Local PR Toolkit for libraries
Introduction
National Libraries Day celebrates why libraries matter. Saturday 6th February 2016 will see
the fifth National Libraries Day – a day of events and activities promoting the difference that
modern libraries make to people, families and communities across the UK.
With over 280 million visits in 2013-14, going to the library is one of the most popular
activities in the UK. More people went to the library than to Premier League football
matches (13.9 million), the theatre (22 million) and cinema (165.5 million) combined1. That
is a staggering figure, one everyone who works in a library should be proud of, and should
be cited every time one hears stories about library closures and general decline. We all
know times are tough, but the services libraries provide are more vital and wide-ranging
than ever before.
What this toolkit is for
Libraries are a vitally important public service and hubs for their local communities. The
toolkit is here to help you shout about what you do, and get noticed in your local media.
This is a simple PR toolkit focused on promoting special events that you are holding as part
of National Libraries Day, to help you bring attention to the library’s work and the range of
services that are used and valued by local residents every day.
There will undoubtedly be things in here that you or your organisation already do, but
hopefully there will be some new ideas and suggestions that every library will find useful.
If you have a press team or communications department who usually manage the library’s
press activity or PR, please do continue to work with them and hopefully this toolkit will
help you to understand the elements needed in order to attract that all-important local
press coverage.
1
Reference
Visiting libraries most popular UK activity, via Ned Potter:
http://www.ned-potter.com/blog/visiting-libraries-is-the-most-popular-activity-in-the-uk-spread-these-resources-far-and-wide
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In this toolkit
P2: Get the media in
P2-3: How to bag your local dignitary
P4: Issuing a press Diary Note and/or Photocall
P4-5: Writing your own press release
P5: Five tips for selling your story to local media
P5: Social media
P6: Template letter for use in contacting your local MP
P7: Template press release 1: Generic National Libraries day
P8-9 Template press release 2: MP/political leader visit for National Libraries Day
P10: Template diary notice and/or photocall
P11: Template photography release form
Get the media in
A great way to generate local interest is to work with the media – your local newspapers,
television or radio stations, or community websites and bloggers.
Find out who the relevant journalists are and what sort of interests they have, and start
informing them about upcoming events – you never know, they might already be library
users.
Invite a local dignitary to go behind the scenes at your library for National Libraries Day. This
might be your local MP, the Mayor, council head or a local newsreader.
Here are two template press releases for you to adapt at the end of this pack (See Pages 79). They have been produced to help you generate coverage for your library around
National Libraries Day, but could be adapted for use at other times. They provide an
example of the information that can be included, and should be amended with details of the
activity you are planning or have undertaken for issue to local news desks.
Wherever possible, your press release should be accompanied by eye-catching photography
that really helps bring the story to life for the readers of your target media outlets. Your
picture should have a caption to include details of your event or activity, why you are doing
it (to celebrate National Libraries Day) and the people who are in it, with ages and areas/
addresses where appropriate, eg:
“Jane Doe, author of local bestseller [The Book That I Wrote], reads to a crowd of
enthralled children at a National Libraries Day event at [Ourtown] Library.”
How to bag your local dignitary
First of all, aim high - don’t automatically assume that your local MP will be too busy to
come along. MPs generally spend Fridays in their constituency, so most will naturally be at
home on National Libraries Day, which is a Saturday. Even cabinet members and prime
ministers have been known to take part in events in their local community – but if you don’t
ask, you don’t get.
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Obviously libraries are a political issue, but you are unlikely to favour by haranguing your
MP, Mayor or councillor about funding cuts. Your day should be about celebrating what you
do, so keep your approach positive and upbeat.
Get in touch with your chosen VIP/s as early as possible – their diaries will fill up quickly,
even for weekends. Call their office first to ask for the appropriate contact information.
Send your letter to their office via email, if you have not received a reply after a few days,
give them a call.
A template letter for you to adapt is provided on page 6.
Diary Notes and Photo calls
The template photo call alert (See page 10) has been produced to help you invite
photographers and journalists from your local newspaper and other media outlets to your
event. It can be issued alongside press releases to news desks or sent as a stand-alone diary
notice to picture desks where these exist at local print titles.
