I've been participating in a lively discussion this week about how marketing is changing in our Connected Age and how this is impacting LIBRARIANS.
I have to admit, as a kid, there was no love lost between me and my school librarian. She was:
- A "know it all!"
- ALWAYS TOO BUSY to explain the details of the Dewey Decimal System to me.
- Saying SHHHHHHHH!
Librarians out there, don't kill me. I know you are not all created equal. The picture I'm painting is a stereotype. Still, it's worth noting that this caricature of the stern, perfectionist, disengaged, expert IS something that librarians and libraries have to contend with. I suggest reframing the job and adding a few new responsibilities for today.
Dear Librarians:
- Instead of being the GATEKEEPERS of information, be a trusted GUIDE for my data collection and exchange.
- Talk to me. Be willing and ready to ENGAGE me in dialogue via e-mail, social media, and in person.
- SHARE your love of books.
- INSPIRE me to share my knowledge with others and LEARN more.
Jocelyn
P.S. These tips aren't only for librarians. They're for everyone who wants to be a better marketer, but you knew that!
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2 comments:
Jocelyn, Come back! Things have changed!!!
But you bring up a great point (and more fodder for my next blog post; thank you very much!) - how do
libraries effectively reach out and market to people who have had too many close encounteres of
the shushing kind in their childhood?
Last year I was asked to give a pitch to a local library on a web site face lift. I walked in with a marketing plan which the director loved, but the board rejected due to cost. It's not always the librarians that are the problem.
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