perfect storm library administrators can create a public relations coup by making...
TRANSCRIPT
Perfect
Storm
Why,Whatand
How?
Why?
Genesis?
Library administrators
can create a public relations coup by making
"insiders" of community
leaders.
Showing influential community members the complexity and
sophistication of the library's behind-the-
scenes operations can be a good first
step to making them loyal supporters.
In the process, board members, Friends officers,
school and academic
administrators, etc. can learn
about the institution they
hold in trust.
What?
Public, Academic,
Specialand
School
Adaptable to specific
situations
Frequently community leaders
may have little or no connection with the library or even use it
Provide a "leaders' tour"
through areas of the library that are frequently “off-limits” to
non-employees.
How?
Easily adapted to individual
circumstances
Select Invitees
InputfromStaffand
Board Members
Send out invitations, six
weeks in advance of the selected evening, to 25
community leaders.
Each invitee and a guest are asked to join the director, trustees, and
key staff members for a buffet supper and tour.
Put together a good mix of guests
Our experience shows that, of the 25 leaders invited to each tour, 10-15 will be able to attend. About half bring a guest,
resulting in an average of 15-25 attendees.
Leaders of civic organizations, youth groups, political clubs, the chamber of
commerce, fraternal organizations, volunteer fire and ambulance
departments, senior citizen organizations, school and PTA officials, local editors and
reporters, religious leaders –
Every community is unique
To prepare, identify interesting tasks, processes, and/or equipment as features
of the tour (the features selected vary from tour to tour). After the choices are made, the staff members who regularly perform these tasks or work with the equipment
outline a presentation, receive input from colleagues.
At this point, if possible, board members observe the
presentations. Their questions frequently mirror those of the
invitees, and help the staff prepare an effective presentation.
Guests arrive in the library's meeting room at 6:15 p.m. for refreshments. At 6:30, they are formally greeted by the library
director and then seated at tables, where they sit with a board member
and a staff member. The buffet dinner lasts until about 7:15 p.m.
during which a slide show featuring scenes of people using the library
is projected as a background.
After dinner the guests are given an agenda for the tour and are split into five groups, each led by a trustee-guide. The tour is broken into 12-minute segments, with three minutes allotted
to move to the next station. Keeping to this schedule ensures that there is only one group at a station at any time and that our guests have a
clear view of each presentation.
That is why it is important to PRACTICE to get the time down beforehand.
Save questions to the end – to keep
to schedule
Although 12 minutes may not seem like a long time, it is sufficient for carefully
structured and rehearsed presentations. Community leaders are extremely busy
people; many leave the library immediately following the tour to attend
other meetings. Providing supper and ending the program before 9 p.m. are
two factors that have contributed to the tours' success.
Our guests have displayed interest in a wide variety of activities
A few ideas –but you need to choose your own
RFID
Anonymous -- respect privacy -- examples of real reference questions
and interloans were a big hit
Guests were impressed by ingenuity required to track down answers
If you can, fit presentations to guests’ interests
Following the 75-minute tour, the trustees and leaders return
to the meeting room for dessert, the opportunity to ask questions of the director and
key staff members, and closing words by the board president
Huge benefits, small costs
Invariably, the reaction of the leaders is positive. A special bonus
was that community opinion-formers saw firsthand how
crowded the staff work areas were. We believe this was an important
step in winning voter approval for a bond issue to finance a 24,000-sq.-
ft. addition
In addition, competitive wages for staff are more palatable when
community leaders see the talent that is necessary to provide efficient, high-quality library
service. Throughout the tours, the library staff's efforts to provide
services in a cost-conscious way are emphasized.
One gauge of the effectiveness of the tours is calls from other leaders
who contact us to ask when they can come for a tour!
What to do for a non-invitee who has hurt feelings?
The expenses associated with this program are modest. A $10 to $15-
per-person cost for supper is the only direct cost and for some tours we had a caterer provide the food at a reduced fee in exchange for positive publicity; staff time and printing a program are the only
other direct expenses.
Employee schedules are rearranged to permit the staff
members who are working at the stations to be on duty the evening
of the tour.
For obvious reasons, we try to schedule tours on our busiest
evening—which varies from library to library.
The benefits of these tours are significant
#1
Staff, especially those who work behind the scenes, get a chance to
be recognized by the public
The excitement as the staff prepares is a morale builder, and staff get immediate and obvious positive "vibes" from important people--community leaders and
library trustees.
The positive impression made on the leaders and the obvious pride of board members in the staff's accomplishments are wonderful rewards for the staff involved.
#2
Board members also love this program. They have the opportunity to become more fully educated regarding
their trust, to renew politically important contacts, and to partner
with library staff members in a positive undertaking.
These board members, who serve with no pay, are rewarded in a very real way
when they see and hear the enthusiastic reactions of the leaders.
#3
The leaders' reward, of course, is that they now feel like insiders,
having been exposed to the complexity of the behind-the-
scenes operation of the library.
They appreciate the efforts of the trustees and the staff, as well as
the recognition that they are leaders. Since the leadership of the
organizations changes, there is always a pool of new leaders to
invite.
#4
The Library’s reward?
Better support fromcommunity leaders who have greater appreciation for the library’s staff and services
In some cases, when leaders see what the Library offers, they
become regular users
Not a panacea that will solve all problems, but a
good, useful step towards building/reinforcing community support
Possibleinvitees