The template can be edited for issue to local broadcast station planning teams when you
have available spokespeople who are prepared to be interviewed about the event or activity
taking place either in a studio or recorded ‘down the line’ (on the phone). In some instances,
broadcast journalists may wish to attend to capture audio, interviews and vox pops with
those attending. The alert should include concise information about the specific activities
taking place (based on a summary of the information from your press release) and highlight
details of any VIPs attending your event, e.g. authors, local dignitaries, celebrities.
When conducting filming or photography involving children, permission will need to be
obtained from a parent or guardian before it can be used in the media. This can be done
using the template photography release form. (See page 11).
Writing your own press release
If you’d prefer to start a press release from scratch, the following step-by-step tips will help
you through the drafting process:
1. It’s good to come up with a catchy and concise headline for your release. This should be
written in bold and in a larger font than the main body of the release. Sub-headings can also
be used to highlight key aspects of your story, for example if a VIP guest is attending your
event. These should again be in bold, but in a slightly smaller font than the headline.
2. The first paragraph should sum up your release in a couple of short sentences maximum,
with the remainder of the release body elaborating on it. A good rule is to use the ‘5 Ws’:
who, what, when, where, why. This allows journalists to quickly see what your story is about
at a glance—the more interesting you can make the first paragraph the more likely they are
to read to the end of the release.
3. Wherever possible, the length of your press release should be no more than one page,
two at the most. Avoid using very long sentences and paragraphs, repetition, fancy language
and jargon. Ensure the release is grammatically correct and doesn’t contain any spelling
mistakes.
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4. Include a quote from your spokesperson and/or, if possible, one from any VIP guests
scheduled to attend. This can be used to add colour to the story and allows busy journalists
to complete an article without the need for a follow-up interview.
5. Insert a ‘call to action’ in the main body of the release—the information that you want
the public to take away from any article they read, e.g. a website address they can visit to
find out more about your event, or a phone number to call to let you know they would like
to attend.
6. The main body of your press release should be followed by a ‘notes to editors’ section, to
include contact details and information about your library, and that of National Libraries
Day. Contact details should include a name, telephone number (mobile optional) and email
address for any enquiries relating to your story.
Five tips for selling your story to local media
1. Contact your local newspaper or radio station and ask to speak to someone on the news
desk of the relevant publication or programme. Contact numbers can usually be found
within the papers or online (visit mediauk.com or BT.com if individual titles don’t have their
own websites).
2. Be sure to ask for the name of the person you speak to or, if they refer you to someone
else on the publication, that person’s direct dial telephone number and email address. This
will help you to get your story to the right person and means you can follow up directly with
them after sending information out.
3. Give a concise pitch (30 seconds maximum) to explain who you are, where you are calling
from and what the headline of the story is, e.g. “February 6th is National Libraries Day and
to mark the occasion, we will be hosting a special readathon charity event with local author
(insert name here) etc.”
4. Send journalists the press release pasted into the body of an email, and include one or
two example pictures of your event as low-resolution attachments (if they are too highresolution they might bounce back or clog up a journalist’s inbox—they will ask for larger
versions if they want to use them). Use your headline for the subject field of your email.
Where possible, do not post or fax across press information as this will likely go unopened
and / or straight into the recycling bin!
5. Be mindful of journalists’ deadlines before making your call. People on evening papers
will most likely be on deadline around late morning and won’t have time to talk or will
disregard what’s being offered; likewise, reporters on daily morning titles will have little
time to speak towards the end of the working day.
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Social Media
Social media is an important way of getting information about your National Libraries Day
and year round activity out to the public and is a great way of making sure your library has a
continuous, visible presence within the local community. You can readily keep in touch with
your users and get your personality in front of new audiences. Social media can also be a
useful means of engaging directly with the people you really want to win interest from, such
as local politicians, journalists and news outlets.
If you have a Facebook page, Twitter stream or YouTube channel, make sure to post
updated content about your celebrations. Why not mark National Libraries Day itself by
changing your Facebook avatar or Twitter icon to display the NLD logo.
Upload video, audio and images from your activities to your page and encourage library
users who are also on Facebook to share their favourite experiences and memories of your
library.
Share all your library news and event information by tweeting about it and uploading
pictures, and encourage your followers to share details of their own celebrations and talk
about their favourite/most helpful library services or books they discovered via the library.
Remember, Twitter is supposed to be an ongoing conversation, so don’t just put
information up – ask questions and engage with those that answer! And make sure you use
the hashtag #librariesday on everything you post about National Libraries Day – let’s get
libraries trending!
