Ways to Promote your Libray

Does your library need a PR boost? Are you in need of getting the word out on what your library has to offer? Here are surefire ways to promote your library in your community. According to Education.com, there are 6 ways to promote your library.

• Send Newsletters           

                                      

• A print and email newsletter made available for patrons with all the activities, lists of books, events, and all that is going on at the library is a great way to promote your library. 

• Use Social Media             

     

• Social networking sites like Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram can keep the library relevant and can be used to share events.

• Access Local Television, Radio, and Newspaper      

• Creating a press release on behalf of your library is a great way to promote it.  

• Offer Welcome Packets

• Who doesn’t like swag? By giving new cardmembers a welcome packet with library information, resources, events calendar, and other useful information is a great way to welcome people to your library

• Build a Lifelong Love for the Library        

                                                                       

• Making the library a special place for children helps build a lifelong love for the library. By hosting events for kids, having a fun children’s area, having an array of development toys, and rewarding kids with bookmarks or other small gifts make the library a special place for children and their families. 

• Help Keep Teens Engaged                       
                         

• The library can be a great resource for teens. Services such as test prep and tutoring are great things to offer teens to help them in school. There are also fun things you can offer them such as video game tournaments, clubs, or workshops that would make them want to come to the library not just for school related tasks.

Discuss which promotion ideas you find most valuable and why.

I think all of these ideas are valuable to promote your library. The importance of social media and staying relevant is necessary for the success of any business. Creating a strong presence in the community is also a great thing to do. 

Some of the suggestions could be interpreted as “tooting your own horn.” Describe how comfortable you are with promoting your library in that manner.

I have prior experience being the VP of Communications for a local girls softball league so this is right up my wheel house. I am comfortable getting the neccessary information out onto social media as well as reaching out to my local newspaper to do a press release to promote events for our organization.

Explain what personal strengths and weaknesses you have that will help you promote your library. What tools and resources can you utilize to overcome your weaknesses?

My personal strength that I have is experience in PR, fundraising, and communications. My weakness is that I am terrified of public speaking. In order to overcome this I would have to seek help from a speech coach or just maybe to step out of my comfort zone more often, so that it is no longer scary.

Sources:

20 Great Ways Libraries Are Using Pinterest 

How to Use Social Media to Attract Users to Libraries

6 Ways to Promote Your Library

Specialized Programs and Services- Temecula Public Library

 Ronald H. Roberts Temecula Public Library

Specialized Programs

·  

   Teen Council

       Council members help at events, decide on which monthly teen programs the library puts on, and earn community service hours while doing so.

 Virtual Anime Drawing Workshop 

     Teens can take a virtual class to teach them to draw anime characters.

Virtual Art Club

•            Once a week, kids can create art with items found in their own homes.

Specialized Services

Free legal clinics

•       Volunteer attorneys are available for free 15-minute consultations. Some areas of law that are covered are family law, immigration, criminal, and estate planning.

·       Genealogy services

•       Patrons have access to two dedicated computers in the Genealogical Section of the library as well as access to a digital microfilm viewer-scanner. The library collection consists of genealogical books as well as access to the Ancesty.com database.
  
  

·       Access to Brainfuse site that provides on-demand eLearning. Patrons can access:

o   Homework Help

§  Interact with live tutors in math, science, reading/writing, social studies, PSAT/SAT, ACT, AP, and state standardized tests.

o   Skills-Building

§  Receive real-time help on their choice of topic.

o   Personalized eLearning Tools

§  My File Sharing, My Session Replay, My Tutoring Archive, My Tests Archive, and more!

o   24-Hour Writing Lab

§  Submit essays and other forms of writing for constructive feedback.

o   Homework Send Question

§  Submit homework questions for expert guidance.

o   Adult Learning Center

§  Access a library of rich adult learning content (GED) and live, professional assistance in resume/cover letter writing, U.S. citizenship prep, MS Office Essential Skills Series, and more!

o   Foreign Language Lab /Spanish-Speaking Support

Brain fuse

                                    

Discuss which of the programs and services you found in your research would be a good fit for your library.

