North Georgia Associated Libraries
October 14, 2015
Library Marketing & Displays
(a collaborative workshop)
Susanna Smith, Georgia Highlands College
sussmith@highlands.edu
What do we market / advertise?
 Services
o Teaching
o Resource sharing
o How to do research
o Readers advisories
o Storytime
o Wifi
o Testing materials
o Test proctoring
o Job search info
o Citation info
o Copy/print/fax/scan
o Computers!
o 3D printing
 Programs
o Summer reading program
o Computer / tech classes
o Genealogy
o Children/teen/adult programs
o Crafting
o Job assistance
o Embedded librarians / library instruction (academic)
o Book clubs
o Lectures / author signings
 Resources
o Galileo / databases
o Physical collections
o AV materials
o Open source lists
o Staff!
o Library guides
o Study rooms / presentation / conference rooms
o Comfy chairs 
 Events
o Authors
o Poetry readings
o National & library holidays (banned books, etc)
o Finals de-stress events
o Local history
o Grant supported programming
o Other groups (non library)
o Art / special collections
o Local events
o Travelling exhibits
 Where we are: locations / hours
How do we market?
 Flyers
 Website (make it mobile friendly!)
 Social media / blogs
 TV / Newspaper / radio (sometimes even free!)
o Local morning shows (interviews)
o Events calendars
 Email blasts
 Newsletter (digital & print)
 Community networking / outreach
o Partnering with local groups
o Local marketing coop / ”Friends” / Foundation
o Library schools
o PTAs
o ID key figures who can send personal messages
 Partner with student groups (or other departments / organizations)
 Local (in-house) marketing dept
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Customer service (WE are our best advertisement!)
Bulletin boards
Window/book displays
TVs / digital message board
Exhibit cases
Where do we get ideas?
 Accidental Library Marketer
o http://www.librariesareessential.com/the-accidental-librarymarketer/
 Programming Librarian
o http://www.programminglibrarian.org/
 Chase Calendar of Events
o http://2015chasescalendarofevents.com/ (also a book)
 ALA website & other ALAs org (ALSA, ACRL, LLAMA, etc)
 Facebook:
o ACRL_LMAO
 https://www.facebook.com/groups/acrl.lmao/
 Closed group but anyone can join
o Storytime Underground
 https://www.facebook.com/groups/storytimeunderground/
o Programming Librarians Interest Group
 https://www.facebook.com/groups/ProgrammingLibrarianInte
restGroup/
 Library Displays
o http://librarydisplays.org/
 Adweek (resource for marketing folks)
o www.adweek.com
 Mental Floss (magazine of the quirky and interesting)
o http://mentalfloss.com/
 Book Riot (Book recommendations and reviews)
o http://bookriot.com/
 http://www.buzzfeed.com/
 http://www.goodreads.com/
 Hootsuite (social media management)
o Hootsuite.com
Ideas we’ve seen or done!
 Flip book with facts about “scary” classic figures
 Turn book case into “haunted house”
 Blind date with a book
o Wrap books in paper; patrons have to check it out to see what it is
(can have a brief description or genre on paper)
 grab bags
o Kids books – parents grab a bag of books and go – parents don’t have
time to choose, so grab bags are easy
 date night bags
o “Mafia date night” in the bag: a movie (Godfather), novel, book
about Italy, an Italian cookbook;
o “French date night”: Julie and Julia movie, French cookbook, novel
based in France;
o ask a restaurant for menu or coupons to go with the theme
 Speed dating event
 Cart of themed books mysteries, princesses, etc
 “if you read this you might like this…” (use novelist for ideas)
 Read to reel (books to movies)
 Battle of the books, book bracket – vote on books
o Tie into March madness
o Battle of book vs movie
o Vote with money (donations) – winner’s $ goes to affiliated group
o Could do with food or clothing drive
 Coming of age novels Bildungsroman
o Pulled books and had them on display with signage
One helpful website: http://www.libsuccess.org/Marketing