Need inspiration? Check out the National Libraries Day Facebook and Twitter feeds for some
great examples of what libraries around the UK are doing and sharing.
Even if members of your local press or political community have not responded to your
notices or event invitations, don’t be afraid to share your news or events with them via
Twitter. All journalists and outlets now publish their twitter handles and by including their
handle on your tweet, they may pick up your story this way.
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Template Press Release One – generic National Libraries Day release
National Libraries Day 2015
TEMPLATE PRESS RELEASE
(Insert date here)
Insert library logo here
[OURTOWN] LIBRARY TO LAUNCH MEMBERSHIP DRIVE FOR
NATIONAL LIBRARIES DAY


Local [author / mayor / insert name] joins celebrations
Drive to increase library membership in [Ourtown] by [x%] in 2016
[Ourtown] Library is holding a day of special events, including a visit from [insert VIP guest
name as appropriate] on [insert date] to celebrate National Libraries Day, as it launches a
membership drive. It will highlight the many vital services libraries provide, from story-time
for children, digital skills courses for adults and, of course, providing access to countless
books.
Local writer Jane Doe will be in the library reading from her latest book [insert title here]
from [insert times here]. There will also be a Rhyme-Time activity session for toddlers from
[insert time], and an open session on digital skills for pensioners from [insert time]. Coffee
will be served throughout the day as the library launches its drive to increase membership.
[Ourtown] Library spokesperson [insert time] said, “We have a packed day of events and
activities planned to showcase just all the services libraries provide up and down the
country. We are looking forward to meeting new friends and old tomorrow as we launch
our library membership drive. Everyone should have a library card and tomorrow will be a
great time to pick one up!”
National Libraries Day aims to highlight the library service in the UK. [Ourtown] Library has
been open since [insert date] and prides itself on being a part of the community. [Insert
name] says “People come to use to borrow books, of course, and there’s nothing we like
more than recommending new titles to readers young and old. But there is so much more
we do that lots of people don’t know about, and National Libraries Day gives us a chance to
shout about those other services too!”
To find out more about the any of [Ourtown] Library’s National Libraries Day events, or any
of the library’s other services, please contact [insert contact details here].
For the latest news and updates about own Library, visit [insert your website/social media
details here].
For further information [insert your contact details here – name, phone number, email
address]
NOTES TO EDITORS
About [Ourtown] Library
[Insert information here]
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Template Press Release Two – MP visit
Local [insert title here] Checks Out [Ourtown]’s Local Library
LOCAL MP [INSERT NAME] HELPS OUT AT [OURTOWN] LIBRARY
ON NATIONAL LIBRARIES DAY
[insert name], MP for [insert constituency] spent Tuesday morning not in the halls of
Westminster but among the shelves of [Ourtown] Library, helping readers find new books
and make the most of the myriad of other services that the library provides.
[insert name and title] at [Ourtown] Library, invited [insert name] to go behind the scenes
on National Libraries Day. “[insert name] is a regular visitor to the library so obviously knows
a lot about what we do, but I don’t think anyone has a real grasp of just how much local
libraries offer the public. I was thrilled to be able to showcase just some of our initiatives
and services to [insert name] when he wasn’t checking books out or re-shelving them!”
People made over 280 million visits to libraries in 2013-14, making a trip to the library one
of the most popular activities in the UK, where over half the population has a library card
and nearly 10 million are active borrowers. “We have over [insert number] members at
[Ourtown] Library, with over XX% children,” said [insert name]. “We’d love to see
membership increase by at least [insert number]% in 2016 – the more people that use us,
the better.”
After a busy morning at [Ourtown] Library, [insert name] said, “The sheer breadth of
activities and services one can access at a local library is simply staggering. In just a few
hours here in [Ourtown] this morning I have helped people find new novels, sang along at
rhyme time, booked job seekers onto a digital skills course, dropped a few stitches with the
knit and knatterers, and marvelled at 3D printing.”
National Libraries Day aims to highlight the library service in the UK. [Ourtown] Library has
been open since [insert date] and prides itself on being a part of the community. [insert
name] says “People come to use to borrow books, of course, and there’s nothing we like
more than recommending new titles to readers young and old. But there is so much more
we do that lots of people don’t know about, and National Libraries Day gives us a chance to
shout about those other services too!”
To find out more about the any of [Ourtown] Library’s National Libraries Day events, or any
of the library’s other services, please contact [insert contact details here].
