Managing $upport: A New Approach to Library PR & Marketing -0-

Running Head: MANAGING $UPPORT: A NEW APPROACH TO LIBRARY PR & MARKETING

Managing $upport: A New Approach to Library PR & Marketing

Elizabeth Aspen Walker

Emporia State University, School of Library & Information Science

Professor Chapman

November, 2008

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Abstract

OCLC’s new report, From Awareness to Funding demonstrates a new trend in library PR and

marketing: U.S. public libraries need to expand their messaging to include and encourage library

support and funding. This piece looks at the marketing implications of the report; applies the

findings to four managerial categories essential to managing this trend (managing ourselves,

leading others and groups, organizational awareness/behavior, and community building and

collaboration); and provides examples of the From Awareness to Funding-inspired approach to

managing PR and marketing that is being developed at Douglas County Libraries (Colorado).

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Douglas County Libraries: A Case in Point

Library use is booming at Douglas County Libraries, an independent mill-levy funded

public library district serving just under 300,000 residents in Douglas County, Colorado. 80% of

all households in Douglas County have -and regularly use- at least one library card. From 2003-

2007, library visits climbed 65%, circulation jumped 74%, and Douglas County Libraries (the

state’s fourth largest library system) checked out more children’s books than any other public

library system in Colorado (LaRue, 2008). It has become satisfyingly clear that the library

district’s efforts to increase library use by investing in public relations and marketing are paying

off in the form of well-used libraries.

This success is accompanied by a challenge: Douglas County Libraries hasn’t had a

funding increase since 1996. From the early 1990s through the early 2000s, Douglas County

consistently ranked as one of the ten fastest-growing counties in the United States (Johnston,

2005). Now property values are leveling off, new growth taxes have dried up, and revenues are

slowing. All the while, library use continues to soar. The district is not able to build large

enough libraries to meet demand in all of the county’s service areas. Simply put: the library

district’s revenues are not keeping pace with the booming demands on the library system.

In 2007, the library board determined it was time for a mill levy increase campaign.

Phone polls indicated 64% approval for a 1.5 mill increase, and library administration felt

confident that most of the 80% of library card holders in the community would vote for the

modest increase in library funding. But on Election Day, the results were distressing: the ballot

measure lost by 210 votes, or by 51% to 49%. Only 34% of the voting populace bothered to cast

a vote for or against the library initiative. After the election, many library users said they

assumed the measure would win, so they did not bother to hit the polls.

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In 2008, the library district tried again with high hopes, a new and energized group of

community grassroots supporters, and an even more modest mill levy ballot proposal. Only 47%

of the voters approved, and the measure went down again.

On Election Day ‘08, Douglas County Libraries learned conclusively that library use does

not necessarily equate to a willingness to vote for increased library funding. The library district’s

marketing and public relations efforts hadn’t gone far enough. In mid-2008, a new report from

OCLC called From Awareness to Funding confirmed the lesson and established a trend in the field

of public libraries: it’s time to expand our PR and marketing efforts to include and encourage

library support and funding. So how does a manager prepare to ride this trend, make this kind of

marketing shift and ultimately, effect the public’s perception, so they are more willing to provide

financial support to their local library? This piece looks briefly at the results and

recommendations from the OCLC report that most directly impact the library PR and marketing

trend, and then applies the findings to four skills/managerial categories essential to managing

this trend: managing ourselves, leading others and groups, organizational awareness/behavior,

and community building and collaboration. The discussion will be tied into the From Awareness

to Funding-inspired approach to managing a new era of marketing and PR efforts currently

underway at Douglas County Libraries.

The OCLC Report

The entire report is a recommended read for public library managers. This paper focuses on

the parts of the report that most directly impact library marketing and PR.

From Awareness to Funding echoes some of the same themes Douglas County Libraries

encountered: public library visits and circulation are up across the United States, funding is not

keeping pace with the demand on library services, mill levy issues are failing in greater number

across the entire country, and the majority of library PR and marketing efforts have focused on

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use, but not funding and financial support (DeRosa/OCLC, 2008, p. viii). The study was

conducted with the hypothesis that, “Utilizing marketing and advocacy techniques targeted to

the right community segments with the right messages and community programs, we can

improve the state of public library funding” (DeRosa/OCLC, 2008, p. viii).

