SLO 7: The student applies advocacy, marketing, and communications principles for entrepreneurial leadership.
As I began this program I had no idea of the importance of advocacy and marketing to the world of librarianship. I was soon to learn just how important they really are. Throughout my course work the need for libraries of all shapes and sizes to advocate for support and resources has been emphasized. Additionally, the need to market library programming and events to patrons cannot be overlooked. Sometimes this means thinking outside the box. I have been fortunate to explore these concepts in fun and interesting ways.
In LIS 635 (Media Production Services for Library Programs) with Danial Martin, one of my first assignments was to create a short promotional video. I choose to create my video on the subject of why libraries are important. This was an incredibly challenging project for me, as I had never done anything like it before. While I had ideas about the topic, it was difficult to translate those to a video in an entertaining way. I had also never used a video editing program. Through the process of planning my public service announcement, creating a storyboard, and writing a script I gained a better understanding of the challenges involved in establishing and reaching the desired audience. It was a great learning experience in both the conceptual planning aspects as well as the creation and editing of the video itself.
As discussed in SLO 6, I was tasked with creating a digital collection of artifacts for LIS 688 (Special Collections) with Noah Lenstra in a semester long, multifaceted assignment. As a final component of that project, I was asked to create a marketing and outreach plan. This plan required me to assess the potential users of this collection and provide ideas to increase utilization and appreciation of the resource. I examined a variety of sources to learn more about how various institutions approach outreach. From there I tried to narrow my attention on institutions and collections that were similar in focus and size to my collection. I selected two primary focus groups that would have an interest in both the physical collection exhibited at the Kernersville Museum and the web-based collection. The first group would be those interested in North Carolina history. While mill towns are not uncommon in North Carolina, Kernersville does have a unique evolution that would prove interesting to more than just a local audience. The second group would be local area students with a goal of increasing awareness and appreciation for their local history. I presented a variety of ideas for increasing community involvement and awareness by linking the past to the present. This project was a great opportunity to think through some of the challenges involved with outreach. As I conducted my research I discovered some innovative approaches to provide inspiration.
Both of these projects helped me to better understand marketing and outreach. Every collection is different. Sometimes that means we, as information professionals, must be willing to try something new and creative to increase awareness. The importance of promoting collections cannot be overlook. It is our responsibility to continue to adapt and evolve to keep reaching new audiences.