This article was downloaded by: [University of Ulster Library]On: 25 November 2014, At: 05:20Publisher: RoutledgeInforma Ltd Registered in England and Wales Registered Number: 1072954 Registeredoffice: Mortimer House, 37-41 Mortimer Street, London W1T 3JH, UK

The Serials Librarian: From the PrintedPage to the Digital AgePublication details, including instructions for authors andsubscription information:http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/wser20

Raising the Library Profile to FightBudget ChallengesLynda James-Gilboe aa ProQuest , Ann Arbor, Michigan, USAPublished online: 28 Sep 2010.

To cite this article: Lynda James-Gilboe (2010) Raising the Library Profile to Fight BudgetChallenges, The Serials Librarian: From the Printed Page to the Digital Age, 59:3-4, 360-369, DOI:10.1080/03615261003623112

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/03615261003623112

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN FOR ARTICLE

Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the“Content”) contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis,our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as tothe accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinionsand views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors,and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Contentshould not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sourcesof information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims,proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever orhowsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arisingout of the use of the Content.

This article may be used for research, teaching, and private study purposes. Anysubstantial or systematic reproduction, redistribution, reselling, loan, sub-licensing,systematic supply, or distribution in any form to anyone is expressly forbidden. Terms &Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/page/terms-and-conditions

The Serials Librarian, 59:360–369, 2010Copyright © Taylor & Francis Group, LLCISSN: 0361-526X print/1541-1095 onlineDOI: 10.1080/03615261003623112

Raising the Library Profile to FightBudget Challenges

LYNDA JAMES-GILBOEProQuest, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA

As university budgets tighten, academic libraries are becomingmore aggressive and innovative in raising awareness of their ser-vices to protect needed funding. In the age of Google, that meansmarketing collections to both students and faculty as a key compo-nent of building a positive, essential profile. ProQuest is completinga study of academic library efforts to build awareness and marketthe breadth of collections. This article will summarize the results ofthat study, providing not only raw data on the state of marketingcollections, but also: best practice techniques for raising awarenessand protecting budgets; emerging models of success; role modelsfor effective marketing; effective vendor support: where to turn forproducts that conquer barriers between libraries and users; andeffective marketing support: where to turn for expert advice.

KEYWORDS awareness, marketing, vendor, end users, collectiondevelopment

When Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke announced the official endof the recession in September 2009, those of us who have worked in and forlibraries through a number of economic cycles knew that recovery for ourindustry would take longer. The lag time for even the mildest of recoveries isespecially pronounced in library budgets. And this downturn has been par-ticularly tough: in a survey of sixty-three North American academic librariesconducted by ProQuest in August 2009, 76 percent of respondents reportedexpected budget cuts of anywhere from 5 to more than 20 percent during

Address correspondence to Lynda James-Gilboe, Senior Vice President, Marketing andCustomer Care, ProQuest, 789 E. Eisenhower Parkway, P. O. Box 1346, Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1346, USA. E-mail: Lynda.James-Gilboe@proquest.com

360

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f U

lste

r L

ibra

ry]

at 0

5:20

25

Nov

embe

r 20

14

Raising the Library Profile to Fight Budget Challenges 361

FIGURE 1 Librarian predictions of upcoming budget cuts.Source: ProQuest survey of academic libraries, August 2009.

the next budget year. Only 11 percent of respondents said their librarieswould be unaffected by budget-cutting measures (see Figure 1).

Chances are that we will continue to struggle under the continued threatof budget cuts for several years. But rather than hunker down and hope forbetter times, academic libraries are protecting needed funding by becomingmore aggressive in marketing and outreach. In fact, 82 percent of librariessurveyed—including those whose budgets will be unaffected by universitybelt-tightening—report they are taking steps to elevate the library’s profileamong faculty and students.

WHAT WE ARE UP AGAINST

There is plenty of room for improvement. Understanding of the extent ofservice available from the library is dismal. Fully 86 percent (see Figure 2)

FIGURE 2 Librarian assessments of student and faculty understanding of collections.Source: ProQuest survey of academic libraries, August 2009.

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f U

lste

r L

ibra

ry]

at 0

5:20

25

Nov

embe

r 20

14

362 L. James-Gilboe

FIGURE 3 Librarian assessment of student/faculty use of collections.Source: ProQuest survey of academic libraries, August 2009.

of libraries in the ProQuest survey say that faculty and students do notunderstand the breadth of their collections and 94 percent (see Figure 3)think the collections—so carefully assembled and funded—are not exploredto their fullest.

It’s an age-old concern: because of the richness of their resources,libraries have traditionally been a challenge for non-librarians to navigate.Over the past 15 years, as the context for interaction has undergone dra-matic change, that complexity has become an even more substantial barrier.The model of student or faculty member entering the physical library andasking for help in finding appropriate materials has changed dramatically.Who can forget the 2001 Pew Study that first confirmed students’ preferencefor the coldness of the Internet versus the human presence of the librarian?