For the latest news and updates about own Library, visit [insert your website/social media
details here or contact [name, phone number, email address]
NOTES TO EDITORS
About [Ourtown] Library
[Insert information here]
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Template letter for contacting your local MP/ political leader
Here’s a template letter for you to use when contacting your local dignitary. Don’t be
afraid to aim high, even if your local MP is a high-flyer. MP’s spend time in their
constituencies and like to be seen to be supporting and celebrating local services.
Dear [insert name here],
I am contacting you from [Ourtown] Library in advance of National Libraries Day, Saturday
6th February, 2016.
I would very much like to invite you to join us for an exciting day of events and activities,
and perhaps see if you have what it takes to be a librarian for the day (or an hour or two – I
know how busy you will be!).
We are taking the opportunity of National Libraries Day to celebrate what we do here in
[Ourtown]. We make over [insert number] books available to readers in print and digital
forms, and readers visit us over [insert number] times a year to take advantage of this core
service. But there is so much more you can get out of your local library.
Did you know we hold regular digital skills sessions, aimed at different groups – such as
people looking to brush up on their job skills, or ‘silver surfers’ catching up with the younger
generation?
Did you know health visitors hold regular sessions so people can ask questions about health
and well-being?
Did you know that over [insert number] authors visited us last year to read from and discuss
their books?
Did you know that hundreds of children and parents enjoy our weekly Rhyme Time and
Story Time sessions?
Did you know that [insert number] local children take part in our annual Summer Reading
Challenge, encouraging reading for pleasure in children from toddlers to teens?
Did you know [insert details of event/activity here].
It would be wonderful if you could join us on 6th February and help us celebrate [Ourtown]
Library, and launch our drive to increase library membership by [x%] in 2016. We have over
[insert number] members, including [insert number] children, but that is only [insert
number]% of the local population. There is something for everyone at their local library and
the best way we can secure our future is to be busier than ever! By joining us on 6 th
February and having a go at library jobs like checking out and re-shelving books, helping
people use the internet and even reading a story to a group of toddlers (or leading them in a
song at Rhyme-time if you are feeling brave), you will really help get our campaign off to a
great start!
Ours is just one of the thousands of libraries around the UK celebrating National Libraries
Day. We will promote our events and your visit widely and hope to attract a great mix of
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local people who you’ll have the chance to meet, and we’d also like to invite the local media
to cover our celebrations and your visit.
I do hope you will be able to join us. Please do let me know if you have any questions, and I
look forward to hearing from you soon.
Yours sincerely,
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Template Diary Notice / Photo Alert
Who: [use this line if applicable to highlight event VIPs eg MP, author etc]
What: [Ourtown] Library marks National Library Day with a series of special events to
highlight the incredible services libraries offer
When: Saturday 6th February 2016 from [insert time]
Where: [Ourtown] Library, address
Background: To celebrate this year’s National Libraries Day, [Ourtown] Library is holding a
day of events and activities for all the family to showcase the myriad services it provides.
There will be something for all the family, and local [insert MP, Mayor, celeb, author etc]
will be there to [insert activity]. (See if they could cut it as a librarian, sign books, read from
their latest book etc..)
The full schedule of events and activities is as follows:
[List events in time order, including names of people or organisations hosting, who it is
aimed at (adults, children, elderly, jobseekers etc)]
AVAILABLE:
Photography of:
 [insert name] declaring [Ourtown] Library open for National Libraries Day
 Photography of children and parents attending [insert event]
 Photography of local author insert name] reading from [insert title]
Interviews with:
 [Ourtown] Library spokesperson [insert name]
 Local VIP [insert name]
 Local Author [insert name]
To confirm attendance or for further information:
[insert your contact details here: name, phone number, email address]
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Template Photography Release Form
Event: [Insert name of event here eg Rhyme Time, Story Time etc]
Location: [Insert address details here]
Date: [Insert date and time where applicable here]
I hereby consent to / I hereby consent to my child (delete as applicable) being
filmed/photographed for media purpose such as in local and national media outlet and
[Ourtown] Library’s official website, social networking channels and internal
communications.
Signature: _________________
Name: _________________
Email: _________________
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#librariesday
Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 UK: England & Wales (CC BY-SA 2.0 UK)
Please feel free to use, copy, adapt, transform, and build upon this material.
Prepared by Riot Communications and commissioned by CILIP
for National Libraries Day.
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