

That’s an important reminder. Internal communication works best when you choose the mix of tools that works for your staff. And that’s going to be different for every library.

Final thought

If, like me, you are trying to improve internal communication, here are some questions you can ask yourself, according to Nina.

  • Where do staff naturally look for information?
  • Are we creating unnecessary email?
  • Can employees easily find policies and forms?
  • Are project requests getting lost?
  • How do we help part-time staff feel included?
  • Are we creating opportunities for staff to connect with one another?

Want more help?

How to Get Library Staff Excited About Appearing in Short-Form Library Videos

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What Gen Z’s Library Habits Tell Us About the Future of Libraries and Library Marketing

**Alt text:** A black-and-white historic photo of a busy library filled with young adults browsing books and using card catalog drawers. A translucent gray text box overlays the upper center with the words, “Library Marketing Lessons from GEN Z,” with “GEN Z” in large yellow letters.
Photo courtesy of Cincinnati & Hamilton Public Library

For years, library staff and library marketers have worried about reaching Generation Z, the generation roughly born between 1997 and 2012. Currently, this group is between the ages of 14 and 29.

We’ve been asking ourselves the same questions (myself included): How do you reach people who have grown up with smartphones? How do you compete with TikTok, YouTube, streaming services, AI, and an endless supply of digital entertainment? Does this generation have attention spans so short that nothing we create will stick with them?

New research suggests we may have been worried about the wrong thing.

A Library Journal analysis of nationwide survey data contains encouraging news. Public library use among Gen Z has increased significantly since 2022, and many of the assumptions we’ve made about young adults simply aren’t true.

This study shows that Gen Z cares deeply about libraries. (Hooray!) They also reveal several opportunities for library staff and library marketers.

Here are the top five takeaways from the analysis.

Gen Z use of libraries is increasing

I think we should print this statistic out and put it in every staff workroom in every library!

67 percent of Gen Z respondents reported visiting a public library in the past year. That’s a dramatic increase from 54 percent just three years earlier.

That’s pretty amazing. Let it soak in for a second.

This is the first generation raised entirely in the digital age. They have instant access to entertainment and information. Yet more than two-thirds are still visiting and using the public library.

Books are still the gateway

One of my favorite findings from the research is that books remain central to the relationship between Gen Z and libraries.

Libraries ranked just behind bookstores but ahead of Amazon(!) as one of the primary ways Gen Z gets books. Librarian recommendations are also increasingly influential, with more than one-third of Gen Z saying they discover books through librarians.

For years, library marketers have felt pressure to market everything except books. But this research reminds us that books are still one of our strongest brand assets. Instead of treating books as “just another service,” we should recognize them as our biggest marketing opportunity.

Every book recommendation, staff pick, reading list, and display becomes a chance to build trust with a young audience actively looking for guidance.

Discovery doesn’t always happen where we think

The study also reinforces something I’ve written about before. People don’t simply wake up and decide to visit the library.

Discovery happens through many different touchpoints. Sometimes it’s BookTok. Sometimes it’s a friend. Sometimes it’s attending one event and falling in love with the library.

Marketing doesn’t create library users overnight. Marketing creates hundreds of small moments of awareness that eventually add up to a visit.

That’s why consistency matters far more than going viral.

Gen Z users have one thing in common with older generations of library users

The report also uncovered a familiar problem. Even among Gen Z library users, awareness of other services offered by the library besides books remains surprisingly low.

That means the phrase that’s the nemesis of every library marketer, “Wait…the library has that?” may also be uttered by this young generation.

I know this can feel like a marketing failure. But here’s how I look at it: Do you know everything that your local grocery store carries? Probably not! And that’s okay.

You go to the store to buy the things you want or need. And when you want something new or different from your regular order, you likely search by asking an employee or pulling up the store’s app or website.

It’s unrealistic, in my opinion, to expect the public to know all your library’s services. So, let’s work on making the search element as good as possible.

Can folks easily find things on your website or app? Does your staff know about all the things available at your library? (The answer you get from staff might surprise you!)

Gen Z wants authenticity, not perfection

While the survey focused on library use, it aligns with broader trends we’ve seen in digital marketing.

Gen Z responds to authenticity. They value recommendations from real people. They appreciate transparency. They trust creators more than institutions.

Fortunately, libraries have something most brands would love to have: Humans who genuinely love helping others. That’s your competitive advantage.

Instead of relying exclusively on polished graphics and promotional language, show off your staff.

