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Super Library Marketing: Practical Tips and Ideas for Library Promotion

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๐ŸŽงAnnouncing a New Podcast Exclusively for Library Marketers! Full Details In This Video

The Library Marketingโ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹ Show, Episode 163: I’ll share some exciting news for anyone who wants to learn more about library promotions from the top minds in the business.

There is a new podcast in the world all about library marketing. It’s hosted by a library marketer. And it’s called Library Marketing for Library Marketers! I’ll give you all the details.

Kudos in this episode go to the Broward County Public Library. Watch to find out why they’re being recognized.

Do you have a suggestion for a topic for a future episode? Want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know in the comments.

And subscribe to this series to get a new weekly video tip for libraries.

Thanks for watching!


Subscribe to this blog and youโ€™ll receive an email whenever I post. To do that, enter your email address and click on the โ€œFollowโ€ button in the lower left-hand corner of the page.

Small but Mighty: The 6-Step Plan To Promote Your Library When You Have a Tiny Staff

Photo courtesy Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County

The house I grew up in was surrounded by cornfields.

The nearest town was four miles away. It featured a grain elevator, a tiny country store, a barber shop, and a post office. A traffic light was installed after a tractor damaged the bridge from the town to the surrounding area.

Photo of the old bridge, courtesy BridgeHunter

Iโ€™m a product of small-town America. So small towns fascinate me. So do small libraries.

According to the Institute of Museum and Library Services’ annual Public Library Survey,  57 percent of libraries in the United States have five or fewer staff members. 27 percent have one or fewer full-time employees!

If you are working in a small library, you are doing everything, from working with readers to cleaning the bathrooms. Promoting your library is likely just one more thing on your to-do list, something youโ€™ll get to if you get time.

But of course, we want people in our community to use our library. We need them to use it. So how do you market your library when you are pressed for time or staff resources?

Marketing is really not a job for one person. But that’s the reality for so many of my readers.

So here are the very focused, strategic steps you should take to consistently and effectively promote your library if you are working alone or with a tiny staff.

Set one, SMART goal.

You will need to be hyper-focused in your promotional efforts. Pick one thing you want to work on. Then set a Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Time-bound goal for that work.

The village of Wayne, Ohio has a population of about 900 people. It is very much like the small town I grew up in, with one notable exception: it has a library!

Driving through town a few weeks ago, I noticed the library has purchased an outdoor locker so patrons can pick up holds when the library isnโ€™t open. They want people to use the locker, of course. So, they’ll want to promote it.

I don’t know anyone on the 7-person staff of the Wayne Library. But, if I were working with them, I would encourage them to set a SMART goal like this:

We will get 30 people a month to request their holds pickup via the outdoor locker. Weโ€™ll do this by promoting the locker on our website and by specifically asking patrons if theyโ€™d prefer to pick up their holds via the locker when we place holds for them. This goal is important because it will prove the value of this investment and will increase circulation. Weโ€™ll track and record the total the number of locker users at the end of each month.

You can see this goal contains specific numbers. It sets the context for why this promotion is important. And it lays out how the staff will measure success.

A SMART goal will help you organize your promotions and keep you accountable. It will give you a sense of direction for your work.

Focus on tactics that work best to reach small communities.

Make a list of all the ways you can promote your library: your website, email lists, social media, in-person interactions, print, partners, signsโ€ฆ etc. Then take a highlighter and pick the 2-3 things that work best for your community. Those are the tactics you should use to reach your SMART goal.

Every library community is different. And small libraries often find promotional success in places that are different from their larger counterparts.

For example, if your library is located by a major road, use outdoor signage to attract the attention of passing motorists. If your school is a significant community hub, ask teachers to send home promotional bookmarks and fliers in kidsโ€™ backpacks. If your town has a little restaurant where residents come for breakfast every Saturday, ask the restaurant owners to give out a promotional print piece like a bookmark or flier with the check.

Wayne Public Library uses its website to promote its lockers.

Live and die by an editorial calendar.

An editorial calendar will help you decide what, where, and when to publish. After those decisions are made, the editorial calendar will help you assign tasks and keep up to date on deadlines.

