Our community was devastated following the floods in 2008. In no way was the library alone in its devastation. It is difficult to meet anyone in this city of 125,000 residents who wasn’t impacted by the disaster. Most of us knew someone who lost their home, or worked in a building that was flooded. When I think of all that was lost during the flood, it’s heartbreaking, and it’s difficult to find a place whose loss could be felt so directly to so many people in the community than the public library. The public library, the most free of all institutions, belongs to everyone and welcomes all. The loss of the library was felt by those who worked there, but also by each and every child who didn’t get to come to story time; by every parent who couldn’t get books to help prepare their child for school; and every student who couldn’t access a computer or librarian to help with homework. It was felt by every job seeker who needed help writing a resume, every entrepreneur trying to connect with the world. It was felt by every senior citizen looking for entertainment on a fixed income, and every community group looking for a place to meet.

The doors opened for the first time following a special community ribbon cutting ceremony. We invited residents to take one of 1000 pairs of children’s scissors and find a place around the 95,000 square foot building, the entirety of which will wsa wrapped in a red ribbon for the occasion, held in place by an army of volunteers. Upon the ringing of the bells, each of the 1000 pairs of scissors cut the ribbon and welcomed the community into the library for the first time.

Five years ago, when the waters receded and it became clear that the library was a total loss, the community rallied around us. These same people would go without a library, or cope with a makeshift temporary space in a rundown mall, and poured their heart and hard-earned dollars into the future of the city’s public library. In a town of 125,000 people, our community raised more than $7 million in private dollars for the new library. Without seeing a design, without even knowing where exactly this new library would be built, the community stepped up and gave because they believed in the value of the public library. The details of what a library looks like or even what composes its collection mattered less than the inherent value of this uniquely public space.

I have to remind myself that this is what we must remember, this lesson of library love. We must remember this in the moments when we struggle to explain our value to our customers, and we have to answer for the umpteenth time how libraries are changing thanks to the digital marketplace. Or we are face to face with someone who says “Who uses libraries anymore? Can’t we just get everything online?”

So what am I most excited about in terms of our new library? I am excited to see our staff finally have a home after more than five years in temporary quarters. I am excited to have a new collection – a BRAND new collection – of nearly a quarter of a million items. I am excited to hold the first program in our new auditorium and host the first story time in our new 14,000 square foot children’s library.

But most of all, when the doors opened for the first time on August 24 and the community experienced the library that they built because they believe in what we do, well, that was the most exciting thing of all.  See pix of our beautiful new library below!

Customer Service Area of Cedar Rapids Public LIbrary

Cedar Rapids Public Library Living Learning Room

Another view of the Customer Service Commons

A view of the Fiction section

Auditorium

The post What I’m Most Excited About first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Rebuilding the library has been an exercise in listening and patience. The staff, Board of Trustees, and design team has worked tirelessly over the past five years to design and build a library that will be beyond the expectations of every citizen. Much time has been spent on gathering input from various stakeholder groups—everyone from teenagers to early childhood educators to senior citizens. And the end result is going to be magnificent. We open on August 24.

One of the more important elements in the building has been the installation of public art. While it may seem secondary to many people, our Board of Trustees has made a commitment to the inclusion of art. To this end our Foundation secured thousands of dollars in donations from our community in order to finance the commission, installation, and maintenance of public art in the new library.

The discussion of art in public places is an ongoing and sometimes difficult one. Each community must ask itself what it values and whether public art is a part of the plan. For our community, both the City Council and the County have policies in place that requires 1 percent of every building project to be used on public art. Many cities have similar policies in place.

The value of public art can be seen in community tourism attraction, economic development, and even civic engagement.

Jack Becker, founder and artistic director for FORECAST Public Artworks, sums up the value of public art in this way: “Great public art reveals its meaning over time, rewarding repeated visits. Beyond all that, public art has the distinct ability to add beauty to our shared environment; to commemorate, memorialize, and celebrate; and to transport us, if only momentarily, out of our daily routine. Public art is for everyone and it is free. Many people don’t visit museums or attend the theater; anybody can experience public art.” [1]

Over a process of two years the library worked with a volunteer task force on the commission of public art. The architects designed the perfect spot for a large sculptural element on an urban plaza on the north side of our building, facing our downtown. The task force used a system known as Café (www.callforentry.org), a web-based service that allows organizations to easily reach and manage an artist-application and jury process for public art. The search was international and Café made managing the process simple and easy to do from anywhere.

