ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries C & RL News ■ February 2000 / 93 C o l l e g e & R e s e a r c h L i b r a r i e s news 99 ways to get those feet in the door How to develop a public relations campaign by Carol A n n e G erm ain A re “p o p u la r” areas o f y o u r collection col­ lecting dust? Are faculty su rp rised w h e n you tell th em th at y o u ’ll d o a BI sessio n lo red to th eir courses? Are stu d e n ts co m in g into y o u r library after an a ssig n m en t is d u e o b liv io u s to th e fact that th ey n e e d e d th e li­ brary th re e m o n th s ago? D o y o u r statistics sh o w low circulation a n d /o r in a d e q uate d o o r c o u n t n u m b ers? D o th e lib ra ry -s p o n s o re d In te r n e t/E le c tr o n ic D a ta b a s e c la s se s o n ly d raw only tw o o r th re e p e o p le , e v e n th o u g h th e y ’re free? If y o u ’re like m e, th e a n sw e r to m an y o f th e se q u e stio n s, if n o t all o f them , is yes. To librarians, it seem s only logical that stu d e n ts a n d faculty w o u ld find it im p o ssib le to n o t u se th e co lleg e library. Yet, w e k n o w that a fair a m o u n t o f th e c a m p u s p o p u la tio n is n ot ta k in g a d v a n ta g e o f o u r s e rv ic e s a n d r e ­ so u rces. D o stu d e n ts a n d faculty av o id th e library o r are they u n a w a re o f th e treasu res w e have? D o w e tak e for g ra n te d th at since w e realize that th e library is th e h eart o f th e c a m p u s th at e v e ry o n e else d o e s too? D ev elo p in g a p u b lic relatio n s c a m p a ig n m ay h e lp get stu ­ d e n ts a n d faculty into th e library. Get the word out to get 'em in O n e o f th e k ey c o m p o n e n ts o f a successful p u b lic relatio n s c a m p a ig n is co m m u n icatio n . t A cadem ic libraries n e e d to c o m m u n ic a te to th e c a m p u s co m m u n ity w h a t they are a n d aia­ ll th ey hav e to offer. G etting th e w o rd o u t will get th e p a tro n s in. Y ou c a n ’t tell e n o u g h p e o p le a b o u t y o u r library— from th e co llege p re sid e n t to th e secretary o f th e m ath d e ­ p artm en t. Form a committee If y our library is interested in initiating a public relatio n s cam p aig n , a g o o d start is to o rg a ­ nize a co m m ittee d e v o te d to this objective. This g ro u p sh o u ld consist o f individuals w h o are p assio n ate a b o u t th e library’s services an d reso u rces. T hey s h o u ld also hav e th e ability to c o m m u n ic a te th at passio n . Try to in clu d e individuals from o u tsid e th e library, su c h as stu d e n ts, faculty a n d /o r c a m p u s a d m in istra ­ tors; th e insight th ey p ro v id e will b e a m a z ­ ing! T h e ch arg e o f this co m m ittee s h o u ld b e to an aly ze th e library n e e d s o f th e cam p u s, to d efin e strateg ies that a d d re ss th e se n e e d s, to im p lem en t an o u tre a c h p ro g ram , a n d to e v alu ate th e results. O n e library staff m e m ­ b e r sh o u ld b e d e sig n a te d as p u b lic relations co o rd in ato r. This p e rs o n will tak e re s p o n s i­ bility for th e adm inistrative w o rk , in clu d in g setting u p m eetings, surveys, etc. Release time o r o th e r c o m p en satio n s sh o u ld b e established w ith this p e rs o n to a v o id w o rk o v e rlo a d . About the author Carol Anne Germain is n etw o rke d resources education librarian a t the University o f A lb a n y e-mail: cg219@cnsvax.albany.edu 94 / C&RL News ■ February 2000 Having a frazzled prom oter is a ticket for di­ saster. Promoting your library is important, but prior to exerting any public relations energy, an internal review o f the library’s public ser­ vice points is necessary. The greatest and most creative outreach efforts are worthless if you get students, staff, and faculty into an un­ pleasant setting. B efo re you begin advertis­ ing your library and services, set up a pro­ gram within the library encouraging all staff to be friendly and helpful with patrons. Superior custom er service m eans a good image for the library. Students and faculty who have good exp erien ces at the library will encourage others to use it. A positive attitude is often contagious; b e the spark! Encourage all library em ployees to take part in the outreach process: ask for ideas, let them know about w hat’s going on, ask for feed­ back, persuade them to take your BI classes, m ake ev eryone a part o f the process. G et to k n o w y o u r ca m p u s The next step is to find out about your cam ­ pus. You will b e surprised to find you know as little about the rest o f the cam pus as they know about the library! Make phone calls, go to offices, and attend staff m eetings. Per­ sonal contact contributes m ore to the suc­ cess o f an outreach effort than organizational skills or funding. Find out about freshm en-year programs and services for minority and disabled stu­ dents. Touch base with residence hall staff and research every acad em ic departm ent from athletics to zoology. Reach out to fac­ ulty. They play a central role on college and university cam puses, and their perception o f library service may be a key factor in the way the cam pus library is used and su p ­ ported. If