First, youโ€™ll create your calendar. Then youโ€™ll decide how to populate it with content that will ensure you reach your promotional goals.

Repurpose content.

When your staff is small, youโ€™ll need to work smarter, not harder. A smart way to maximize your time and efforts is by repurposing content.

Repurposing content is the act of finding new ways to recycle your existing content. Itโ€™s basically taking one piece of content, say an email newsletter, and re-formatting it for different mediums like social media, a blog post, and an email

You can do this with any piece of content, from your website graphics to your annual report. Break the content down into pieces and spread them across all your available platforms. In this way, you can make sure everyone in your community sees your message. You also can make sure the work you are doing right now will have maximum impact.

Here’s an example of how to do it.

Schedule ahead as much as you can.

Technology can be your best friend if you are working on promotion all by yourself. Schedule your emails, blog posts, and social media posts as far in advance as possible.

There are several great social media schedulers that have free plans. This post is an excellent list of each of those options.

For blogs, I recommend WordPress. You can get a free account and you can schedule posts to go out whenever you like. Plus, patrons who follow your blog will get an automatic email every time you post. That means you donโ€™t have to create an email to let them know youโ€™ve published new content.

You will have to invest in an email platform. But once you do, you can create and schedule emails to go out to your patrons as far in advance as you like.

Learn from larger libraries but don’t compare your success.

The success or failure of a library’s marketing has nothing to do with the size of its staff. In fact, I would argue it might be easier for a small library to create successful library promotions.

Small libraries have more freedom to experiment. Their staff tends to be personally connected with patrons. They have a deeper understanding of what their community wants and needs from their library.

So, follow those large library systems on social media. Sign up for their emails. Look at their websites. Visit large libraries when you travel. Make a list of ideas that you want to try at your smaller library.

But remember, the key to success is a library’s ability to connect with its own community. Any library can do that, no matter how large or small the staff.

I was recently the guest on a new podcast called Library Marketing for Library Marketers. Listen to that episode here.


More Advice

Is Your Small Library Competing with a Bigger, Neighboring Library? This Episode is For You!

Plan for Library Marketing Success! How To Create an Effective Marketing Plan No Matter the Size of Your Library (Plus a Free Downloadable Template!)

Subscribe to this blog and youโ€™ll receive an email every time I post. To do that, enter your email address and click on the โ€œFollowโ€ button in the lower left-hand corner of the page.

Make Sure Your Library Promotional Emails Get Noticed in the Inbox! Here Are Some Tips That Actually Work.

The #LibraryMarketingโ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹ Show, Episode 162: This episode is my response to a recent comment by a library staffer. They believe that marketing emails aren’t worth their time because people receive too many emails from brands.

That’s a common misconception. I’ll explain why it’s not true and share some tips for making sure your library marketing emails get opened and clicked on!

Kudos in this episode go to Kathy Zappitello. Watch to find out why she’s being recognized.

Do you have a suggestion for a topic for a future episode? Want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know in the comments.

And subscribe to this series to get a new weekly video tip for libraries.

Thanks for watching!


Subscribe to this blog and youโ€™ll receive an email whenever I post. To do that, enter your email address and click on the โ€œFollowโ€ button in the lower left-hand corner of the page.

How to Get Stuff Done Without Losing Your Mind: My Top 6 Time Management Tips for the Busy Library Marketer

Photo courtesy Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County

You are pressed for time.

I know it. I have the receipts.

Every time I lead a Learn with NoveList course, I ask a question of my audience. What’s the hardest part of library marketing?

And in every single class, the answer is always the same: Finding the time to do the work.

And yet, you’re expected to crank out library promotion after library promotion. You are asked to increase visitors, program attendance, circulation, and donations to your library. And you are often doing this promotional work while doing other things like answering reference questions, shelving books, filling holds, and cleaning the bathroom.

It’s exhausting. And sometimes, it seems downright impossible.

Time management is hard. But the benefits are well worth it. Time management helps you achieve bigger goals, reduces procrastination, and increases productivity.

I was fortunate, early in my library career, to have a mentor who helped me get control of my schedule and learn how to prioritize my work. It’s now my turn to pass on the six most effective tips for managing your time without losing your mind.

