Unsure what library marketing really means?
Take a look at what it means for me in an academic library!
Library marketing is difficult to separate from library advocacy. It is all about sharing the library's stories. The story of the collections. The story of the librarians. The story of its patrons. The story of its community.
Libraries are vastly misunderstood by the communities they serve. Many see them as homes for books with the occasional chilcren's story time. This can lead to the common myth that libraries are outdated and no longer relevant.
Every so often, someone makes the news by touting such rhetoric. Most notable in recent years was the 2018 Forbes piece by chair of the economics department at LIU Post, Panos Mourdoukoutas. The essay -- titled “Amazon Should Replace Local Libraries to Save Taxpayers Money" -- suggested books have been out-moded by technology and therefore libraries were a waste of money.
What Mourdoukoutas failed to realize is that libraries are so much more than books. As wonderful as they are, books make up a rather small portion of libraries and their funding. Books are only part of a much larger collection of e-resources. Library buildings are community centers where patrons can hear lectures and concerts; view old films; learn how to use computers; and discover new art forms. Libraries understand that information comes in a multitude of forms.
Sure, more affluent community members may be able to afford all Amazon has to offer. However, what of those in the lower income brackets ? Those who do not have computers, wifi, or the means to make online purchases?
“Google can bring you back 100,000 answers, a librarian can bring you back the right one.” --Neil Gaiman
As the famous Gaiman quote goes, librarians themselves are perhaps the biggest asset libraries have to offer. In this day of "Google it," it is becoming increasing difficult to express to students that Google does not equal research and not all information is created equal. Where is one to go to find the information they are searching for then?
To the library, of course! A place where professionals literally hold degrees in information. People trained in research, reference, and organizing information.
Most people outside of librarianship fail to understand the skills and knowledge trained librarians bring to the table. Instead, they hold onto visions of cardigan wearing, "Sssshhhhing" women of a certain age who shelve book and know off the top of their head where everything is located in the collections.
Until libraries are able to overcome their stodgy reputations, they will always be on the defensive (so to speak). Only once people realize how much libraries have evolved to still offer relevant resources and services to their communities, will the ideas of irrelevance stop. Sure, the Mourdoukoutas of the world will continue to come after libraries, however, the wider spread libraries' true stories, the wider the support base. The most effective way to do this is by sharing their stories with their communities, lawmakers, and leaders.
The stories of their well trained and tech savvy staff.
The stories of the teen video club who has a safe place to meet and the resources to create for free.
The stories of the unemployed who are able to use computers and free wifi to apply for jobs.
The stories of immigrants taking free ESL classes so they can establish new lives.
The stories of collaboration and education that can propel a community into the future.
References
Bussel, R K. (24 July 2018). Why a (now-deleted) op-ed about replacing libraries with Amazon blew up the internet. CNN. Retrieved from https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/23/opinions/forbes-amazon-libraries-wrong-for-many-reasons-kramer-bussel-opinion/index.html.
Ha, Thu-Huong. (2018). Forbes deleted a deeply misinformed op-ed arguing Amazon should replace libraries." When the Levy Breaks: Quartz. Retrieved from https://qz.com/1334123/forbes-deleted-an-op-ed-arguing-that-amazon-should-replace-libraries/.
Librarianship Studies and Information Technology. (9 May 2020). "Best Quotes About Libraries Librarians and Library and Information Science." Retrieved from https://www.librarianshipstudies.com/2018/05/quotes-libraries-librarians-library-information-science.html.
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