Powerful Public Relations – A How–to Guide for Libraries

Make your library the place to be. The library is still the best place to go for traditional information - and for everything from Internet access, database reference, video and CD check-out to engaging exhibits, entertaining events, and more. The challenge is getting your customers and community to believe that their library has more to offer today than it ever did. It's up to you to communicate that the home or work computer can't come close to delivering the unique services your library provides. And you can do this with Powerful Public Relations. Whether you have a lot of time to devote to a PR program or just a few hours here and there, communicating your library's many benefits is paramount to the satisfaction and number of customers you have each day. Here are just a few of the ways that savvy PR can work to sell your library's image. You'll learn how to: * Produce eye-catching brochures using desktop technology * Create a Web-based PR strategy and plan * Develop multimedia promotional programs that can be set up in the library * Plan special events and exhibits that will generate publicity and attendance With sample screen captures, press releases, public service announce

This guide reflects and illustrates the role of new technologies in library public relations. Each of its nine chapters was written by a PR coordinator or director of an academic library with experience in public information or communications. Each chapter concludes with a list of additional sources of information. There also are sample screen captures, press releases, and exhibit forms, to name just a few PR tools. This guide offers practical strategies that can help libraries, whatever the size or budget, attract new users. RBB
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Originally published as Part-Time Public Relations with Full-Time Results (Professional Media, LJ 3/1/96), this volume has been updated and expanded by editor Karp (academic affairs, Clarion Univ., PA) and the Library Administration and Management Association (LAMA) of the American Library Association to include highly useful essays (both articles from the original edition and new ones) that focus on helping librarians better understand how public relations can help make their library as user-friendly and user-oriented as possible. The contributing writers, all librarians or library science instructors, add sound essays on marketing and development activities; writing news, photo, and press release announcements; designing library publications; creating web-based public relations and exhibits; establishing multimedia programs via touch screen kiosks and CD ROMs; planning special events; and desktop publishing. The annotated bibliography and webography, the super chapter-specific additional sources, including web sources, and the many sample press releases, brochures, and flyers all contribute to this topnotch hands-on guide that covers most everything librarians need to execute public relations effectively. While it is most disappointing that throughout the material the writers perpetuate the archaic reference to end users of library services as patrons instead of the customers they are (would you like to be patronized?), nevertheless, the smart grounding of this material in business literature makes this reasonably priced tool essential and highly recommended, especially for public libraries. Dale Farris, Groves, TX
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.