Film a librarian recommending their favorite mystery novel. Record someone unpacking new books. Capture genuine moments during programs. Introduce the faces behind your services.

People connect with people. Libraries just happen to employ a lot of wonderful ones.

What library marketers should do now

Reading this research, it’s clear that to win with this generation, we should double down on what already works.

That means:

  • Keep marketing books. They’re still one of your strongest draws.
  • Make librarian expertise visible through videos, blogs, newsletters, and social media.
  • Look for opportunities to explain your other services and don’t worry if library users can’t name everything you offer.
  • Show real staff interacting with real patrons.
  • Remember that one promotional piece rarely changes behavior. Consistent storytelling does.

Final thought

Every generation wants to belong somewhere. Every generation wants recommendations they can trust. Every generation wants spaces that feel welcoming

Marketing is constantly evolving, but human behavior doesn’t change nearly as much as we think.

That’s why I think this study is so encouraging. It reminds us that libraries remain incredibly relevant even to the generation that grew up with the internet in their pocket. And that’s something we can build on.

Want more help?

Boost Teen Library Attendance: 6 Proven Strategies and Common Pitfalls

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How to Build a Better Library Marketing Team (Whether You’re New or Not)

Historic black-and-white photo of a crowded library reading room with patrons reading at tables. Overlaid text reads, "Better Library Marketing Begins with LISTENING," with "LISTENING" emphasized in purple.
Photo courtesy of Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library

In this post, you’ll learn:

  1. Why listening is often more valuable than launching something new.
  2. How to build the systems, messaging, and processes that make library marketing more effective.
  3. How to see your library with fresh eyes even if you’ve worked there for years.

When I started my current library marketing leadership role at the Cincinnati and Hamilton County Library this past March, I had a plan.

Actually, that’s not entirely true.

I had a list of things I thought needed attention. I had ideas. I had opinions. I had years of experience.

But I also knew I was walking into an organization that existed long before me, had been through a tumultuous six years, and will face tough challenges in the not-so-distant future.

So I made a decision. For the first few weeks, I just listened.

And looking back, it was probably the most important thing I did.

Start With People, Not Projects

The temptation in a new leadership role is to make your mark immediately. You want to launch something. Reorganize something. Fix something.

Resist the urge.

Before I touched processes or strategy, I sat down with every member of my team and with every member of senior leadership for one-on-one conversations. I asked questions like:

  • What do you spend most of your time doing?
  • What part of your job do you enjoy most?
  • What are you exceptionally good at?
  • What drains your energy?
  • What skills do you wish you had more opportunities to use?
  • What gets in the way of doing great work?

I wasn’t looking for complaints. I was looking for opportunities, gaps, and patterns. And those things started emerging quickly.

Some people were doing work they loved. Others had talents that weren’t being fully utilized. Some responsibilities seemed to belong to multiple people. Other responsibilities didn’t seem to belong to anyone.

That information was incredibly valuable. It became a roadmap to set up a foundation for success.

Build a Team Map

One thing I’ve learned over the years is that organizational charts don’t tell you much.

A job description tells you what someone is supposed to do. A conversation tells you what they actually do.

As I talked with my staff, I started mapping the team. I asked myself:

  • Who are the strongest writers?
  • Who can manage projects?
  • Who understands data?
  • Who has strong design skills?
  • Who is great at relationships and collaboration?

Just as importantly, I looked for gaps. Specifically, I pinpointed the skills that were missing, areas that seemed underdeveloped, and places where work was getting bogged down or stopped altogether.

I wasn’t trying to evaluate people. I was trying to understand the system.

Before you can build a stronger team, you have to understand the team you actually have.

Define the Real Problems

As I observed the department and reviewed existing work, I noticed something that I’ve seen in other organizations too.

People were working incredibly hard. But they were often operating without shared expectations, messaging, or processes.

Projects moved through different review paths depending on who was involved. Marketing requests arrived in different formats. Staff made decisions based on their own understanding of priorities.

Nobody was doing anything wrong. The team simply lacked some foundational systems. That realization shaped my plan for moving forward.

Map Out Your Priorities

Once I had a clear picture of my team and the larger organization they worked in, I worked on identifying and prioritizing what I needed to do. I created what I call my “Post-It Pyramid of Priorities.”

I wrote down the foundational tasks I needed to tackle, one on each Post-It. Then I arranged them in a pyramid, with the tasks I needed to complete at the top. (Groundbreaking, right?)

