Convincing Communities to Collaborate With Libraries

Every library wants to provide high-quality customer service and great user experiences. So who exactly is responsible for that? Frontline staff who interact with the public, right? Perhaps IT folks who manage website functionality? Maybe administrators who set policies? What about security guards who make first contact? Tech services workers who stick spine labels on books? Believe it or not, the answer is all of the above—plus everyone else you can think of.

This session will open your eyes to the myriad ways that library customers (and potential users) assess your organization every day. Looking through the lens of “brand touchpoints,” you’ll learn how every employee, and every space, and every item that’s related to your library affects public perception. And if you want to be seen as a community anchor, you can strategically work toward that by getting all hands on deck.

Communications consultant Kathy Dempsey will share real examples of how laypeople see and discuss libraries, and will offer guidelines on how to be a positive touchpoint. This session is meant to inspire listeners to strive toward their best work and prove to locals that libraries are worthy community partners.

Learning Outcomes:

• Realizing that every employee at any level affects the public’s perception of the library.
• Understanding how each person can work toward improving public perception to help their library be recognized as a vital community anchor and a force for the public good.

Kathy Dempsey

Kathy Dempsey wrote the popular how-to book The Accidental Library Marketer and founded her own marketing consultancy, Libraries Are Essential. Her work is dedicated to helping librarians and information professionals promote their value and expertise in order to gain respect and funding.

Kathy has been the Editor of Marketing Library Services newsletter for 30 years. In 2015, she founded the Library Marketing and Communications Conference, and chaired the show’s first 3 years. She’s a longtime member of the New Jersey Library Association, and recently finished serving a 3-year term on the Executive Board of LibraryLinkNJ, a statewide co-op.

This writer, editor, and marketing maven likes to sprinkle her presentations with humor to make marketing concepts more interesting and accessible. She continues to fight the stereotypes that librarians are boring and that “marketing” is a dirty word.