Promoting What We Do Best

Report of the

Libraries Victoria marketing seminar

29 November 2002

Seventy five Victorian public library staff attended a marketing seminar on the 29th November, 2002. The focus of the seminar was on promotion of library collections – fiction and non fiction. Participants discussed a range of issues and shared their experiences of promoting library collections.

This report is a compilation of the views, ideas and promotion experiences expressed by participants during the seminar.

It is clear that a number of factors are important to the successful promotion of library collections. The enthusiasm of the staff is an important factor in the promotion of the collections. Face out displays, shelf talkers, staff and public recommendations were mentioned by many participants in the seminar. Well positioned displays which use props were very popular. The success of events and author talks varied. The point was made several times that people are time poor and to attract them to attend an event in the library is sometimes hit or miss.

What is FICTION?

What does fiction mean to you as a worker in a public library?

A good yarn
Bread and butter
Staple item
Fun
Communicate
Never enough
Imaginative
Makes libraries “yummy”
Escapism
Loans
Our business
Biggest turnover
Dirtiest
Creative
Books in demand
Mental stimulation
Media
Marketing
Latest
Personal
Serial reading / hooked

Authors a-z
Creative writers
Confrontation
Social connector
The next best thing?
Core service
Success
adventure
display
frustration
Shelving
Programs
Biggest product
Talking point
Enjoyment
entertainment
Daunting
Sizeable % of the budget
Organised for our convenience
Social outing – book groups too
Social contact / connectiveness

Public libraries are different to academic libraries
Public contact
Diversity
Free
Genres
“our convenience”
All librarians do is read fiction
Introduce a broader range of authors/genres to public
Exploring ideas
Companions
Easier shelving
Relaxation
Leisure
Library - a safe environment

-Home away from home

What is fiction to the public?

Provides escapism
Is fiction literature?
A good read
Want it now!
Reservations
Recreational reading
Just books
Some may differentiate between easy reading and heavy
Not real – made up
Heaps of reservations for blockbusters
Love their favourite author
Adult fiction = X rated
Mixed bag – depends on the community

Achievement/satisfaction in reading complete works of an author
Series – like soap operas
Latest releases
Familiarity of authors
Browsing
Not enough copies
Enjoyment
Escape magnet
Social contact
Signage
Call numbers
Another world - imagination

Safe and secure
Not sure
Who writes like?
Where do I find it?
A good book
Frustration
Expectation – will have titles quickly
Sharing
Choice made on book covers
Coloured stickers separate genres
Symbols for each genre
Surname spine labels

Terminology – how do you describe fiction

Non-factual works
Novels
Not true stories
Imagination
Chapter books
Stories
Stories they [the public] want to read
Double-takes
“Oprah”

Recreational reading
Stories
Great reads
Genres
Literary merit
Creative writing
Alpabetical order
Different formats

Best sellers
Adult fiction
Made-up stories – new world
Literary
Classics
Public don’t always understand our terminology

Promotion of fiction - ideas

Book talks/clubs
Programs
Displays: ie genres, target groups, prizewinners, topical, themes
Bookmarks, bags, other products
Best sellers
Paperback
Staff recommendations
Newsletter – print and email
New titles in newsletter
Trivia night
Genre stickers
Storytimes
Author visits
Internet sites
Author talks
Placement of fiction
Genre shelving
Advertising
Page turners
Word of mouth
New book cover display
Suggestion slips
Promotes itself if they know the authors
Touring titles (no home branch – tour around all branches
Timeliness – eg. Xmas romances etc.

On an individual basis:

talking 1 to 1; on selling, doing spot searches for patrons

Showing patrons how to use Bibliographic tolls (reader education)
Explaining layout of fiction stock

Website promotion
On-selling
Recent returns
New books table or shelf
Local paper –book reviews
Shelf talkers
Reduced loan period for popular titles
Placement
Book lists
Face-out displays
Literary evenings
Who writes like?
Who else writes like?
Bookstands i.e. festivals, community events
“Hot spots” (John Stanley)
Books/”good reads” wrapped in newspaper/butcher’s paper (Valentine’s lucky dip) + heart shaped chocolates
Council rate notices
Book sale trolley
Paperback stands
Face out shelving
Interlinking of information on website with events and catalogue
Treasures from the bottom shelf
Trolleys for recent returns
(most popular perception)

On a branch basis:
Book talks, displays, new book morning, posters, Staff picks, Classics, Book clubsBook lists, newsletters, book marks /

Email alert for favourite authors
Borrower of the month
New book days
Movie “time-ins
“Try me” borrower referrals
Borrowers choice
Staff choice
Staff reviews in local media
Readers advice
Talking to patrons
Home library services
Distribution outside of library
Author lists
Book launches signage
Mixed formats
New items list – catalogue
Patron recommendations on the catalogue
Reviews on websites
Library column in local paper
Summer Reading Club
School visits – to us
to them
top ten reads
2 week loans/ popular novel strip flag
Talking books – face out