Tip #1: Schedule everything.

My calendar is more than a place to keep track of meetings. It serves as the hub for all my work tasks.

If you need time to focus, research, or think about something, schedule it in your calendar. Schedule the time you’ll be spending at the front desk. Schedule the time it takes you to work on holds or shelve books. Schedule the programs you’ll lead. Schedule time to read your email. Schedule everything.

Here is a screenshot of my calendar. I use color coding to help me keep track of important, ongoing projects. Notice I even schedule my daily walk!

This method makes it clear what you’ll be working on each day. It also keeps you from forgetting tasks. When I’m given an action item from a meeting, I immediately go to my calendar and schedule time to do that work.

I also enter recurring tasks in my calendar, so I can be reminded to add those tasks to my wish list (see tip #6) when the time to do them arrives. This leaves me more time to focus on tasks for today, and not worry that I’ve forgotten to do something important.

Tip #2: Arrange your daily tasks in order of difficulty.

The most difficult or important thing on your to-do list should be the first thing you get done every day. This method creates momentum and frees up the rest of your day so you can do easier tasks or tasks you enjoy more.

Tip #3: Block out distractions.

If you need to concentrate, do whatever you have to do to get focused. A study at the University of California, Irvine found that, once you get distracted, it takes 23 minutes to regain focus. That’s a lot of time.

When you need to remove distractions, you should:

  • Shut down your email.
  • Shut down Microsoft Teams, Skype, or whatever program your library uses for internal messaging.
  • Close your website browser.
  • Turn your phone over so you can’t see the screen and put the ringer on vibrate.
  • Go to another location. This is especially important if your workspace is in a shared office or near patron areas of your library. It is okay to create physical barriers between you and your distractions!

Tip #4: Say “no” to be more efficient.

If you’re asked to add to your library promotional schedule but the addition does not drive the overall strategy of the library or falls outside the boundaries of your documented marketing strategy, say no. Saying no gives you time to really concentrate on the pieces that will help your library the most. Your work will be better the LESS you do.

I understand this is extremely difficult to do. I encourage you to bookmark this short but powerful essay on the power of saying no in marketing from Joe Pulizzi. I re-read this piece when I need a little help saying no!

Tip #5: Take creative breaks.

No one can churn out tasks, one right after the other, all day long. Creative breaks will give your mind a rest and help you focus when you need to. Walk the stacks or go for a walk around the block. Get away from your desk for five minutes to stretch your legs and gather your thoughts.

Tip #6: At the end of every day, celebrate what you got done and make a wish list for tomorrow. 

Many, many years ago, I heard singer Wynonna Judd say something that I think about almost every day. She was discussing her schedule, and how easy it is to get to the end of the day and to feel like a failure. That’s because many of us focus on what we didn’t manage to get done, instead of celebrating what we did accomplish.

I took that to heart. At the end of the day, I spend a few minutes paying homage to the work I did, even if I didn’t make it to all the tasks I intended to do.

Then, I make a “wish list” of tasks for the next day. Notice I don’t call it a “to-do list.” That’s because library staff must be flexible and deal with unexpected work.

As you make out your “wish list,” include every task: meetings, lunches, phone calls, calculations, reports, writing assignments–the whole deal. At the end of today, go through your wish list and highlight three things that absolutely must get done. Those will be the first three things you tackle the next day.

Be protective about your wish list. If someone emails you with a task and it isn’t urgent, put it on tomorrow’s list.

And finally, do not beat yourself up if you don’t finish every task on your list. Move uncompleted items to the wish list for the next day.


More Advice

14 Completely Random and Free Tools You Need in Your Life To Make Your Library Promotional Work Easier

Four Important Project Management Lessons Youโ€™ll Need to Survive the Next Year of Library Work

Subscribe to this blog and youโ€™ll receive an email every time I post. To do that, enter your email address and click on the โ€œFollowโ€ button in the lower left-hand corner of the page.

Libraries: It’s Time to Update Your Crisis Communication Plan! Here’s What You Need to Revise.

The Library Marketingโ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹ Show, Episode 161: In the wake of Hurricane Ian, libraries around the world should take the time to update their crisis communication plans.