I put tasks that were interrelated into a line to signal to myself that I needed to work on them simultaneously.

A collection of sticky notes arranged on a wooden wall under the heading "Priorities."
Post-It Pyramid of Priorities

Using Post-Its makes it easy for me to move and change my priorities as conditions change.

Establish Your Messaging Foundation

One of the biggest priorities during those first 90 days was working through messaging.

What exactly were we trying to say about the library? More importantly, were we all saying the same thing?

Libraries are wonderful at promoting programs, events, and services. We are less consistent when it comes to communicating our larger value.

Ask staff members why the library matters and you might get a bunch of different answers.

  • Some will talk about books.
  • Some will talk about literacy.
  • Some will talk about technology.
  • Some will talk about community.

None of those answers are wrong.

But if your organization wants to build trust, recognition, and support, there needs to be some shared understanding of the bigger story you’re telling.

In my next post on July 27, I’ll go more in-depth to show you how our library determined a messaging focus and how we’re executing it.

Create a Strategy People Can Actually Use

The word “strategy” seems to scare people. I think it’s because most strategies are created by senior leadership, who then pass them down to the staff without taking the time to get buy-in. (This happens at for-profit companies too!)

I wasn’t interested in creating a document that nobody would read. I wanted a framework that would help people make decisions.

  • Who are we trying to reach?
  • What behavior are we trying to influence?
  • What organizational goals are we supporting?
  • How do our messages connect to those goals?
  • How should different channels work together?

Once you have the answers to those questions, you can create a simple strategic framework that you and your staff can follow for the next year.

Standardize the Review Process

When organizations don’t have a clear review process, everyone creates their own.

One project gets five rounds of edits. Another gets none. One person is included in decisions. Another is surprised at the last minute.

Over time, that creates frustration for everyone!

So we built a standard review structure. It helps me and my marketing manager to, well, manage projects!

We worked together to decide:

  • Who reviews what.
  • When they review it.
  • What kind of feedback they’re responsible for providing.
  • What final approval looks like.

The result is more consistency, fewer surprises, and much less confusion.

Focus on Culture, Not Just Process

The systems matter. The strategy matters. The messaging matters. But the biggest adjustment we need to make is cultural.

Instead of asking, “Can we promote this?” I’m prompting my staff to start asking, “What are we trying to accomplish?”

Instead of thinking about outputs, we are thinking about outcomes. Instead of automatically saying yes to every request, we started discussing priorities. (That is a biggie!)

It definitely is a mindset change. It won’t happen overnight, and you’ll face some bumps and pushback along the way. But getting yourself and your team to work these questions into your daily thought process will lead to better results.

What I Didn’t Do

Here’s what I did not do in my first 90 days!

  • I didn’t reorganize the team.
  • I didn’t launch a huge new campaign.
  • I didn’t overhaul every process.
  • I didn’t try to solve every problem.

New leaders sometimes feel pressure to demonstrate value immediately.

Ironically, one of the most valuable things you can do is slow down. Ask questions. Gather information. Build trust.

What If You’re Not New?

You don’t have to start a new job to use this approach.

In fact, if you’ve been at your library for years and feel like you’re stuck, this mindset can be even more valuable.

One of the advantages of being new is that you notice things everyone else has stopped seeing. You ask questions because you genuinely don’t know the answers. You challenge assumptions because you haven’t inherited them yet.

After you’ve been somewhere for a while, it’s easy to accept the way things are simply because “that’s how we’ve always done it.”

So borrow a trick from your first-day self.

Schedule listening meetings with colleagues you don’t work with regularly. Ask people what gets in the way of doing great work. Map your team’s strengths and gaps again. Follow a marketing request from start to finish as if you’ve never seen the process before.

Sometimes the biggest breakthroughs come from looking at familiar problems with fresh eyes.

Want more help?

The Real Difference Between Marketing and Promotion and Why It Matters for Your Library’s Success

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1

How to Build a Cohesive Library Brand Across Your Entire System

Black-and-white photo of two women standing behind a library circulation desk, surrounded by shelves of books and large windows. Overlaid text reads “How to Build Your LIBRARY BRAND!” with “Library Brand!” in bold orange lettering.
Photo courtesy Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library

In this post, I walked you through what branding really means in a library: It’s the consistent experience people have every time they interact with you.

Now comes the harder question: How do you actually make that happen across an entire library system? Believe me, I know what a struggle this can be!

The Real Problem Isn’t Branding. It’s Alignment.