Searchers crave independence.1 Libraries long ago went 24/7 withtheir virtual presence to satisfy searchers’ online-all-the-time needs, and yet,respondents to the ProQuest survey still found “reluctance [by] students to gobeyond Google or take more than one step when searching for materials.”

It’s not surprising given the comparison points. The allure of open-Web searching is nearly irresistible for this generation of digital natives.In an address to academic librarians at the American Library AssociationMidwinter Meeting in 2007, John Law, vice president of discovery servicesat Serials Solutions, identified the issue: “Those users who have grown upusing the Web have honed their skills in the major Web applications. So theirstandards for quality of user experience have been defined by companieslike GoogleTM and Amazon.com.”2

These open-Web, advertising-driven search tools are astoundingly sim-ple. In fact, Law’s research into next-generation students’ search behaviorrevealed that more than 60 percent of these students found Google to bethe easiest place to start research—despite its blind alleys and questionablecontent (see Figure 4). That’s compared to less than 20 percent who findlibrary databases the easiest starting point. Why?

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f U

lste

r L

ibra

ry]

at 0

5:20

25

Nov

embe

r 20

14

Raising the Library Profile to Fight Budget Challenges 363

0 20 40 60 80

Library Databases

Google

FIGURE 4 The easiest place to start research.Source: ProQuest survey of student research habits, 2007.

Law’s research found three primary barriers to full use of the library:

1. No clear and compelling starting place for research—Consider the maindatabase page at most academic libraries: there are literally hundreds ofpotential starting places.

2. Difficulty identifying appropriate resources—Database names are oftenpoor clues to their contents

3. General lack of awareness of resources3

Items 1 and 2 create an atmosphere of complexity that’s—at best—intimidating. Anne Prestamo, Associate Dean for Collection and TechnologyServices at Oklahoma State University, has determined the impact of thatcomplexity also lowers the quality of research that students are able to con-duct. She spent a year analyzing searches on her library’s traditional OnlinePublic Access Catalog (OPAC). After backing out staff searches, she foundthe results “incredibly informative and downright frightening.” An extraordi-nary percentage of searches by lay-users yielded zero or very few results.4

While librarians may understand that a bit of tenacity will get studentsto superior content and, in turn, a superior grade, students are pressed fortime. Project Information Literacy, a research project led by Alison Head andMichael Eisenberg at University of Washington’s Information School, foundthat 80 percent of students define themselves as procrastinators: they starttheir research just days before their assignment is due, leaving little timefor exploration.5 And, as collections continue to grow along with needsfor varying types of research, navigation will be a continuing and growingchallenge. A respondent to the ProQuest academic library survey describedit this way: “[It’s] an embarrassment of riches—a wide variety of users, witha wide variety of needs. We’ve not mastered getting the right person to theright resource, at the moment needed.”

RECOGNIZING THE LIBRARY’S COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

Is it time to throw in the towel, ceding the library’s research role to the openWeb? Absolutely not. Libraries and their vast, impressive collections are the

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f U

lste

r L

ibra

ry]

at 0

5:20

25

Nov

embe

r 20

14

364 L. James-Gilboe

essential resource for serious research. These collections are custom-builtfor their users’ needs, contain vetted, authoritative content and are free ofadvertising distractions. Are libraries recognized for this level of quality? Thedeliciously refreshing and reassuring answer is “yes.” The current generationof undergraduate students has a full appreciation of the limitations of openWeb data. The average undergrad was in elementary school when the WorldWide Web became a standard for quick answers and had plenty of exposureto media specialists who warned students of its questionable accuracy. Law’sresearch found that less than 10 percent of undergrads found the Web to bea superior source of quality, credible content, while 80 percent define thelibrary this way (see Figure 5).6 Further, nearly 100 percent of students preferlibrary resources for classroom assignments (see Figure 6).

They want to use the library, but they seek simplicity. ProjectInformation Literacy finds that students in the digital age are overwhelmed.Head and Eisenberg note: “In general, students reported being challenged,confused, and frustrated by the research process, despite the convenience,relative ease, or ubiquity of the Internet. Frustrations included the effectsof information overload and being inundated with resources. Participantsalso reported having particular difficulty traversing a vast and ever-changinginformation landscape. Specifically, participants’ greatest challenges wererelated to finding the materials they desired, knew existed, and needed ona ‘just in time’ basis.” 7

A number of libraries around the world are making strides in bring-ing the researcher—faculty and student—back to the library as a first stop.In the ProQuest survey, top answers among libraries who thought their col-lections were being fully used and explored were investment in discoveryand outreach.

FIGURE 5 The superior source for quality, credible content.Source: ProQuest survey of student research habits, 2007.