The report reveals several key findings that are related to the PR and Marketing trend towards

building support:

• There is a lot people don’t know much about their public library.
• When you advocate library support to your patrons, you may be targeting the wrong
audience. Library funding support is only marginally related to library visitation.
• Targeting marketing messages to the right segments of the voting public is key to driving
increased support for U.S. public libraries. These “right” segments include Probable and
Super Supporters.
• Perceptions of librarians are an important predictor of library funding support.
• Voters who see the library as a 'transformational' force as opposed to an 'informational'
source are more likely to increase taxes in its support. People view the library as a
provider of practical answers and information. In the Google™ era, this is a crowded
space; we must reposition our brand to demonstrate our transformative potential and
remain relevant in today’s information landscape.
• Elected officials are supportive of the library, but not fully committed to increased
funding. We must engage Probable Supporters and Super Supporters to succeed.
(DeRosa/OCLC, 2008)

According to the report, we need to create a public library support brand and marketing

campaign that targets our Probable and Super Supporters, and:

• Makes the library relevant for the 21st century.

• Increases awareness about how libraries are funded, and the financial strain and
shortfalls public libraries are facing.
• Instills a sense of urgency by putting the library in the consideration for local funding
with other public services, like police, parks and fire.
• Activates a conversation about how the library is a vital part of the community’s
infrastructure and future.
• Focuses on equal access and the important truth that U.S. public libraries provide equal
access to valuable information resources for all residents.
• Promotes the shared community values that are unique to the public library structure,
including shared community assets, respect for the community, and self-reliance.

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• Remembers that Super and Probable Supporters resonate with the idea that libraries
provide a “sacred place” where they can enjoy quiet, order, freedom, safety and social
bonding.
• Points out how a great library can impact the community’s stature.
• Repositions the library so the community sees us as: as a source of transformation (rather
than just information); part of the community infrastructure (rather than a traditional
institution that may not be so relevant today); a necessity (rather than “nice to have”);
about the future (instead of primarily the past); a big Return of Investment/ROI for
individuals, families and the entire community (rather than something vaguely altruistic).
(DeRosa/OCLC, 2008, pp. 1-8; 6-4 – 6-12)

So who are these Probable and Super Supporters? DeRosa and the OCLC crew found that

these key supporters are:

• Involved in the community.

• Recognize the library’s importance to recognize the library’s importance to the community
and to a child’s education.
• Are not always heavy users of the library, but believe the library is a noble place, that’s
important and relevant to the community.
• Recognize the value of a ‘passionate librarian’ as a true advocate for lifelong learning.
• See the library as a vital community resource like public schools, fire and police, and are
willing to increase their taxes to support the library. (DeRosa/OCLC, 2008, p. 7-4)

DeRosa wraps up the report by declaring, “To thrive tomorrow, libraries must translate

belief into awareness, and awareness into action” (DeRosa, 2008, p. 7-5). At Douglas County

Libraries, and public libraries across the U.S., that charge is being incorporated in strategic,

long-range planning, especially when it comes to PR and marketing. The OCLC report came out

shortly before Douglas County Libraries placed their second mill levy increase attempt on the

ballot. While the library district was able to start integrating many of the marketing and PR

messages advocated in DeRosa’s report, the report came too late for creating real change. The

library district has plans to continue their marketing efforts aimed at library use and awareness,

but it won’t end there. A new PR and marketing campaign is in the works; it will focus on

generating library support and funding, using the report’s messaging suggestions. Highlights

include a “library stories” campaign that showcases the transformative benefits of the public

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library, and the continued effort to find and build an informed, passionate and vocal base of

library supporters who will share their transformative library stories, and promote the importance

of the library and increased funding throughout Douglas County. There’s a big lesson here: library

funding campaigns cannot begin a few short months before Election Day any more. We need to

be campaigning all the time.

How? Library managers can lead change and ride this PR and marketing trend, and begin

to capitalize on the findings of From Awareness to Funding by focusing on four important

managerial skills or categories: managing ourselves, leading others and groups, organizational

awareness/behavior, and community building and collaboration. A resource guide is provided at

the end of this piece; it provides a list of the many titles and resources I have personally found

to be of help. The guide also matches the four managerial categories with a broader list of skills

and concerns related to managing this trend.

Managing Ourselves
The three other management skills rely on the first: our ability to skillfully manage

ourselves. After all, how can we hope to make strides with and lead others, the organizations we

administer, and our community, if we don’t have a handle on the one thing any one individual

can directly manage: ourselves? We must ascertain that we are personally prepared to respond to

the kind of library PR and marketing changes revealed and advocated in From Awareness to

Funding. This will require a good look in the mirror; self inventory, and a dedicated practice of

lifelong, self-directed learning. While we may have completed our formal schooling, the learning

cannot end there. Goleman and Boyatzis’ groundbreaking work in emotional intelligence and

leadership offers a roadmap to this process of lifelong learning (see Appendix I).