Most libraries put a crisis plan into place during the pandemic. But if you haven’t revisited and revised the document since then, you could be in trouble.

Disaster strikes every library. We’ll talk through the things you need to update in your plan.

Kudos in this episode go to the Boone County Library. Watch the video to find out why they’re being recognized.

Do you have a suggestion for a topic for a future episode? Want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know in the comments.

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


Subscribe to this blog and youโ€™ll receive an email whenever I post. To do that, enter your email address and click on the โ€œFollowโ€ button in the lower left-hand corner of the page.

New Algorithm Insight Means Your Library’s Facebook and Instagram Posts Will Need To Change butโ€ฆ Itโ€™s Not Necessarily a Bad Thing!

The Library Marketingโ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹โ€‹ Show, Episode 160

In this episode, I have three whopper social media headlines to share.

First, there is new insight into the Facebook and Instagram algorithm. What does this mean for your library? We’ll talk it through.

The second headline is making me reconsider the advice I give to libraries. And the third piece of news is about a change that will make it easier for you to make your library promotions accessible.


Want to learn how to transcend social media algorithms? I’ve launched a self-paced course called Conquering Social Media: A Strategy for Libraries. And readers of my blog can use the discount code SUPERLIBRARYMARKETING at checkout to get 20 percent off!


Kudos in this episode go to the St. Louis Public Library.

Do you have a suggestion for a topic for a future episode? Want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know in the comments.

And subscribe to this series to get a new weekly video tip for libraries.

Thanks for watching!


Subscribe to this blog and youโ€™ll receive an email whenever I post. To do that, enter your email address and click on the โ€œFollowโ€ button in the lower left-hand corner of the page.

Building Advocates and Allies: How One Library Marketer Used Storytelling To Improve Promotions and Unify His Library

Photo courtesy Cincinnati and Hamilton County Public Library

Effective internal communication is incredibly important to the success of any library.ย But it’s hard to do successfully.

Last week, I shared advice from libraries that have had success communicating with staff and stakeholders using tactics like email. But a friend of mine went about it in a slightly different way.

He used his storytelling skills to improve communication between his marketing team and other library staff members. And in doing that, he built support and unified his library around common promotional goals.

Chris Boivin is the Assistant Director of Community Relations and Marketing at the Jacksonville Public Library in Florida. Heโ€™s been there for six years. Heโ€™s also the host of The Library Marketing Book Club on Facebook (Not a member yet? Weโ€™d love to have you!)

Jacksonville is a large library, with a main location and 20 branches. Chrisโ€™s team manages all the marketing for the system, including the website, social media, podcast, graphics, and volunteers.

โ€œOur work is governed by three things,โ€ explains Chris. โ€œRequests for marketing assistance from other departments (Public Services, Learning Servicesโ€”centralized programming, and others), an annual promotional calendar that we create with input from Library Leadership and Library staff, and the needs of the Library Director to meet the libraryโ€™s strategic and operational goals.โ€

Like many libraries, the marketing department at Jacksonville Public Library operated on an order-taking model. Library staff would request flyers, posters, bookmarks, social media mentions, or digital slides for an event or service they wanted to promote.

Those requests were often not what the audience would respond to. And Chris and his staff were left to talk their co-workers into finding a way to reach their target audiences.

โ€œThis built up a lot of conflict between marketing and the rest of the library,โ€ remembers Chris. โ€œPeople felt like we enjoyed declining their requests and were either finding ways to do less work or doing just the things we liked doing.โ€

Chris says his department realized the form that library staff was using to make requests was part of the problem.

โ€œThey were looking at it like an order sheet (because thatโ€™s what we gave them) and focused on the stuff, not what they were trying to actually achieve,โ€ explains Chris. โ€œSo, we created a new process where instead of the order form, they fill out a questionnaire that asks:

  • What problem is this solving for the customer that wants this?
  • What does success look like for this thing?
  • Who is the target (and it canโ€™t be everyone)?

This new focus helped the marketing department improve things, but Chris says the change wasnโ€™t easy for everyone on the library staff.

โ€œMany of the folks we work with had been doing the other request process for so long that it was very hard for them to give it up,โ€ he recalls.