your college has som ething unique, such as the National W eather Service located on cam pus, get details about it and suggest a collaborative project. Ask questions, toss out ideas, ask for feed­ back, and, most importantly, listen— you ’re connecting with your audience. Many o f the p eop le you contact will have ideas that will m ake your outreach a success. If you know your au d ien ce’s wants and needs, you have a better ch an ce o f reaching them. W hile you may not b e able to offer them a co ffee bar, you may draw them in with an o p en -m ik e poetry reading. Conduct focus groups, interviews, and/or surveys b efo re developing your public relations strategy. T ry to conduct these outside the library so that yo u ’ll be asking questions to the p eop le you want to bring into the library. O n ce y o u ’ve collected this data, you will find that the cam pus is not a one-size-fits-all audience. There will be many target groups that have different needs and m odes o f ap­ proach. A sorority may b e thrilled with an all-night rom ance movie sleep over in the li­ brary, but this w o n ’t work with the football team. P re p a rin g y o u r PR p la n Q uestions to ask w hen preparing the public relations plan should include: • What are the needs and wants o f your target group? • What library-related resources are they interested in? • What m ode(s) o f advertisement will lure them into the library? • Are there particular areas you would like to focus on, such as increasing video circulation or promoting new integrated work­ stations? It is important to establish attainable goals. You may not be able to get ev ery person on cam pus into the library, but you may be able to inform m em bers o f specific groups. Make a list o f goals for the short term and a wish list for the future. T ry to m ake your public relations efforts exciting and different. Posters advertising your BI sessions work for som e people, but often th ere’s so m uch to read on cam pus that they’re overlooked. Try using a couple o f the 99 suggestions that follow or think o f new ones that will benefit your campus. Maintain contacts with faculty, staff, and others w ho helped along the way. Send an e-mail, phone, and/or write a thank you card: com m unication, com m unication, com m unication! Finally, you will need to evaluate your program. Are m ore students com ing to the reference desk for help? Is your suggestion/ com m ent b o x fat with positive remarks? Are m ore o f the faces on cam pus becom ing fa­ miliar faces? Are your statistics increasing? If your plan is working, you will see re­ sults. You will need to pull out the public relations plan every few months to re-evalu­ C&RL News ■ Feb ru a ry 2000 / 95 ate what y o u ’ve done and decide what to continue and what new strategies y o u ’d like to im plem ent. B e careful, though, you may get what you wish for! The 99 w a y s 1. Smile w hen you see students outside the library. 2. Work with the student new sp ap er (tiy for a regular colum n). 3. Provide exhibit sp ace for student orga­ nizations. 4. Set up a table in the student union at the beginning o f each sem ester; let students k n o w w h a t’s a v ailab le, in clu d in g v id eo s, b o o k s o f interest, com p uter resources, etc. 5. D esign graduate school/transfer BI ses­ sions. 6. Eat lunch with students. 7. Attend student association m eetings. 8. D evelop a Web page specifically for rem ote users and distance learning students. 9. Have a liaison on the faculty senate. 10. Sponsor an alternative rock/poetry fes­ tival. 11. Use cam pus (including dorm s) bulle­ tin boards to prom ote the library, library ser­ vices or new b o o k s, videos, etc. 12. Support the writing cen ter by provid­ ing guides, handouts, BI class schedules, etc., and provide w orkshops to staffers. 13. Have a link from the main page o f your institution to the library’s W eb page. 14. Reach out to resident assistants; they get m ore questions about the library than w e do! 15. C o-sponsor events with student orga­ nizations. 16. Give away small items, e.g., balloons, pencils, pens, etc., with the library logo. 17. Post n o tice s to cam p u s LISTs and n e w s g r o u p s p r o m o tin g n e w d a ta b a s e s , classes, exhibits, etc. 18. Hold lectures o f interest: cam pus food, safety, diversity. 19. Let students know that classes are free. 20. Give students and faculty your busi­ ness card. 21. Advertise in the student new spap er and organization/departm ent newsletters. 22. D evelop handouts for special p op u la­ tions (students with disabilities, students in need o f acad em ic support, etc.). 23. Set up a b o oth at cam pus jo b fairs. 24. B e a guest sp eaker at resid ence hall m eetings. 25. Sp o n so r a costum e contest: literary characters, scien ce fiction personalities, “cre ­ ate your o w n .” 26. Have a student/faculty art section. 27. O w n the m ost com fortable chairs on cam pus. 2 8 . O r g a n iz e a H a llo w e e n , o r ig in a l storytelling hour. 29. M ake the library inviting with flow ers, plants, balloons, etc. 30. R epresent the library at the cam pus o p en h ou se sessions. 3 1 . Use cam pus mail and send enticing notices for classes. 