After more than 330 entries, the task force narrowed down to three finalists. Each finalist received $500 to do a proposal for the urban plaza sculpture. After two months, interviews were held over Skype with each artist and the task force had the opportunity to evaluate each proposal. In July of 2012, renowned artist Albert Paley was selected as the artist who was commissioned to create the sculpture.

A full year later, in July of 2013, the sculpture, called “Regeneration”, is being installed at the site of the new Cedar Rapids Public Library. It is 32 feet in length and 18 feet at its tallest point. It is made of stainless steel and painted a dramatic red color.

While the process to identify who would make the art for the public library was cumbersome and lengthy, it also allowed the library an opportunity to focus energy and resources on something that was determined to be a large priority. In the end, not only does the library end up with a wonderful public art piece, but there are also policies in place to deal with the variety of issues that come along with art in public places. These policies offer guidance on the donation of art to the library, the ongoing maintenance of all art, and the deaccession of art from the library collection.

For libraries looking to establish similar policies, great information can be found through the Americans for the Arts: Public Art Network (http://www.americansforthearts.org/networks/public_art_network/resources_tools.asp).

The post Public Art As Part Of The Public Library first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

We know that the world of communication and marketing has changed dramatically in recent years. It is no longer the case that you can simply push your message out to the public over and over again and hope they get it. Marketing is not a one-way street anymore. Instead we must find ways to engage with our customers and build dialogues which will increase our reach. Social media is only one tool in the marketing arsenal, but it’s a big one.

A social media policy should consist of a few key items: Who, What and When.

Who: Clearly define how you will determine who is running your social media accounts. Is it managed by one person or a department? What is the chain of approval? Don’t block yourself up by making one person the overseer and administrator of all content. You will create a bottleneck that will make your social media unnatural.

What: Don’t spend paragraphs outlining what you can and cannot say on social media. But do spend a valuable moment stating the importance of being respectful and using good judgment. Susan Brown, Marketing Director for Lawrence Public Library, wrote a wonderful blog on this subject in December of last year. In her library, the rule to live by is: “We will not post anything on social media that we would not say at a service desk.” (http://658point8.com/2012/12/07/social-media-strategy/ ) This is a fantastic rule.

When: Dedicating a certain amount of time each day to social media makes managing it much easier. Outline what is acceptable for staff so that everyone has the same expectation. And find tools like HootSuite (www.hootsuite.com) and Tweetdeck (www.tweetdeck.com) to help manage all of your sites in one place.

Once you have a basic idea of how your social media will be managed internally, the next step should be to establish a social media policy for those who engage with you online. Monitor what is happening on your sites at all times—make sure you know when someone posts to your page and if it is something that is offensive or disrespectful, delete it. If it is something negative, see it as the opportunity that it is and find a way to respond. Use it as a chance to have a conversation publicly about the issue at hand. Even if your response is simply an apology for something that has that person upset, by responding you are telling that person (and anyone else who sees the posts) that you are listening and that you care. The ability to have a personal interaction like that is one of the most valuable aspects of social media.

Finally, determine what your goal is for social media. If you simply launch a Facebook page and then never post, or you post but never interact with your customers or your community, you have missed the point. You must be active and you must find ways to engage in these spaces in order to see some kind of measurable result.

The post A Social Media Starting Point first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Media relations are different than public relations but play an essential role in the latter. Media relations are the relationship you have with journalists and editors, while public relations are the relationship you have with the greater community. The way to get your library into the news, which remains one of the most powerful forms of communication with the public, is to be top of mind when the media is working on a story. The only way to be top of mind is to be a friend to the media and show them you are a good source for stories.

There are a few items you can do regularly for successful media relations.