Most library marketers I work with tell me they struggle with branding because the library system is very siloed. Libraries are collaborative by nature but decentralized in structure.

Most library systems have:

  • Multiple branches
  • Multiple departments (youth, adult, outreach, etc.)
  • Staff with different backgrounds and comfort levels with marketing

So people do what they think is best in the moment. And over time, that creates inconsistency.

  • Each department and branch creates its own promotional materials
  • Messaging varies depending on who writes it
  • Tone and style vary depending on who writes it

No one is intentionally trying to dilute the brand. But no one is working from the same playbook, either.

The Fix: Give Staff Clarity, Not Control

Here’s where many branding efforts go off track. Leadership tries to “fix” inconsistency by:

  • Locking down templates
  • Requiring approvals for everything
  • Centralizing all marketing decisions

That might create consistency. But it also creates bottlenecks, frustration, and disengagement. It also lowers staff morale, because it appears that leaders don’t trust branch or department staff to do their jobs.

Instead, what staff really need is clarity.

The 2 Things Every Staff Member Needs to Know

If you want your entire library to create promotion using one brand, every staff member, regardless of their role, should be able to answer these two questions:

1. Who Are We?

I’m not talking about reciting your mission statement. I’m talking about your library’s personality, tone, and voice. 

Are you:

  • Friendly and conversational?
  • Educational and authoritative?
  • Playful and creative?

If staff don’t understand this, they’ll default to their own voice.

2. Who Are We Talking To?

Your audience is not everyone. I know that’s so hard to understand when you’re working in an organization that aims to serve everyone.

But when you are working on promotions, you have to target a specific audience. So, your staff must be trained to think in specifics.

Who are they hoping to see come through the door as a result of their promotion? Are they looking for:

  • Parents of young children?
  • Job seekers?
  • Lifelong learners?
  • Teens looking for a place to belong?
  • Some other target audience?

When staff can identify the specific people they are trying to reach, their messaging becomes more consistent — naturally

How to Communicate Your Brand to Staff

Your library doesn’t need a 40-page brand guide. Most libraries only need a simple document that includes:

1. Voice Traits (3–5 words)

These are the personality descriptors that guide how your library “sounds” in writing. For example:

  • Friendly, welcoming, knowledgeable, community-focused
  • Curious, inclusive, encouraging, playful
  • Helpful, clear, approachable, trustworthy

For example, if your library decides its personality descriptor is “helpful, clear, approachable, and trustworthy,” you can tell staff that instead of saying, “Patrons must return materials by the due date“, you’ll say, “Just a heads up… return your items by the due date to avoid any fees.”

2. Visual Guidelines (colors, fonts, image style)

These define how your library looks visually across every tactic and channel, including social media, flyers, signage, and your website.

For example, your library might have three colors in your brand palette. Each color likely represents a feeling or emotion that you want your community to experience when they encounter materials from your library.

Let your staff know about the intentionality of your color palette by explaining each color’s associated emotion, like this:

  • Primary: Deep blue (trust, stability). We use this color for promotions about our hours and policies.
  • Secondary: Bright orange (energy, engagement). We use this color for promotions that include a call to action, like signing up or registering for a program.
  • Neutral: Light gray or cream. This color provides us with a clean background for promotions.

Set guidelines for font use. Be sure to lay out which font staff should use for headlines, body text, or as an accent font for special promotions for kids’ programming, summer reading, or other big programs.

Finally, give staff clear direction about the use of photos in your promotions. You may want to indicate that all photos must depict real patrons in one of your branches. (Check out this post about how to do a “stock photo day” to build your library’s cache of photos.)

If photos of real community members are not an option, let staff know what kind of stock photos they may use. For example, you may set guidelines that all staff photos must include:

  • Warm, candid, natural lighting
  • Diverse, inclusive representation
  • Focus on interaction (reading, attending programs, using spaces)

Coming Next

Now that you know how to align your team, there’s one more big challenge.

How do you create a consistent voice and look without making everything feel rigid and templated?

Your job is not to control every piece of marketing. Your job is to:

  • Set the direction
  • Define the brand clearly
  • Equip your team to execute

That’s what we’ll tackle in Part 3, which will publish on May 11.

Want more help?