Boyatzis reminds us to assess our strengths and weaknesses. Rath’s Strengths Finders 2.0

and Olson and Singer’s work in assessing leadership skills and practices and the SWOT (Strengths,

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Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats) technique would provide a good starting point. Similarly,

Boyatzis reminds us that we need to develop trusting relationships in order to gain the benefit

of advice, support and feedback. Managers should seek out a support system of trusted

colleagues, opinionated library staff/patrons/supporters, and possibly a mentor.

After assessing our personal strengths and weaknesses, we should make sure we have the

tools we need to manage and lead the change we are trying to achieve with others, throughout

our organization, and in our community. Goleman’s Primal Leadership: Learning to Lead with

Emotional Intelligence provides many tools for the manager who needs to carry forth the vision of

the new marketing plan and make sure all the pieces fall into place. The book also takes a long

look at the personal/self-oriented competencies of emotionally-intelligent leadership (self-

awareness and self-management), and preps managers in the art of coaching employees and

community members throughout the process of rallying support. Likewise, managers should check

out Kotter’s Leading Change; the book provides a clever and concise approach to planning for,

communicating about, and implementing change.

Our focus on lifelong, self-directed learning in regards to the self-management skill and

the support marketing trend requires an in-depth reading regimen. Managers must become

thoroughly acquainted with the OCLC report and the associated “Turning the Page” resources

produced by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. They will also need to take a good look at

the ever-growing body of work about library marketing. Similarly, managers should keep an eye

on other library’s support marketing campaigns, and borrow their successful ideas. Our gaze

should not fall on libraries alone. Managers, in their effort to bolster their strengths and skills,

should research outside of the library literature and look at the marketing field itself, monitor

trend-watching sites, and learn more about the art of formal and grassroots campaigning.

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The manager should also make sure they are personally knowledgeable about their

library’s growth statistics and financing, or in close cahoots with someone who is. They should

keep tabs on what’s happening at libraries across the country; these numbers can be used in the

messaging. Additionally, the manager should seek out information about the library’s return on

investment (ROI); the Library Research Service provides free access to this kind of information.

Because our new marketing messages and brand need to convey the transformative

qualities of libraries, while engaging community supporters, library managers should draw on

what many librarians already do really well: storytelling, statistical tracking, repackaging

information for specific audiences, education, public speaking and community networking and

building. In addition to the county-wide storytelling campaign and community supporter

development project, Douglas County Libraries is taking note of the OCLC report’s

recommendations to incorporate community ROI in its messaging. In its initial stages, this

project includes a personal ROI calculator on the district’s website that demonstrates how much

you can save by using the library (Douglas County Libraries, 2008)

Leading Others and Groups

The library manager working on this PR and marketing support trend will have ample

opportunity to test their skills in managing and leading others and groups. There’s much work to

do at a group level, including community analysis, developing marketing plans, communication

of the vision and plan, and coaching folks through the sometimes scary challenges of changing

business as we know it. The biggest challenge may well be getting the entire staff on board for

this wide-ranging project. In order for this new approach to marketing to work, the entire staff

will need to be a part of the marketing campaign, not just the department of community

relations/public relations/communications. We must remember that a big part of the OCLC

report’s message revolves around the community seeing our librarians (remember that “librarian”

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means any library staffer for most folks) as passionate good Samaritans who make a difference in

the community. A few posters or press releases will not cut it, the community needs to see the

staff transforming lives, and hear them discussing the library’s services and challenges. The wise

manager will apply Kotter’s eight stage process of creating major change, as well as Goleman’s

emotionally-intelligent social competencies, so the OCLC findings and new marketing plan can

take root throughout the organization.

In addition to acquiring the personal skills in change management and honing one’s

social competencies as discussed above, the manager should anticipate the need for group

facilitation, team building, and training. The manager will be required to work with groups

throughout this process; skills in facilitating and navigating group conversations will come in

handy. Kotter reminds us of the importance of team-building; the manager will want to make

sure they put together and nourish the right team as they forge ahead with their marketing

campaign. Rath’s Strengths Finder 2.0 may be of use when it comes to putting strong and diverse

teams that encompass many congruous skills and strengths.