After doing some research, I think the library needs to bring back in-person programs. I think parents miss the in-person story times, Lego clubs, and events normally put on by the library. Maybe there is a way to conduct some of these events outside. The library has a large garden area where this can be done. More STEM programs and teen self-defense classes would be a good fit at my library.

                  

From your research of similar libraries, propose two new specialized services and/or programs for your library (including the purpose and intended audience), and explain why these would support the library’s mission and goals.

Other services that would benefit this library would be a 24-hour book locker. Some people have odd working hours and might not be able to visit the library during normal operating hours. By offering a book locker people can get their books on their schedule. The two main employers in my town are the hospital and Pechanga Casino. People who work the night shift at either of these places might not be able to visit the library during business hours because they are probably sleeping.  This would align with the library’s mission and goal of providing services to all members of the community.

A specialized program that would be a good fit would be passport services. This is very convenient to be able to get this done at the library, rather than having to wait in a long line at the post office, which is constantly busy and understaffed. 

Another program that would befit the community would be computer courses for anyone who needs it. Generally, they are offered to older citizens however, now that children are doing at home learning some parents can benefit from learning Google Classroom and Google Docs.

Ronald H. Roberts Temecula Public Library

City of Thousand Oaks Library

Grant R. Brimhall Library Thousand Oaks, CA

Services

• Passport services 
• I find it very convenient to be able to do his at the library instead of having to go to the post office and wait in a long line.
• 24-hour hold lockers.
• The hold lockers are a self-service system, offering 24/7 contact-free access to pick up library materials. I find this very convenient for those who work odd hours or can’t make it to the library during regular business hours.
• “Book a librarian”
•  You can request one on one help with a librarian to ask questions, get help with Microsoft Office, devices, apps, email, eBooks, or their virtual library at a time that works best for them. If they need help finding a book they can also get personalized titles, series, author, and search suggestions. You just book your 45 min session online and it takes place over Zoom.

Programs

• Virtual writing buddies 
• A program for elementary school-aged students. The program provides children in 2nd through 5th grades the opportunity to practice their writing with the help of an interactive volunteer writing buddy.
• ESL Conversation Group 
• helps non-native English language speakers who are interested in developing their speaking fluency.
• Community art gallery 
• showcases the work of professional and emerging artists. Individual artists and arts organizations may also rent the gallery.
• 3D printing
• Patrons can have an item printed for them as long as they follow policies and rules set forth by the library.

Do you think these programs and services would be good additions to the programs and services offered by your library? Why or why not?

I definitely think the programs offered by this library would be a welcomed addition to the programs and services already offered.

How do they support the mission and goals of your library?

I think these programs fall in line with their mission statement of encouraging lifelong learning and enhancing the quality of life in the community.

https://www.tolibrary.org/  Grant R. Brimhall Library

Ronald H. Roberts Temecula Public Library

 

Ronald H. Roberts Temecula Public Library

Written by: Rosemary Hernandez

The Ronald H. Roberts Temecula Public Library (RHRTPL) serves the community of Temecula, California. The city is made up of 113,381 people. The RHRTPL is part of the Riverside County Library System. This particular branch is the busiest in the whole county.

 

Something for Everyone

   The RHRTPL offers something for all ages. From youth reading programs, tutoring services, to teen and adult book clubs. There is something for everyone regardless of age.

Special Collections

Some of the special collections in this library are:

Biography                                    Parenting

Career Center                              SNAPL (Special Needs Access at your Public Library)

Erle Stanley Gardner                   New Books

Foreign Languages                      YA Graphic Novels

Genealogy                                   Spanish Language 

Large Print                                   Wine

Law Resource Center                  Test Books 

Local Author                                Seed Library

Local History

Why this library?

I chose this library because I believe in having a strong sense of community. This is where I live and my children and I frequent this library all the time.

Although this library does not host a blog, it does communicate via its various social media accounts.

To Blog or Not to Blog

I personally don’t think blogs are as effective as a form of communication. When people are looking for information they want it quick and short. They aren’t looking to read long posts. I think social media is a great tool for getting information out to many people via different platforms.