Branding for Your Library: Stand Out From the Crowd With Smart, Strategic Placement of Your Brand

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3

What Branding Really Means in a Library (And Why Most Libraries Get It Wrong)

A black-and-white photo of a historic library reading room with long wooden tables, chairs, and bookshelves lining the walls. Desk lamps sit along the tables, and a few people are visible in the background. Overlaid on the image is a translucent box with the text: “What Is LIBRARY BRANDING?” with “Library Branding” highlighted in yellow.
Photo courtesy Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library

When most libraries talk about branding, they’re really talking about logos, colors, and templates.

But branding isn’t only what your materials look like.

It’s how your library feels to the people you serve.

And that experience doesn’t center only on the work that your communications staff does. It comes from every single staff member. This is especially true for small or rural libraries and for large metro libraries. 

A solid library brand will define your library in a crowded world. It’s the thing that makes people say, “I love my library.”

But many libraries struggle with branding. When I asked, “What do you need help with?” in the State of Library Marketing survey, one of the most common answers was “branding.”

So, we’re going to tackle that! This is the first in a three-part series all about library branding. 

Branding Is Not a Logo 

We’ll begin with this concept, because it’s the root of the problem.

Branding is often confused with:

  • Your logo
  • Your color palette
  • Your graphic templates

Those things matter. But they are expressions of your brand, not the brand itself.

In fact,  research into library branding shows that a library’s brand encompasses multiple dimensions tied to user experience, perception, and emotional connection — not just visuals.

That means your library’s brand is shaped just as much by a storytime experience, a conversation at the circulation desk, the tone of a Facebook post, or signage in your building as it is by your logo.

Here’s the truth: Your library already has a brand! People in your community have an existing impression of your library. This is true even if you’ve never written a brand guide, your graphics are inconsistent, and your co-workers all seem to do their own thing when it comes to library promotion.

So, you’re not starting this journey from scratch.

Real Library Examples: When Branding Becomes Part of the Library Experience

One of the best examples of true library branding is the transformation of Rangeview Library District into Anythink Libraries.

Here’s what happened: The Rangeview Library District was considered by its community to be old-fashioned, small, and unappealing. In 2009, as part of its renewed branding efforts, the District changed the names of its libraries to Anythink libraries.

But the library did more than a name and logo change. They renamed every branch. The changed staff job titles to include “Concierge” and “Guide.” They reframed the entire library experience around creativity and curiosity.

It was a complete alignment of experience, language, and culture. And it worked.

The rebranding led to higher circulation and visitor numbers. The system was able to connect with users and pass a levy, which helped them build or renovate libraries. And they were awarded a national Medal for Museum and Library Service.   

My own library, the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library, also went through a rebrand in the last five years. While our name change is not as significant (previously, we were The Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County), we are transforming our connection to the community.

Yes, we created a completely new visual palette. But the core of our new branding is focused on our beliefs, which every library staff member is committed to living out through their work. Our beliefs are:

  • Empathy: We believe in everyone’s innate value and potential.
  • Enjoyment: We believe there is no prescribed path to knowledge, so why not make the journey fun?
  • Connection: We believe we got farther, together.
  • Community: We believe libraries are incubators of community.

That defined focus on those four beliefs is strengthening the connection our library has to the community, elected officials, and donors. That’s the power of branding.

Many libraries have also leaned into branding through physical experience and design. In fact, studies show that libraries are increasingly positioned as community hubs and cultural spaces, with branding tied to how people use and feel in the space, not just what they see.

Branding encompasses everything. The building, the programming, the atmosphere — all of it contributes to the brand.

Where Most Libraries Go Wrong

Most libraries don’t have a branding problem. They have a disconnect problem.

It usually looks like this:

  • Marketing creates one type of message
  • Youth services create another
  • Branches design their own flyers
  • Social media has a completely different tone

This creates a fragmented experience. And from a patron’s perspective, it feels like interacting with multiple different organizations instead of one library system.

So What Is Library Branding?

Here’s the simplest, most useful definition I can give you:

Your library’s brand is the consistent experience people have every time they interact with you.

Branding is not owned by the marketing department. Branding is created by the entire staff.

That means every flyer, every conversation, every program description, every social media post is either strengthening your brand or weakening it.

Coming Next

In the next post on April 27, we’re going to tackle the biggest challenge libraries face when it comes to branding: 

How do you actually get an entire library system to act like one brand?

Meanwhile, if your library has worked on branding, I’d love to hear what worked, what didn’t, and where your staff struggled. You can let me know by commenting below or by emailing me.

Want more help?