•  Pay attention. Are you reading the newspaper regularly or watching the news to see where the local media is focusing its coverage? Being aware of the conversations happening around you is imperative to knowing when and where the library can fit in.
• Be helpful. Send a reporter a story idea that includes the library. Call an editor and let them know about something your library is doing is newsworthy. For example, if home foreclosure is an issue in your community and your library decides to do workshops to help homeowners, calling the media and letting them know how what you are doing fits with what their audience wants to know.
• Be responsive. When the media call, respond as quickly as possible. It’s okay to tell the media you need to get back to them if you need some time to get the right answers. Just remember that they are always working under strict deadlines and will quickly move on to something else if you wait too long.
• Make it easy for them. Be sure you have information easily available for the media. Things like FAQ sheets (Frequently Asked Questions) about your library, historical information, press releases, and event calendars are easy to keep updated and accessible through your website and in your library. Do the background work for them and the media can focus their time on the story you want them to tell.
• Be the expert. Offer up information on timely issues throughout the year and remind them regularly that you have experts who can speak on a variety of topics. Soon they will start coming to you with story ideas.
• Target your pitch. Know enough about who does what on your media list and keep it updated so that when you have a story idea you can send it to the right person. Sending a mass email to everyone on your contact list will not ingratiate you to anyone. In fact, it’s a quick way to have your press release moved to the bottom of the pile. Instead, make sure you’re sending your releases to the people who are interested in the topic or who are assigning stories. And don’t send releases to every reporter at the newspaper or local tv station. Often if a journalist gets a good idea for a story from a release but they can’t use it themselves, they pass it along to the right person.

Libraries don’t have an endless supply of marketing dollars but investing in solid media relations is a great way to ensure you get the best publicity possible. The American Library Association offers a Media Relations Handbook for Libraries (http://www.ala.org/advocacy/advleg/publicawareness/campaign@yourlibrary/prtools/handbook) which is a great place to get step-by-step tools for a media relations campaign.

The post The Media Are Our Friends first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

My library has been dealing with cultural issues that are fairly unique: we have been forced into a crisis situation due to a natural disaster, leaving us in temporary quarters and on shaky financial ground for nearly five years. While the natural disaster that caused our crisis is unique, it’s also true that our peers across the country, nay, the world, deal with similar issues of funding insecurity and fatigued facilities.

What is unique to us is that in August we will open a new main library facility. This building will be amazing: state-of-the-art design, new technology, bright spaces and many excited patrons. We began to ask ourselves how our staff culture would handle a move from temporary quarters to a new, permanent home that is so far advanced from where we originated.

How do you take a staff that has been worn down by critics, toddled through the verbal haggling of politicians and elected officials, and left feeling defensive and isolated, and bring them into the future with a smile and true excitement?

We developed what we call the Innovation Council. This group of nine individuals meets regularly, taking time out of their regularly scheduled work to focus on the idea of innovation.  When the program was originally launched by our director he had to have commitment from every department that they would be willing to give these hours away so that the council could commit to regular meetings. This wasn’t an easy thing to do in any department—we all know how precious our staff hours are to the many different roles we all must fulfill. However, every department felt that investing the time and personnel into this project would yield results that will be beneficial to the positive development of our entire staff. So each department participated.

The overall goal was to have the Innovation Council present a proposal to the management, director, and eventually the Library Board of Trustees. The proposal should be a well thought out plan for innovation in or by the Library that would assist with propelling us forward to meet the constantly changing needs of our community, including a budget to implement.

The results are yet to be tallied—the Innovation Council has been meeting since fall of 2012, with their first big event being a trip to the R Squared Conference in Telluride, CO. However,  instead of simply working on one large goal, the Innovation Council has taken it upon themselves to embark on simple yet effective tools of engagement with our staff.

Some examples:

• In early November, staff members were  asked to provide the Council with an interesting fact about themselves, that other people may not know. Examples included being in a band in college, working at a ski resort, or swimming with dolphins. These items were compiled into a trivia game—match the person with the item.The person who won received some chocolate, but overall the staff got to know each other more. It started conversations.
• For Thanksgiving, the Council asked everyone on staff to write one good thing about everyone else. They didn’t have to make something up if they didn’t know a person, but with over 50 staff members there were plenty of opportunities to fill out something nice about at least a few coworkers. The Council then compiled these lists and gave them to each staff person on Thanksgiving Day. Each of us returned after the holiday to a list of things others liked about us. What a wonderful way to start a weekend!

Chili cook-offs, secret cupid gift exchange, and a healthy snack contest all add to the feeling of camaraderie and good-will among coworkers.Staff who rarely smile or speak to others are suddenly engaging in conversation and seem happier to be at work.While these things may not appear on their very surface to be crazily innovative, for our staff they are changing our culture. We are approaching our workplace with a new sense of belonging and acceptance. And in turn we are working with our customers (both internal and external) in a new and more positive way. The Innovation Council at the Cedar Rapids Public Library is only getting started but so far the investment has paid off.