Then Chris had an idea. He asked for some time at the monthly managerโ€™s meeting to review the process, ask about pain points and gaps, and share marketingโ€™s vision for how promotions could improve at Jacksonville Public Library. There were also some misconceptions about marketingโ€™s role that needed to be addressed.

โ€œThere was a long list of things,โ€ says Chris. โ€œThere was a clear lack of trust with our internal clients. It needed to be addressed head-on.โ€

So, Chris carefully crafted a presentation that would give his coworkers a clear understanding of how his department worked to support them and the library. When the day arrived, he was a mix of emotions.

โ€œI was worried that they werenโ€™t going to receive what I had to say well,โ€ recalls Chris. โ€œBut (I was) also excited because I was confident that I was going to show them lots of things they probably didnโ€™t even realize we were doing to promote things, and I had data and results to back up the methods we use.โ€

โ€œI used some of the tactics that Dr. JJ Peterson from Storybrand talks about in this podcast about speaking,โ€ said Chris. โ€œI started by saying that this is how they might feel when they are trying to get messages to customers โ€“ theyโ€™re shouting and shouting but getting no reaction.

“I said that we in Community Relations & Marketing often feel that way too, and Iโ€™m going to tell them what things we do to make that better. I also acknowledged that they might feel this way when working with us.โ€

โ€œNext I set the situation: where we are, where we need to get to and how we can help each other meet these goals will follow. I talked about how important email is to get the right messages to the people who have the problem that we can help them solve.โ€

Chris used examples to explain how email marketing is working for his library, emphasizing the importance of collecting addresses to build their subscriber list. He also explained how the library and marketing can work together to solve problems for their community. And he positioned marketing tactics, like bookmarks, the website, blog, and flyers as ways to provide an exceptional customer experience.

โ€œI saw a lot of head nodding, got a few laughs, a few looks of ‘oh, I get it now!’ recalls Chris. โ€œI felt like this was making sense, especially the opening where I talked about their frustration with customers and with the marketing department. That frankness really seemed to help disarm everyone and set up a good conversation.”

Itโ€™s been a few months since his presentation, and Chris says heโ€™s seen a positive impact. โ€œResistance to complete the new request forms has gone down, and my team is reporting more cooperation and less tension than before,โ€ reports Chris. โ€œItโ€™s a long road but the more we keep delivering this message, the better.โ€

And now Chrisโ€™s presentation is part of his libraryโ€™s new employee orientation. Heโ€™s also looking for chances to recognize library staff to foster a sense of community amongst workers and encourage them to find positive solutions together.

Chris has some great advice for libraries that want to make sure all staff understand and value the role of marketing. โ€œUse every opportunity you can to inject your messages whenever talking with staff and leadership and try not to get hung up when people arenโ€™t getting it,โ€ advises Chris.

โ€œRemember that in this scenario YOU are the guide, not the hero. Your staff are the heroes using the strategy and plan to find their success in helping customers. Celebrate every win even if itโ€™s just a fist pump to yourself.โ€

โ€œLastly, when you find those staff members who get it, keep them in the loop and ask them for their advice and feedback. Youโ€™ll build wonderful allies and advocates.โ€

He also encourages you to connect with other library marketing staff members in the wider library world. โ€œThere is a wonderful community of support out there for those who market libraries,โ€ explains Chris. โ€œYou will find that we are all experiencing the same frustrations and will be thrilled to learn of any breakthroughs no matter how small you might think they are.”

“Itโ€™s easy to feel like youโ€™re all alone because youโ€™re operating in a sea of people who largely share the same skills, experiences, and goals as each other (but different from you). They may seem like the enemy sometimes, but you can help them reduce wasted time and effort and really make a difference in your customersโ€™ lives.โ€

โ€œReach out to Angela, me, and other library marketers and library marketing enthusiasts anytime you feel unsure, frustrated, or just want someone to share in your success. You got this. Seriously.โ€

Chris was also recently featured on the new podcast, “Library Marketing for Library Marketers“, hosted by Katie Rothley. Listen to his episode.


