Marketing Ideas for Special Libraries

Lauren Hays
In a previous post, I interviewed Dr. Rajesh Singh about marketing in libraries. One of his primary points is that we are all marketers. All librarians are in the business of marketing the library’s services and resources to our communities.
As I reread my interview with him I thought it might be helpful to put together a list of ideas for how special librarians can market their library.
- Add library information into new hire packets at your organization.
- Present at new hire/student orientations.
- Keep your website up-to-date.
- Highlight new resources on the website.
- Remind stakeholders about services and resources at point of need. In other words, think about a typical schedule for your stakeholders. Are there certain events that occur each year where they may need library services or resources? Are reports due at a certain time each year? Send a reminder via email about how the library can help with those events.
- Make sure your stakeholders know who you are. Attend events where you can meet others.
- Be clear about how the library can help stakeholders. For example, highlight how the library can:
- Save time
- Save money
- Provide new insights
- Help them make informed decisions
- Support research projects
- Use communication tools used by stakeholders. For example, consider having a Slack channel if Slack is used at your organization. Be willing to adjust to communication channels as needed.
- Stay current with what your stakeholders need. This can be done through focus groups or surveys.
- Ask to give a brief presentation at institution-wide meetings or department meetings.
There are many other ideas that could be included on this list, but hopefully these can get you started.
As you are thinking about marketing, you may also want to revisit a previous article posted by Lucidea about the benefits of marketing for special libraries. Knowing the benefits of marketing can serve as encouragement as you undertake the process.

Lauren Hays
Lauren Hays, PhD, is an Assistant Professor of Instructional Technology at the University of Central Missouri, and a frequent presenter on topics related to libraries and librarianship. Her expertise includes information literacy, educational technology, and library and information science education. Please read Lauren’s other posts relevant to special librarians. And take a look at Lucidea’s powerful integrated library systems, SydneyEnterprise, and GeniePlus used daily by innovative special librarians in libraries of all types, sizes and budgets.
Never miss another post. Subscribe today!
Similar Posts
Interview with the Authors: Gerrity and Lanning on Conducting Original Research
New book for librarians on conducting original research offers detailed research methods and shows how to run and interpret statistical tests.
Interview with the Editors: Joyner and Laskowski on Law Librarianship
Interview with the editors of Introduction to Law Librarianship, the first and only open source textbook for the profession.
Interview with the Editors: Widén and Teixeira on Information Literacy
Interview with the editors of a new book that offers insight into information literacy needs in the workplace as technology evolves
Interview with the Authors: Kronenfeld and Kronenfeld, A History of Medical Libraries
Interview with the authors of A History of Medical Libraries and Medical Librarianship, with a view to the future of the profession in the digital era.
Leave a Comment
Comments are reviewed and must adhere to our comments policy.
0 Comments