Marketing Your Library - A Quick Overview

Brinley Franklin
Director, University of Connecticut Libraries

NELINET Annual Meeting
May 10, 2002


Why should you market your library? - Because many of us are better at delivering quality services (our primary mission) than at advertising or marketing our services.

Are there special skills needed? - Writing, editing, photography, graphic design (these can be outsourced). Speaking publicly about our libraries and promoting them is a responsibility we have to assume ourselves.

What audiences do we need to consider? - A broad range: faculty, students, administrators, donors, prospective students, legislators, trustees, prospective students, prospective staff (recruits), and current staff.

Are there relationships that need to be developed? Absolutely: the student newspaper, the campus newsletter, campus development staff, local media.

Some Marketing Tools for Libraries to Employ

  Faculty Students Campus Admin Donors Trustees/Legislators Library Staff
Web Page X X X X X X
Slide Show X X X X    
Video X X X X X X
Annual Report X   X X X X
General Library Brochure X X X X X X
Posters X X        
Internal Publications           X
Brochures for Specific Services or Collections X X X X X  
Exhibits Mailings X X X X X X


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