You May Also Want to Read These Posts

Effective Library Internal Communication Is Not Impossible! Libraries Share Tips for Keeping Staff Up to Date, Engaged, and Happy

The Most Frustrating Part of Library Promotions: Real Advice on How To Manage Approvals

Subscribe to this blog and youโ€™ll receive an email every time I post. To do that, enter your email address and click on the โ€œFollowโ€ button in the lower left-hand corner of the page.

๐Ÿ“ฑHow to Properly (and Legally!) Share Creative Content on Your Library’s Social Media Channels

In this episode of The Library Marketing Show, I’ll answer a question from the viewer about sharing original content from other creators on social media.

This viewer asked for clarification on the correct online etiquette for sharing content, specifically cartoons or memes, from another page. I have two tips that worked for me when I worked in a library plus advice from experts.

Kudos in this episode go to Saul Hernandez of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Public Library.

Do you have a suggestion for a topic for a future episode? Want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know in the comments.

And subscribe to this series to get a new weekly video tip for libraries.

Thanks for watching!


Subscribe to this blog and youโ€™ll receive an email whenever I post. To do that, enter your email address and click on the โ€œFollowโ€ button in the lower left-hand corner of the page.

Effective Library Internal Communication Is Not Impossible! Libraries Share Tips for Keeping Staff Up to Date, Engaged, and Happy

Photo courtesy Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County

The library I worked for when I started this blog had an annual tradition. Every year, our staff would march in the Cincinnati Reds Opening Day parade.

Now, you must understand that Opening Day in Cincinnati is a holiday. Legitimately. And people look forward to the parade as much as they do the game. So, marching in it is incredibly exciting.

It was my job to organize the libraryโ€™s entry every year. That involved getting library staff members to sign up to march in attire and carrying props that matched our summer reading theme.

Youโ€™d think that would be easy.

It was not.

Every year, Iโ€™d panic because I had too few staff members signed up to march. Then, staff would start calling me days before the parade, asking why they hadnโ€™t heard about our libraryโ€™s entry.

This happened because we had a messy, unorganized internal communications strategy. And that was dangerous.

If we were having problems getting information to staff about a fun event, we were really in trouble when it came to communicating the information they needed to do their work properly.

Internal communications: marketingโ€™s forgotten stepchild

On this blog, we focus mainly on marketing and promotions aimed to reach your library community. But for the next two weeks, weโ€™re going to turn our attention to a different audience: your staff.

Effective internal communication is incredibly important to the success of any library. Without it, staff feels disconnected from the library, their community, and each other. Morale can drop. Initiatives may not be successful when workers donโ€™t feel like they understand the context and their role in the work.

And when library staff feel frustrated, they quit. Turnover is bad for your library. It costs you money and productivity.

But the people who really suffer in this equation are your community members.

That’s why every library, however big or small, needs an intentional internal communications plan.

Setting a realistic course of action

First, let me tell you from experience that an internal communications plan wonโ€™t magically transform the staff experience overnight. These things take time. But, if you create a solid plan and are consistent in your communications, you will see improvement.

You should approach this work just as you would for a customer-facing marketing campaign. First, youโ€™ll want to answer some questions about the state of your libraryโ€™s internal communications.

Ask:

  • Do you have a strategy? How effective is it?
  • What are your biggest strengths and weaknesses?
  • Who is currently involved in shaping and executing your current internal communications?
  • Who needs to be involved in improving those communications?

Next, youโ€™ll want to determine your goals. Use the SMART goals framework to set your library up for success.

Your goals should be:

  • Specific: Define what you want to accomplish in clear, simple terms that everyone on your library staff, from front-line workers to senior leaders, can understand.
  • Measurable: Create milestones and targets that can help you see your progress toward each aspect of your goal.
  • Attainable: Set goals that are manageable and realistic.
  • Relevant: Create goals that develop your library staff members, serve your community, and connect to your libraryโ€™s overall strategic plan.
  • Time-based: Create a specific timeframe for reaching your goals. This timeframe will ensure you are accountable to the staff. It will also prompt you to reflect on how your plan is progressing, and change direction if you encounter any issues.