The post An Investment in Innovation first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Often when the library starts looking at what it values and what it would like to achieve with its programming, they find others in the community looking to achieve similar or complementary goals. One example in my library is the Play and Learn program.

The Children’s Services Manager at my library belongs to a group called Children’s Early Learning Initiative (CELI) made up of early childhood educators who gather regularly to discuss various needs and opportunities in the community. This group acts as a valuable resource for peer engagement and provides an opportunity to learn what each organization is working on.

In 2010, the sponsors of Play and Learn of East Central Iowa, which is an organized play group for young children and their caregivers organized by members of CELI, were in need of a site for their weekly program. Thanks to her participation in CELI, our Children’s Services Manager learned of their need and knew the library could help.

The focus of tthis program is the development of children ages birth to pre-school and educating caregivers on the importance of play. This is directly in line with our mission to be passionate advocates for literacy and lifelong learning, and we had space available Now, three times a week, Play and Learn of East Central Iowa brings their early childhood experts to the library

Working with outside organizations and community groups on programs means having a larger impact without increasing the demand on staff and budgets. We can do more when we work together. And it’s usually the case that groups come together because each group has something to offer that the other group needs.

Beyond the strictly monetary value we receive from working with other organizations in the community, we also develop relationships and partnerships with groups who have their own stakeholders and their own interest in the library being successful. I believe that collaboration is one of the best ways a library can align itself with its community partners and develop a fan-base outside of the library’s doors. When times get tough you want as many community partners shouting your value to the powers-that-be as possible. The best way to guarantee their interest is to be their valued partner.

Don’t be afraid to think creatively about your potential partners! It can be astonishing to discover the possibilities for new relationships when you leave your library and start talking to your neighbors.

Some possible collaboration ideas:

• Is your local art museum hosting a new exhibit? Perhaps you could do a program and invite them to your space. We do a story time in the local art museum once a week and they visit our library monthly to do an art program with kids.
• Talk to your local theatre group. Are they doing a performance they would like to promote? Consider inviting them to do a ten minute snippet of the performance in your library. They get promotion and you get free entertainment.
• Does your local credit union offer credit counseling? Invite them in for a series of financial literacy classes.
• Find out what adult education classes are being offered in your community and see if there is a need for additional space. Maybe they could use the library!

The more we talk to our community partners, the more allies we create in the community, and the more allies we have, the greater our odds of winning a tax vote or avoiding a serious budget cut.

The post Collaborations Can Be Worth More Thank You Think first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

When I was hired at my library, my director told me the story of a library in a small town in another state. He said they were very proud of being the best kept secret in town. Why did he tell me about them? Because he realized that being a well-kept secret is the most dangerous thing a library can be in this day and age.

Libraries are relevant—we know that every time we look at our statistics and see the increases in circulation, computer use, and visitors. We know our community uses the library more and more as the economy struggles and belts get tighter. We see the trends nationwide. Relevance is not the challenge for libraries. Telling our story is our biggest challenge.

The American Red Cross is one of the most recognized brands in the world. The organization is over 130 years old and has responded to hundreds of thousands of emergencies. But if you asked most people what the Red Cross does, they would only be able to tell you a few things. The general public has very little knowledge of the variety of work the agency does throughout the world.

So this year the Red Cross did something different. They decided that the best way to educate people about the many things they do is to let the people who have been helped share their stories. So they sent out video cameras—300 of them, to be exact. They asked people to record their stories and they took those videos and compiled them into short films, advertisements and PSAs. (http://www.redcross.org/stories/)

Libraries need to take a lesson from this American Red Cross project. We need to find new ways to share our stories with our communities. It is not a question of being relevant; it is a question of sharing our relevance with the world. How are you gathering your patron stories? What are you doing to show your community the transformative ways you interact with your customers? How can we better demonstrate to the non-user that every single day lives are touched and people are better off because of the work of the public library?

The answer is different for each of us. Perhaps distributing video cameras to your community isn’t the best storytelling strategy for your library. However, we must stop reveling in being the best kept secret in town and begin to focus on shouting our stories from the roof tops. No one else will do this for us. We must take the lead and change the conversation. It is not that libraries must prove their relevance; it is only that we must share it with the world.

The post Telling the Story of the Public Library first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Marketing is always among the first thing cut when funding becomes tenuous. This is true in libraries just as it is in any other business. It may seem like an obvious choice; however data shows that companies that cut marketing budgets during recessions had a higher return on capitol during the recession but lower during recovery. The opposite also proves true: companies that invest more on marketing during an economic downturn see higher market share during recovery¹.

