A new study suggests that kids are reading less. And while that trend is concerning, it also creates an important opportunity for libraries!
At a time when families, educators, and communities are worried about literacy and reading habits, libraries are uniquely positioned to become part of the solution.
In this episode of The Library Marketing Show, I break down what the research says, why it matters for libraries, and how you can use these insights to strengthen your library marketing and support literacy in your community.
Plus, kudos go to a group of libraries that received press coverage that you can emulate!
Do you have a suggestion for a future episode’s topic? Do you want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know here.
If you’re sharing your Instagram posts to Stories to boost reach, you’re not alone. But it may not be helping you in the way you think!
According to Instagram’s head, this common tactic doesn’t actually increase reach the way many marketers assume.
In this episode of The Library Marketing Show, I break down what’s really happening with the Instagram algorithm, what this means for library marketing, and what you should do instead to make sure your posts are seen and engaged with.
Plus, a kudos nomination comes in for a library that’s busting myths about libraries!
Do you have a suggestion for a future episode’s topic? Do you want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know here.
How do you prove your library marketing is working without tracking everything your patrons do?
It’s a challenge many library marketers face. You’re expected to show results, but the usual tools and tactics don’t always fit.
In this episode of The Library Marketing Show, I share a few meaningful metrics you can use to demonstrate impact while still respecting patron privacy.
Plus, we’ll give kudos to a library in the UK for their unusual “outreach librarian!”
Do you have a suggestion for a future episode’s topic? Do you want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know here.
Running social media for a library is challenging. Running it alone is something else entirely.
A viewer recently asked how one person is supposed to handle it all — and it’s a question many library marketers are quietly asking.
In this episode of The Library Marketing Show, I share strategies to help you stay consistent, reduce overwhelm, and focus your efforts where they’ll have the biggest impact.
Plus, we’ll share kudos for a library that received a huge shout-out from a major author in a major magazine.
Do you have a suggestion for a future episode’s topic? Do you want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know here.
You might be writing the same great library emails, but getting very different results lately.
That’s because email platforms like Gmail, Yahoo, and Outlook are changing how messages are delivered and displayed, with AI playing a bigger role than ever.
In this episode of The Library Marketing Show, I walk through what these changes mean and how to adjust your email marketing strategy to keep reaching your audience.
Plus, a library nominates their neighboring organization for kudos… find out why!
Do you have a suggestion for a future episode’s topic? Do you want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know here.
Library circulation isn’t what it used to be — and that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
A viewer recently asked about these changes, so I dug into the data. In this episode of The Library Marketing Show, I walk through five circulation trends and what they mean for how libraries should market their collections moving forward.
Plus, we’ll give kudos to a library whose promotion helped some unhoused people move into a safer situation!
Do you have a suggestion for a future episode’s topic? Do you want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know here.
AI can generate quick answers, but that doesn’t mean it replaces the value of a library collection.
A viewer recently asked how libraries can promote their collections as an alternative to AI, and I thought it was a fascinating question.
In this episode of The Library Marketing Show, we explore ways to position the library’s collection as something deeper, richer, and more trustworthy than an AI summary.
Plus, find out why a project that involves the whole of the United States is getting kudos!
Do you have a suggestion for a future episode’s topic? Do you want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know here.
Photo courtesy Cincinnati & 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!)
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.”
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Should libraries stick with traditional opt-in email marketing or consider moving to an opt-out model?
A viewer recently asked this question, and it opens up an important conversation about reach, engagement, and email reputation.
In this episode of The Library Marketing Show, I share my perspective on this sometimes controversial topic and offer guidance for libraries that might be considering a change.
Plus, we’ll award kudos to a library using social proof to promote its value across its whole community.
Do you have a suggestion for a future episode’s topic? Do you want to nominate someone for kudos? Let me know here.
Super Library Marketing: Practical Tips and Ideas for Library Promotion 