Finally, youโ€™ll want to decide how youโ€™ll measure the success of your internal communications. You may want to measure:

  • Decrease in employee turnover  
  • Increase in candidates applying for new jobs  
  • Increase in staff workplace satisfaction
  • Increase in staff performance review ratings

Library staff is an audience

The next task is to uncover the best way to connect with your audience: the staff. What do they need to know? When do they need to know it? And how do they want that information delivered?

Jill Fuller is a Marketing and Communications Librarian for Bridges Library System. Her job involves a lot of communication with staff at various libraries in the system. And she uses surveys, like this one, to figure out what her audience wants to see in her staff emails.

โ€œThey have excellent open and click rates,โ€ she explained, โ€œbut I wanted to get quantitative data too. I asked them questions about how helpful they were, whether they were relevant to their jobs, which topics they wanted me to focus on, the frequency and length of the emails, and more.”

โ€œI never knew how much the emails were appreciated! With the data I gathered, I have been able to focus more on the topics the library staffs were most interested in and scaled the frequency down to every other week.โ€

Use Jillโ€™s advice and create a survey to gauge the needs and preferences of your staff. Jill suggests you ask:

  • Their preferences for getting information
  • How they share system information with their staff or colleagues
  • Whether they feel they receive enough communication
  • Whether they feel the communication is accurate
  • How comfortable they feel contacting your library with questions.

Make the survey easy to fill out, and as short as possible. Let the staff know that the survey is their best way to share their thoughts about the direction your library should take with internal communications.

And give staff time to fill it out. It should be available for at least two weeks. You want a participation percentage of 80 percent or higher. Reminders in email, delivered by managers, and in signage in staff areas will help.

Even better, ask managers to set a meeting appointment on staff calendars for filling out the survey.   

The benefit of a newsletter for internal library communications

If you have a lot of information to share, as Jill does, consider creating an internal library newsletter. Newsletters take what could have been multiple emails and condense them into a simple, easy-to-read format.

Cindy Starks is the Communications Coordinator for Coal City Public Library District, a small library southwest of Chicago, Illinois. They serve a population of 11,000 residents and have 22 employees. 

After each monthly department heads meeting, itโ€™s Cindyโ€™s job to prepare a summary in a newsletter to staff called the Staff FYI Newsletter.

โ€œThe newsletter can be a lot of information to retain for staff,โ€ admitted Cindy, โ€œbut by having it emailed they can refer to it at any time when they donโ€™t remember something.โ€

Tips for a staff newsletter

  • Provide the right news and information. Carefully consider the kind of information your employees need. Try not to send too much information in one email, or too many emails.
  • Remember your calls to action. Encourage staff to take the next step, such as sharing information on social media, filling out a survey, or signing up for training or new initiatives.
  • Strengthen your subject lines. You want staff to open your emails, so consider your subject line just as you do for any email communication to patrons. Use emojis or power words to catch the attention of your staff.

Advice from a library

Grace Riario and Anita Baumann of Ramapo Catskill Public Library System send a newsletter six times per year to all library trustees serving on the Boards of their 47 member libraries. 

Theyโ€™ve got three pieces of advice for internal communications.

โ€œKeep the text short and positive,โ€ says Grace. โ€œPictures representing the topics are a must.โ€

โ€œLists, such as the three best things about being a library director, ensure that people will read that piece in your newsletter,โ€ continued Grace.  

โ€œA third ‘strategy’ we employ is consistency in formatting and color palette,โ€ shared Grace โ€œProminent display of the organization’s logo, as well as a uniform look and subject line in the email when it’s distributed help readers to recognize the material when it hits their inbox.โ€  

Staff communication beyond emails

My library ended up adding an internal communications position to our ranks. That person attended meetings, created talking points for managers to explain new initiatives, and organized our internal staff website. She discovered our staff liked to hear the news directly from senior staff, so she started a weekly video series where senior leaders appeared in short videos to share information.

If your library cannot add a staff member specifically tasked with internal communications, there are still things you can do. Libraries can be very siloed and bureaucratic organizations. But the libraries that open those siloes and promote productive and meaningful conversations have success in internal communications.

This can be done by leaving space for question-and-answer sessions at the end of all-staff meetings. You can also add a Q and A board to your internal website. Encourage staff to ask questions and share information with each other.


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