What does this mean to libraries? Cutting marketing budgets during times of economic stress means falling victim to the same danger as big business: not being top-of-mind. Top of mind awareness (TOMA) is one of the most important objectives any marketer can have. TOMA means being the first thing your customer thinks of when they think of your industry. Who comes to mind instantly when you are about to sneeze? I am willing to bet it’s Kleenex. Kleenex isn’t a product; it’s a brand. The brand has been so successful we now substitute it for the product name on a regular basis.

Our customers are bombarded by messages from every direction all day long, every single day. Developing a strategic marketing plan so that you are investing your time and money in an efficient and thoughtful manner will allow you to be intentional about your message and will give you a greater impact.

What makes a successful marketing plan? There are a few simple steps to follow to get started. The first step to any good plan is to do a situational analysis. A situational analysis will use research to make a realistic assessment of your current business.

A helpful tool is a SWOT analysis: Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. Sit down as a staff or team and go over what fits into each of these four areas. What has impacted your environment in the past year, such as a recession or a tax vote? A SWOT analysis will help you get an overall picture of what your internal and external environment is like and will act as a launch pad for your plan.

Next, define your objectives. Now that you have a clear idea of your situation, determine where you will focus your time, energy, and budget. Are you aiming for an increase in circulation? Define it specifically with a measurable goal so that you have a clear vision of success.

The next step is to state your strategy. What tactics will you use to reach your objectives? These should be very specific plans such as implementing a public relations campaign (include a budget) or developing a partnership with a local organization. Be specific in your plan so that you can reference this document regularly as a guide throughout the year.

The final step should be evaluation. How will you measure your success? Stating this clearly makes sure that all parties are working toward the same goals. It also means being able to show your key stakeholders, such as your Director or Board, that marketing is a good investment, especially when it’s strategic.

1.Profit Impact of Marketing Strategies (PIMS) Database

The post Strategic Marketing is a Smart Investment first appeared on Public Libraries Online.

Our heart goes out to the people who are impacted by this terrible natural disaster. It is deeply moving to see the images of places like the Plainsboro (NJ) Public Library packed with community members looking for electrical outlets and internet access. Or the Princeton (NJ) Public Library, which acts as a warming station for its community, providing a safe place to recharge batteries and bodies alike. The story repeats itself throughout the hardest-hit areas of the storm.

While the full extent of damage to the communities hit by Sandy is unknown, libraries in each town and city are pulling together to provide not only that place of refuge but also to give community members some sense of normalcy.

Those of us who have been through another natural disaster watch the devastation with empathetic eyes. In June 2008, my city, Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was devastated by massive flooding. Ten square miles of the city was underwater for nearly a week. We lost our main library but the city itself lost so much more—the flood destroyed thousands of homes and businesses and left the center of our community in shambles. Of the 125,000 people who live in my city, one in four was impacted directly by the flood.

Immediately following the flood, residents flocked to the library’s only open location for access to a computer, wifi, power outlets, and a helping hand. During this, as with any disaster, our library became an emergency shelter and community center; library staff became relief assistance experts.

In January of 2011, FEMA changed its policy to allow libraries to be considered essential community organizations. This shift made libraries eligible for temporary relocation assistance during major disasters and emergencies. Because of this change, libraries like mine are able to meet the needs of the public while going through the rebuilding process.

Libraries are uniquely equipped to deal with the impact of disasters in our communities. Library staff is accustomed to working with the public, often in times of need. Librarians know how to gather information and disseminate it to the right people. Libraries have resources like common space and public computers.

It’s been more than four years since the flood that now defines my city. In that time we have seen a community come together to rebuild better than before. Our library is still in a temporary location, but in less than a year we will finally open the doors on a new 94,000 square foot building in the heart of our downtown.

If we have learned anything in the wake of disaster it is that public libraries unite the community and provide essential help in a time of great fear and uncertainty. It will take time for the affected communities to recover from Sandy but recovery will happen. And more likely than not, the community’s recovery will be assisted by the staff and volunteers of the public library.

The New Jersey Library Association has established the Rebuilding New Jersey’s Libraries Fund to support libraries that lost materials and equipment. Learn more at www.njla.org.

The post Libraries in the Wake of Disaster first appeared on Public Libraries Online.