Why Aggressive Library Marketing is Necessary

Libraries + Marketing aren't words that are generally found in the same sentence, but lately that's all we're hearing about. But why has it taken an economic downturn to finally bring marketing issues to light? Why has it taken so long for the library world (save for those who are already in the field of library marketing - it's a small pasture, btw) to realize the value of marketing their services? Why has library closures finally made people stand up and say, HEY, let's get the word out - we're valuable, don't close us down?!

Sure, there has always been library promotion of some sort going on through the years, but the current literature is now full of articles about promoting library services. Although it's my deep-felt belief that this should have always been the case, I can't go back in time, so I can only make suppositions.

I hope to accomplish several things with this blog:

1 - Reach like-minded individuals who are also scratching their heads to find that "one marketing strategy" that will work for all libraries

2 - Vent frustrations about past and current trends (or lack thereof)

3 - Discuss with others several key points, such as: Why has it taken so long to bring library marketing to the forefront of discussion; How we can establish marketing as a necessary part of funding; and more importantly, Why is it so difficult to reach so many segments of the population, yet brands like Target, Walmart, etc. do this everyday.

4 - To promote (and reinforce) the idea that to be successful, librarians cannot shy away from marketing simply because of the business aspect of the term (I personally think that this is one reason why library marketing has traditionally been neglected). Libraries are businesses and are in dire straits because they are funded publicly, but do not generate any significant revenue - therefore making them candidates for even MORE creative, yet inexpensive, marketing endeavors. In fact, I can recommend an article that even suggests changing the name "marketing" to something more "psychologically suitable".

If you find this relevant to you, please feel free to comment and pass this blog on to others! I hope to spread the word and make a significant impact, along with the many others in the same field, in the field of library marketing. I welcome all comments and discussion.