On a regional basis:
Seminars
Writers on the Road
Promotions budget/staff

Successes and failures

- fiction promotions that have and haven’t worked

SUCCESSES / DIDN’T WORK

“From the bottom shelf” – display of books patrons may have missed
Great events
Sub-genre list e.g. culinary history
Library Birthday – good borrowing stats
Trivia twilight – great event
Page turners: staff talking about the books they like
Sisters in Crime: interesting material, speakers and display – well publicized
Winter Reading Club book marks and badges
Summer Reading club for children (1 month)
New book days
Newsletter coupon for free reservations
Polarizing/controversial language and topics – hit and miss
Grant applications
Removing bottom shelf
Power display
Multicultural events – linking up with other larger organisations
Genre topical displays
Needs staff commitment/enthusiasm
Needs staff promotion
Mailing lists
Limited reward for effort put in – staff /patron book talk
Good signage
Clear labeling
Monthly list of new books – staff promotion
Do staff read?
Virgin Reads – smell good, clean
Chick fiction
Men behaving badly
Women behaving badly
Bodice rippers – hot lips
Touring titles
Valentines Day /Perfect Partners
Tempting takeaways
Selfserve holds
Face out displays

SUCCESSES (cont)

Position of display
Quality control
Marketing plan
All staff ownership
“Books are magic”
“words take flight” (junior – young adult)
having a promotional department/coordinator
talk on suggested holiday reading etc – what to buy for Christmas etc
new books morning teas
Adult book group
“Made in Moreland” Collection
Mannequins – topical dresses (Xmas)
Rock concert in library
Cancer Gouncil biggest morning tea
Annual events – positive, increases loyalty etc
Face out shelving really works

Events that don’t interest public (good idea to staff)
Bad timing
Poor numbers (people are time poor and libraries have lots of competition for peoples attention)
Poetry session (little interest)
Physical things associated with display
Poetry forum: Speaker dominated “poet management”
Non descriptive booklists
School cooperation
Unknown authors
Media mistakes
No shows
Too many genres
Empty returns trolleys
Lack of staff awareness
Lack of staff excitement
Lack of staff promotion
Lack of quality / quantity
Target the wrong audience
Writers on the Road – sometime have low attendances
Assumptions
Budget restrictions
Not able to meet demands
Non attendees
Film/TV tie-ins display (adult)
Last chance before withdrawal display
Charity fundraising days
Youth week – aimed at teenagers
Evening booktalk
Elements/weather – people book in but due to circumstances don’t turn up
Parking constraints
Street promotion – difficult
Chinese collection with speaker – poor turn out
Technology biting back at a presentation
Some things work in one branch but won’t in another

DIDN’T WORK

Promotion of local poet but no books borrowed

NON FICTION

What is non- fiction to library staff the public and how do they describe it?

Information books
Factual books
Dewey numbers
Reference information
Lifelong learning
Perfect ordering
Books on …
Lots of difficult shelving
Fulfills a current need
Constant self reading to keep in order
Don’t understand dewey
Dewey hasn’t kept up
More stolen or damaged than fiction
Long overdue problems
Lends itself to them based displays
Though provoking queries: thin laterally
School projects
Hidden gems
Public don’t understand Dewey
Answers to home work questions
Self directed learning
May require assistance to use
Dewey can be a barrier – no logic in the eyes of user
Reference information

Faction
Technology may help us
Bookshops do it differently
Variety of format
Public think libraries are books
Project books
Topics real topics
Not made up stuff
When they can’t find it on the Internet
Catergorising by topic
Stock meeting needs of borrowers – integrated collection
Variety of formats
Current interesting topics
Access to expensive books
Filling gaps in the collection
Dewey system hasn’t kept up with explosion of knowledge in some areas
Grouping by format not by content
Need help to use the collection
Life enhancing books
Folios – coffee table books
Travel guides
Occasional browsing – but often in response to a current need/situation e.g. new dog!, car manual
True or fact books

Dewey had gone too far in public libraries [numbers too long for public to understand]
In England libraries have an increase in loans with change to categories for arranging non fiction collections
Arrangement by subject areas then by author
Good reference interview is very important
Confusing to the public – “I can’t find anything!”
How to do
Biographies
Education
Entertainment
Access to expensive books
NF + REF, AV etc selected and shelved separately
Adult and JNF integrated or not?
Bookshops arrange NF differently
Technology driving distribution/ location
(not reliant on Dewey)
reference books