Because this trend requires all-staff participation, staff throughout the organization will

require training in some of the same issues the manager addressed when they looked at

managing themselves: an education in the report findings, the library district’s challenges, and

ROI; public speaking and storytelling skills; and networking and community building. If the staff

is well-trained, the entire organization will be better-prepared to address our trend.

Organizational Development
The previous category is intimately tied to our next managerial skill: organizational

development. Just as we learned that all staff will need to be involved in our library marketing

trend and plan, we need to ensure our organizations are ready for, and compatible with, the

change we are trying to create. Is our mission on target? Are things set up so the organization

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can accommodate the needed change? Are our libraries poised to demonstrate we are relevant in

the 21st century, and that we truly are a transformative force in our communities that deserves

support and funding? Managers looking to ride the library support marketing trend should make

certain they are well-versed in organizational development and theory. After our second mill levy

loss in as many years, Douglas County Libraries has recognized the need for the “ongoing

campaign” that includes a support-based marketing plan, as well as organizationally-minded

plans to revisit the district’s mission, vision, strategic and long range planning, work plans,

budgeting, services, training, benchmarking, staffing and more. In other words, we’ve learned

that this trend towards building library support needs to happen throughout the organization,

which means it’s time to take a good look at the organization itself.

In terms of marketing and PR, there’s another thing managers can do at the

organizational level: keep track of and use all the tools and locations that can be used for

unified support messaging across your entire organization (see Appendix II). This could include

newsletters and calendars, online mediums, the bottoms of your checkout receipts,

announcements at storytime, posters in the bathroom stalls… your list will be lengthy if you

take the time to think of your entire organization, and ask other staffers about their ideas.

Community Building and Collaboration

Given the community focus in the OCLC report, community building and collaboration is

an important managerial skill to harness. As we prepare to ride this marketing and PR trend

towards support, we must be primed to find Super and Probable Supporters in our community,

and build a community that believes in the necessity of libraries. In addition to the new phase

of marketing, and the organizational improvement, Douglas County Libraries numbers community

building and collaboration in its toolkit of long-term campaign strategy. The district will

continue to make a place for itself at the community table by participating in a county-wide

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partnership of governments, sending librarians out of the building to answer “the community

reference question” (LaRue, 2007, p. 93) and increase awareness about the library district’s

services and financial struggles, and the ongoing creation of a base of community library

supporters who want to help us increase funding. In this case, relationship management, long of

interest to library Foundations and Friends groups, will be an important aspect of the community

management skill.

Conclusions
S.R. Ranganathan, the famed philosopher of librarianship, famously wrote, “Libraries are

a growing organism” (Ranganathan, 1957). His comparison is apt- libraries and library

management are complex undertakings, requiring our ability to see the big picture, while still

remembering all of the details. Management necessitates the understanding that all aspects of

our organizations are interconnected and ever-changing. Marketing and PR (and our ability to

drum up financial support) are impacted by and thoroughly connected to public finance, HR,

facilities, customer service, policy, and more. Similarly, our identified management skills all

hinge on one other- you’re going to have trouble rallying your community if you can’t make

headway with the staff, the organization, or yourself. The OCLC report and spate of failed library

mill levies and slashed library budgets across the nation should also remind us of the

fundamental fact that our library “organisms” require financial support in order to flourish. In

order ride this trend, we must take a passionate, thoughtful and diligent role in leading

ourselves, others, the organization, and the community through the changes recommended by

the From Awareness to Funding report.

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References
De Rosa, C., & Johnson, J. (2008). From awareness to funding: A study of library support in
America : a report to the OCLC membership. Dublin, Ohio: OCLC.

Douglas County Libraries (2008). Library Return on Investment Calculator. Retrieved November
13, 2008, from DouglasCountyLibraries.org Web site:
http://www.douglascountylibraries.org/AboutUs/LibraryValue
 

Goleman, D., Boyatzis, R. E., & McKee, A. (2002). Primal leadership: Realizing the power of
emotional intelligence. Boston, Mass: Harvard Business School Press.

Kotter, J. P. (1996). Leading change. Boston, Mass: Harvard Business School Press.

Johnston, G. (2005). www.CREDCO.org. Retrieved November 10, 2008, from the Castle Rock
Economic Development Council Web site:
http://www.credco.org/news/RMNewsDouglasGrowing.pdf

LaRue, J. (2007). The new inquisition: Understanding and managing intellectual freedom
challenges. Westport, Conn: Libraries Unlimited.

