William J. Schroer
While Libraries have rarely been known to be aggressive marketers, there has been some level of belief in the Library environment that customers (or “patrons” as they are called) have a pretty good idea of what the Library has in the way of products and services. Maybe. But to paraphrase Cool Hand Luke...we may have a breakdown in the communications arena...
In a recent poll we conducted for the Library of Michigan (which included over 1,000 telephone interviews across the State) almost half of those interviewed felt they needed to physically visit the Library in order to find out the latest books, movies or programs available. (See Chart below)
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Elsewhere in that same survey we noted that average visitation was between twice a month and monthly for most users. 80% of users also went to the Library for books, eschewing the multiple product lines available in many libraries (i.e. videos/DVDs, music CDs, computer software, books-on-tape, etc.)
Clearly, if almost half of users feel they must stop in the Library to find out about new products and services and another 13% have no idea of updates at all, something is amiss.
Since most patrons “stop in” only on a more or less monthly basis, (the cycle time of an average book return due date) the perception of the Library as a place with the newest bestsellers, on the cutting edge of new information and the place to find the latest, greatest materials, is going to be difficult to demonstrate.
In fact, the notion that Libraries are seen with less credibility than the Internet as a whole (another part of the same study) suggests the perceived lack of awareness of all the new materials libraries are shelving is contributing to that perception.
What this all amounts to is that while Libraries are working hard to bring in new materials and stay current, it may not matter if patrons are not aware of these efforts.
Solutions?
Solutions may come in multiple forms. Technology offers several attractive,
low-cost alternatives in the form of “e-zines” such as
the one you are reading now. “List servs” that allow mass
e-mails to segments of the customer base allow specific product/service
updates (letting Moms of 6-10 year olds know the schedule, location
and subject of a children’s storytime program).
The Library’s website is another opportunity. The largest obstacle to leveraging library websites is that most patrons never visit the website and those who do are doing so to complete a task (i.e. put a book on reserve). Before the Library website will be a useful tool in the marketer’s toolbag, it will need to have enough compelling interest to bring in patrons on a regular basis.
From a mass media standpoint, Cable TV offers the ability to select low cost cable channels that target specific audiences (women, sports fans, etc.) or concentrate on specific topics (home decorating, cooking, nature, etc.). Cable TV is surprisingly affordable and offers much greater awareness building capabilities for a lower cost than local newspaper.
While other solutions may be available, the first part of the answer is in recognizing the need to begin assertively communicating with your customer base. First, consider your library’s technical and computer capabilities to consider your own e-zine and mass e-mailing capabilities. From there, further investigation into your community’s media outlets will serve to provide options for your consideration (remember, many commercial media outlets will discount heavily for non-profit organizations). Good luck!
Questions? E-mail Bill at bschroer@socialmarketing.org