32. Post Internet/database class schedules in user room s. 33. Produce library survival kits for fac­ ulty/advisors. 34. Send out postcards w elcom ing stu­ dents. 35. Make sure th ere’s a library catalog icon on student/user room desktops. 36. Present a w orkshop for new faculty orientation. 37. Have a bann er in the cam pus center. 38. Sponsor a book-signing session for fac­ ulty. 3 9 . Inform cam pus tour guides o f “fun” resources in the library. 40. C o-teach with acad em ic com puting. 4 1 . Let sp o n so re d study groups know about library resources. 42. Post classes on the institution calendar. 43. Start up a student p eer help group. 44. Sponsor an ethnic food festival. 45. A ssem ble a p acket for distribution at student orientation. 46. Have handout racks with appropriate study guides in the cam pus center, dorms, and acad em ic offices. 47. Hang up ey e-ap p ealin g n o tices for upcom ing classes. 48. Let the health cen ter and counseling groups know about library resources, students often com p lain to th ese p e o p le abou t re­ search stress. 49. Solicit and distribute prom otional m a­ terials from database vendors. 50. Create a library newsletter. 51. Reach out to departm ent secretaries; they see students m ore often than their advi­ sors do! 96 / C&RL News ■ Febru a ry 2000 52. Invite the cam pus m ascot to the library. 53. Sp onsor hall-by-hall milk and co o k ies sessions. 54. Have regular o ffice hours. 55. D esign table tents that advertise the library’s W eb page o n m eal tables. 56. C onduct surveys, focus groups, and interviews to find out what students want from the library . 57. C o -sp o n sor w orkshops with the c a ­ reer d evelopm ent center. 58. Underw rite an ice cream social. 59. Meet personally with faculty m em bers and deans to let them know w hat’s available to them and their students. 60. Make sure that the library is listed in cam pus prom otional materials. 6 1. Initiate and m aintain a current events bulletin in the library. 62. Work in co n ju n ctio n with local high schools to let them know w hat your library has; th ese may b e future students. 63. Have library handouts and B I class schedules available at the registrar’s office. 64. Provide tours and instruction sessions for TAs and GAs. 65. Ask the b o o k sto re to carry BI class schedules. 66. Have search sessions tailored to fra­ ternities/sororities. 67. Create reco m m en d ed reading b o o k ­ marks, tailored to sp ecific classes, and have professors distribute them. 68. Work with acad em ic com puting and other cam pus departm ents to co -sp o n so r a technology fair. 6 9 . Contact the athletics departm ent and let them know about library services and the possibility o f a sports BI session. 70. Involve students in the develop m ent o f your W eb pages. 71. C oordinate with your perform ing arts center, art gallery, and/or m useum to have exhibits that overlap with their sp ecific pro­ ductions/art exhibits. 72. D ev elop a pre-m idterm survival pack. 7 3 . Include a fun page on your library’s Web page. 74. Visit the dorm and cam pus user rooms. 75. B e a sp o n sor or drop o ff station for aid program s, su ch as Toys for Tots. 7 6 . Work with the m usic departm ent to have a m usic series throughout the year. 77. Advertise on the sch o o l buses. 78. Support the yearbook. 79. Participate in o n e o f the sch o o l trips. 80. Let financial aid know abou t your free BI sessions. 8 1. Have a library resou rces card to b e distributed with the cam pus card. 82. T ea ch a scholarship/financial aid BI session. 83. Have BI classes p o sted in the co lleg e bulletin. 84. Ensure that the library is a safe place, even at night. 85. C o -sp o n sor a stress-free research se s­ sion with the cou n selin g center. 86. Work with resident assistants on their floor bulletin board. 87. D ev elop a sp ecial handout, outlining services, to b e sent to students en rolled in d istance learning courses. 88. Send out sum m er BI sch ed u les to all sum m er sessio n professors. 8 9 . D e v e lo p an in f o r m a tio n lite r a c y co u rse. 90. Advertise in the sports center with a ban­ ner or sponsor sports tickets for a semester. 9 1. B e a faculty mentor. 92. Air an n o u n ce m e n ts on the cam pu s radio and/or TV station. 9 3 . Provide rem o te site BI for distance learners. 94. Work w ith p rofessors and TAs to d e ­ v elo p ap p rop riate assign m en ts for students. 95. Schedule student tours and BI sessions for p re-co lleg e program s, such as the sum ­ m er bridge. 96. Send flyers to all student organizations. 97. B e a d istribu tion point for student new spapers/new sletters. 98. If your co lleg e has an inform ation unit, give them inform ation. 99. E n cou rag e service point em p lo y ees to have positive attitudes. If your library is a p lace that p e o p le dread, all the ou treach in the world is useless! N o te s 1. D onald D ilm ore, “Librarian/Faculty In­ teraction at Nine New England C o lle g e s ,” C o lle g e & R e s e a r c h L ib r a r ie s 57 (May 1996): 2 7 4 -8 4 . 2. Lynn W estbrook and R obert Waldman, “O utreach in A cadem ic Libraries: Principle into P ractice,” R e s e a r c h S tra teg ie s 11 (Spring 1993): 6 0 - 5 . ■ C&RL N ew s ■ F e b ru a ry 2000 / 97 98 / C& RL N e w s ■ F e b ru a ry 2 0 00