LaRue, J. (2008). Does Success Justify Funding?. Retrieved November 10, 2008, from Palin.net
Web site: http://pln.palinet.org/wiki/index.php/Does_success_justify_funding%3F

Olson, C., & Singer, P. (2004). Winning with Library Leadership. Chicago: American Library
Association.

Ranganathan, S. R. (1957). The five laws of library science. Madras: library association.

Rath, T., (2007). Strengthsfinder 2.0. New York: Gallup Press.

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Appendix I

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Appendix II

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Getting to Know From Awareness to Funding ; ourselves ; others ; organization ; community
 The OCLC From Awareness to Funding report, http://www.oclc.org/reports/funding/default.htm
 Turning the Page: Building Your Library Community, http://www.SustainingLibraries.org
 The PALINET Leadership Network’s From Awareness to Funding wiki,
http://pln.palinet.org/wiki/index.php/From_awareness_to_funding
Management & Leadership ; ourselves ; others ; organization ; community
 Kotter’s Leading Change, http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/34658795&referer=brief_results
 Goleman’s Primal Leadership, http://www.worldcat.org/search?q=primal+leadership&=Search&qt=owc_search
 Rath’s Strengths Finder 2.0, https://www.strengthsfinder.com/
 Olson & Singer’s Winning with Library Leadership, http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/55019204&referer=brief_results
Mentoring ; ourselves ; others
 WorldCat results, http://www.worldcat.org/search?qt=worldcat_org_all&q=mentoring
Library Marketing & PR ; ourselves
 Libraries Prosper with Passion, Purpose and Persuasion! A PLA Toolkit for Success,
http://www.alastore.ala.org/SiteSolution.taf?_sn=catalog2&_pn=product_detail&_op=2403
 The M Word library marketing blog, http://themwordblog.blogspot.com/
 First Impressions Last: Simple Branding & PR Tips for Libraries blog, http://firstimpressionslast.blogspot.com/
 New Jersey State’s Library Story Marketing campaign, http://www.solvinglifesproblems.org/
Marketing ; ourselves
 Seth Godin’s blog, http://sethgodin.typepad.com/
 American Marketing Association/Journal of Marketing,
http://www.marketingpower.com/AboutAMA/Pages/AMA%20Publications/AMA%20Journals/Journal%20of%20Marketing
/JournalofMarketing.aspx
Trendwatching ; ourselves
 http://trendwatching.com/
 Williams Inference Anomaly Tracking, http://www.williamsinference.com/
 World Futurist Society, http://www.wfs.org/
Campaign Strategy ; ourselves
 Larry Tramutola’s Sidewalk Strategies, http://www.tramutola.com/
Return on Investment ; ourselves ; others ; organization ; community
 Library Research Service, Return on Investment for Public Libraries, http://www.lrs.org/public/roi/
Storytelling & Public Speaking ; ourselves ; others ; community
 Annette Simmons’ The Story Factor, http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/45669330&referer=brief_results
 Ron Hoff’s Say it in Six, http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/33281636&referer=brief_results
 Public Speaking Study and Strategy Guide, http://www.studygs.net/speaking.htm
Meeting Facilitation ; others
 Schwarz’s The Skilled Facilitator: Practical Wisdom For Developing Effective Groups, http://www.schwarzassociates.com/
Organizational Awareness and Development ; organization
 Hatch’s Organization Theory, http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/36585836&referer=brief_results
 Senge’s The Fifth Discipline, http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/21226996&referer=brief_results
 Organization Development in Libraries, http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/200869043&referer=brief_results
Community Building ; community
 Robert Putnam’s Bowling Alone and Better Together: Restoring the American Community,
http://www.worldcat.org/search?q=au%3ARobert+D+Putnam&qt=hot_author
 Kathleen de la Peña McCook’s A Place at the Table : Participating in Community Building,
http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/43884461&referer=brief_results
 ICMA’s Libraries: Partners in Sustaining Community,
http://icma.org/pm/9002/public/feature2.cfm?author=Beth%20Pollard&title=Libraries%3A%20Partners%20in%20Sustai
ning%20Communities
 ICMA’s Local Government Managers and Public Libraries: Partners for A Better Community,
http://icma.org/documents/Final_Mgmt_Prsptv_Libraries_(gates).pdf
Relationship Management ; community
 Baran’s Relationship Management, http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/126862776&referer=brief_results
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