Boost Your Biggest Supporters: Branding and Marketing Advice for Your Friends of the Library Group

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1

Library Marketing Case Study: How UVU’s Fulton Library Connects with 47,000 Students

Black-and-white photo of a large, historic library interior with multiple balcony levels filled with students looking down. Overlaid text reads, “Academic Library Shares Secret to Connect with Students.”
Photo courtesy Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library

Lauren Tolman learned to read when she was just three years old.

“Books have been part of my life since I was little,” she explains. “My family made weekly trips to our local public library. I tore through Arthur, The Baby-sitters Club, Little House (on the Prairie), and any series I could get my hands on.”

“As a kid, my dream job swung between ‘mermaid’ and ‘librarian.’ The librarians at my local branch sat at this big wooden desk surrounded by paperback spinner racks, and they’d read to kids on carpeted risers. I visited the library again thirty years later… the same desk, the same brown carpet, the same happy library noise.”

Lauren’s first library job was as a shelver. In her 20+ year career, she’s been a page, a story time performer, a clerk, a children’s librarian, and a supervisor. Now, she’s the Communications Specialist in the Marketing Department at Utah Valley University’s Fulton Library. 

Lauren and two other staff members market the library to the school’s 47,000 students. Lauren supervises the department full-time and handles project management, social media, and campus outreach. Her work is complemented by a part-time graphic designer and a part-time copywriter.   

Lauren says the most effective channel for reaching her audience is Instagram. The library appears to have a formula down that works well for their audience. All the videos are short-form with a healthy dose of humor.

The library is also really, really good at putting its own, unique twist on trends, as they did for this video. (You will remember when this song was all the rage on Instagram and TikTok videos!)

And this is an absolutely memorable video to help students remember citation styles!

But beyond social media, Lauren and her staff have other ways to reach students on campus. 

“Our staff is our best ‘channel,’” shares Lauren. “They talk with students constantly through instruction sessions, resource fairs, research help, circulation desk interactions, etc.”

“Students love seeing other students in marketing. We also work with peer mentors, ambassadors, and other student leaders who help share our posts or pass along information to their programs.” 

Recently, Lauren and her team worked through a library campaign refresh with new branding, colors, iconography, and more, called “Find It at the Fulton Library.”

“We aim for a new brand campaign every 3-4 years to keep our image fresh and current for our students,” explains Lauren. “The process can take 6-9 months, as we work with our campus marketing, communications, and photography departments to produce all the materials.”

“They help us with concepts and developing a brand kit with colors, fonts, and more to help maintain a consistent look among all of our deliverables. They also help us with student lifestyle photoshoots, giving us a high-quality photo library to use throughout the next couple of years.”

As you can see, this new brand has a vintage feel, while being fresh and colorful.

But not everything is all fun and games for an academic library looking for promotional success. Like most library marketers, there have been times when the strategiesy Lauren has tried just didn’t land with her audience. 

“I will say I’ve had many disappointments where social media posts or Reels get low engagement,” explains Lauren. “It always seems to be the ones that are really informative or take forever to make that turn out to have the lowest interactions. That can be frustrating, but I try to learn from it. If even one student is helped by the content, that’s great. And there are always other channels to try to share that information!”

To that end, Lauren has some advice for libraries of all sizes and types when it comes to marketing. 

“Get to know your audience, what they care about, where they hang out, what they struggle with. Lead with approachability and benefits. Our audience likes to feel seen and have their problems solved.”

“Track your results, even informally. This will help you figure out your strengths and weaknesses, and the direction your content should go. And don’t be afraid to experiment with types of content, even the casual kind. While we keep our language kind and professional, students love it when we go a little unhinged or use pop culture references in our content.”

Want more help?

From Shelves to Screens: How an Academic Librarian Captures Student Narratives for Library Marketing

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0

How to Get Library Staff Excited About Appearing in Short-Form Library Videos

Watch this video now

#LibraryMarketingShow, episode 326

Creating short-form videos is one of the best ways to reach your community. But… convincing colleagues to step in front of the camera is difficult!

If you’re running into resistance — or just quiet reluctance — this episode is for you. I break down how to reframe video participation, build buy-in internally, and help staff feel confident instead of self-conscious on camera.

Plus, I’m giving kudos to a library that created a hilarious parody video with staff in the midst of a snowstorm!

Do you have a suggestion for a future episode’s topic? Do you want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know here.

Thanks for watching! 

P.S.: If you wish, you may download a transcript of this episode.

Miss the last episode? No worries! Watch it now.

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