Promotion of non-fiction - ideas

Displays
Tie in with events
Tie in with TV/movies – using all formats
Themed displays e.g. soft furnishings
New nonfiction displays
Staff selections
Booklists/pathfinders
Talking to special interest groups
Gulliver databases promoted to schools
Topical book talks e.g. feung shui, cookery, experts with displays of books
New books on face out display
Topical biographies e.g. personal finance/get rich!
Shelf end displays
Monthly themes including props

Treasures from the bottom shelf
Speaker – always have a table of books
Including nonfiction in media articles
Garden displays
Shelf talkers
Making it easier to use- Signs to stand out or on the shelves i.e. empty video cases with Dewey nos. on the spine and key subject areas listed on the cover
Topic displays in hot spots eg dinosaurs
Celebrity selection
Homework club (yrs 7-10)
Factual displays for kids on popular topics featuring non-fiction

Including information into newsletters
Getting information about non-fiction to small businesses
Subject bookmarks
Junior non fiction displays near the junior fiction

External promotions at :

Gym
Doctors
Health service
Talking to groups externally
Real estate
Supermarkets
Café
School newsletters
Councils
Back of toilet door
Additional signage to breakdown Dewey categories
“on our selection”
searchable new listings on catalogue

Successes and failures

-non-fiction promotions that have and haven’t worked

SUCCESSES / DIDN’T WORK

Liaising with Garden World – with great display in library including cuttings
Grand prix motorbike display at local festival
Events tied in with current topics – free antique evaluation
Evaluation of antiques
Local businesses
Trivia quiz for children
Treasurers from the bottom shelf
New book stand (position important)
Collaborative work with council gallery - booklist
Community health centre – collaborative booklist on domestic violence – the centre paid $500 towards production of the list
Lonely Planet speaker – with display of latest travel guide books
“March into a good book” a promotion held in March - shoes displayed all over the library – including ballet, bushwalking boots
people like hands on displays – hair and beauty
Relationship with Landline on water display – touring all libraries in the region
Damaged books display
Use of props rather than written signs - bale of hay, sporting equipment
Link in with : hardware stores; nursery/gardening suppliers; travel agents; art suppliers; etc
Integration of Junior Fiction and non-fiction
Merchandising of books – attractive displays point-of-sale displays
Promote staff as experts
Actively employ staff who have a knowledge and love of books and reading

SUCCESSES (cont)

Create database of staff special interests/hobbies etc – such as handcrafts to promote thematic areas
Craft groups meeting in the library
Rearrange collection: space is a problem
Link non-fiction + fiction in displays, music etc – multifaceted
Displays at author talks
Gulliver bookmarks about how to access it /postcards
Fairy display tied in with junior fantasy/fairy tales
Les Murray Event (wine & cheese, radio)
Coffee promo with Lavazza (held in the evening)
Georgina Whitehead book launch (joined with publisher & historical group)
Jesse Martin event
FawknerCemetery Walk
Up to date information essential
NF display next to circulation desk – themed
Resource list on domestic violence with Comm. Health Centre – sponsored
Packaging
Targeted promotion high school students – esp Gulliver
Video nights, theme nights
Tieing in with community groups, businesses
Travel writing workshop
Kokoda trail talk
Making changes in relationships
Schools setting up display of what they have made then linking in a book display
kids came in to see their own work
renovations display
using a shopfront in a shopping centre – shelves library information, books erc
march into a good book in March

Props stolen – including precious items
Speaker on wine appreciation turned up inebriated
Communication break down – the wrong event promoted in the local paper
Not enough project materials for needs
Display needs to be right for the event
Staff commitment and enthusiasm to promote
Timing
Budget constraints
Breast cancer awareness
Moving flying foxes talk – 1 person attended (bad promotion?)
Displays too good to touch
Failure to display

Why do you promote

To attract new members
To increase loans / circulation
Let the public know we have something for everyone
Assisting development
Make patrons aware of different stock
Community service:education interest etc.
To raise profile of library
Raise awareness of subject areas and library services
Libraries for information
Broaden people’s view of libraries
Life long learning
Fulfilling a wider cultural brief
Create an interesting space
Friendly vibrant places
Changing not static or boring
Encourage reader development
Connect with your community
Give a positive image “that you enjoy your job”
Bring liveliness, energy to non-fiction
Fun for staff, creativity
Improves the look of library
Job satisfaction and security

How do you evaluate your promotion?

Statistics
Loan on display cards – then see how many left on the card at the end of a week
Number of people who attend events
Number of loans
Can assess movement within range of numbers
Desk diaries to record public’s anecdotal comments
Tracking booking sheet statistics
Evaluation form for specific events
Online comments
Personal feedback
Need to restock displays
Feedback from teachers following school visits
Talking to attendees and tracking stats for the week, return patronage
Difficult to define success for more esoteric goals, therefore very difficult to measure
Empty shelves
Surveys
New borrowers
Exit

Feedback forms
Return patronage
Observation