Marketing Through Library Instruction : A 3 Step Process

Mark Aaron Polger, Assistant ProfessorInstruction / Reference LibrarianCollege of Staten Island Library, City University of New York

Karen Okamoto, Assistant ProfessorInterlibrary Loan, Reference, and Instruction LibrarianJohn Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New York

Agenda Introduction Marketing in a nutshell Marketing versus Public Relations, Promotion,

Outreach Our University’s profile Embedding marketing into library instruction Before the class During the class After the class Conclusion

Expectations?

What would you like to learn from this session?

 What words come to mind when you hear the term "marketing"?

 Do you use the term "marketing" interchangeably with promotion, outreach, and public relations?

Marketing...in a nutshell Involves bridging customers' needs and wants with your organizations' products and services. Involves : • Market research: getting to know your users• Promoting: raising the profile of a product or service

through a variety of strategies• Follow-up: Asking your users if they were satisfied with

the product or service

Promotion, Outreach, and Public Relations may overlap with Marketing....but there are differences.

Promotion is part of marketing. Promotion relates to raising the profile of a product or service.

Outreach is a way of making connections to an underserved population.

Public Relations involves communicating a favourable image of an organization to stakeholders to win approval or acceptance.

From ZAG: The #1 Discipline of High-Performance Brands, by Marty Neumeier.

Our University•CUNY has 23 campuses across New York City  •approximately 500, 000 students  •founded in 1847  •largest urban public university in the United States   •includes senior colleges and community colleges in all 5 boroughs in many disciplines:• law• medicine• education• social sciences and humanities• pure and applied sciences• health sciences 

   

College of Staten Island• Senior College• Commuter Campus• 14,000 students• Largest CUNY Campus (over 200 acres)• 14 full time library faculty, 14 part-time library faculty• Offers approximately 300 Library instruction workshops per

year• 10 teaching librarians• Library has their own digital classroom

Step 1: Before the Class

•Negotiate with Teaching faculty•Keep communication loop open•Tailor class to student learning needs•Attend academic departmental meetings and introduce yourself

•Get copy of their assignment•Tailor handouts to their assignment•Create colored handouts (more memorable)

Step 1: Before the Class

Step 2: During the classWhat to market? - Determine before the class (Step 1)- Based on user needs- Be selective

How to market?- Depends on the user group- Time and available resources

Step 2: During the class

 

What?                                           How?

Do you give tours?

Step 2: During the classWhat?                                           How?

Step 2: During the classWhat?                                           How?

 Books image by Kittisak

Step 2: During the class

What?                                           How?

 Money image by jannoon028, tree by akeeris

Do you have a laptop lending program?

What?                                           How?

Step 2: During the class

Student image by winnond

Have you developed a mobile library site?

Step 2: During the classWhat?                                           How?

Images by Ambro and  chawalitpix

Step 3: After the class

• Follow-up and ask for feedback• Hand out business cards• Market your consultation service, if you have one

• Ask to add yourself on Blackboard • Don’t be pushy, but extend yourself • Ask to be added on course syllabi for future classes

Step 3: After the class

Tips and Tricks

• Make yourself available via email, phone, and in person

• Offer a consultation service to students and faculty

• Make the Library instruction requesting system user-friendly and seamless

• Keep faculty in the loop.  Keep communication lines open

Conclusion• Marketing is about understanding your users• Market selectively• Don't sound like a pushy

salesperson• Make an impression • Be creative• Try new things• Ongoing process

Thank you for your participation and attention!

Mark Aaron PolgerInstruction / Reference LibrarianCollege of Staten Island  City University of New YorkPhone: 718 982 4065MarkAaron.Polger@csi.cuny.edu 

Karen OkamotoInterlibrary Loans, Reference, and Instruction LibrarianJohn Jay College of Criminal Justice, City University of New YorkPhone: 646 557 4777KOkamoto@jjay.cuny.edu