0 20 40 60 80 100

Web Search

Library Resources

FIGURE 6 Preferred for academic research and course assignment.Source: ProQuest survey of student research habits, 2007.

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f U

lste

r L

ibra

ry]

at 0

5:20

25

Nov

embe

r 20

14

Raising the Library Profile to Fight Budget Challenges 365

REINFORCING THE BEST “STARTING PLACE” THROUGHBETTER DISCOVERY

The past three years have seen significant advancements in the technol-ogy that supports discovery and improves navigation of library collections.Traditional ILS vendors are creating next-generation catalogs that enhanceaccess to local collections, implementing clustering and cloud tools thatallow users to iterate to ever-better search results from the library catalog.

And now, Web-scale discovery is enabling single search box access tothe breadth of the library collection in all its formats—books, databases, arti-cles . . . even artifacts from library museums. Serials Solutions’ new Summonservice, the first available tool in this area, mimics the simple searching strat-egy that users find on the open Web, but confines the search to the library’sholdings. It creates a “best of both worlds” scenario: simple, one-step search-ing paired with the superior content found in the library. The Summonservice works by harvesting data in a mega-index, allowing a single searchthat delivers results almost instantly and in relevancy-ranked order. Becauseof this, it exposes more of the library’s content in precisely the right context,reducing user frustration. At the University of South Australia, the libraryis replacing Google Scholar with the Summon service in both the studentand faculty search portals, driving their users back into the library collectionrather than out to the Web.8

A variety of libraries are combining next-gen catalogs with Web-scalediscovery to serve the multiple needs of their user groups. Since librarianssee a very small proportion of their users in face-to-face settings, these intu-itive user-friendly technologies level the playing field for novice searchers,ensuring they find relevant, superior content—a feat the open Web has yetto conquer on a consistent basis.

RELATING THE LIBRARY’S STORY

According to Law’s research, lack of awareness of library resources is asignificant barrier to use, making outreach to both faculty and students a keycomponent of building a positive, essential profile. In the ProQuest survey,libraries consistently cited relationship-building with their communities astheir most successful, pivotal marketing tools. One respondent to the surveysaid her library was more fully explored and used because of the library’sefforts to tell its story with faculty: “We’ve managed to get onto the programfor new faculty orientation, and have packets of information about resources,library instruction, et cetera, that we send to new faculty and the first-yearfaculty.”

That library’s focus on faculty is supported by research. Law found fac-ulty to be the most influential factor in the student’s selection of resources for

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f U

lste

r L

ibra

ry]

at 0

5:20

25

Nov

embe

r 20

14

366 L. James-Gilboe

classroom assignments. In other words, if the professor tells students to useABI/INFORM® for a project, they will make that their first priority. Further,the faculty recommendation is so powerful that it stands the test of time:students will continue to return to a recommended database semester aftersemester, even for assignments for which it’s not relevant. Savvy librariesare recognizing this power and building stronger relationships with fac-ulty. At Michigan’s Grand Valley State University, communication about newresources starts with faculty liaison personnel. These library ambassadors aretrained on new resources and armed with talking points that they can relyon in meetings with faculty.9

Much of the outreach cited by respondents in the ProQuest surveytook on a distinctly fresh, community-building tone. Respondents described“game nights” for students, summer reading programs for the children offaculty members, free printing, quirky contests that utilize student imagina-tion and build personal investment in the library, orientations for incomingstudents and their parents, and presence outside the library. How onerespondent described the library’s key to success: “Engagement with ouraudience that includes having a presence at their activities; rather thanhaving them come to us, we come to them.”

On the flip-side, leveraging the library’s own high-traffic areas for out-reach delivers a lot of bang for the effort. Certainly posters placed ingathering points in the library are strategic, but websites are fast becom-ing the busiest areas in the library - perfect opportunities for spreadingthe word. For example, animated Web “commercials” (often produced inAdobe Flash) for resources or events can quickly deliver a message to web-site visitors. ProQuest offers a customizable Flash ad in its free AcademicLibrary Marketing Toolkit (www.proquest.com/go/toolkits) that libraries candownload.

Respondents are also citing relationship-building efforts as a criticalcomponent of virtual outreach. For example, one respondent cited 24/7 chaton the library website as one of their most popular efforts. Enabling connec-tions between desperate, on-deadline students with information pros (free!)at all hours is a clear signal that the library is unique among informationproviders because it’s dedicated to student success.

PUTTING IT TOGETHER FOR A ONE-TWO PUNCH

Grand Valley State University (GVSU) Library provides a compelling modelof success in raising the library profile campus-wide. The library has pairedpowerful new discovery of its expansive collections with effective andunique outreach. In July 2009, it decided to deploy the Summon ser-vice and by late August it had the service up and running, ready for thefall semester. Now GVSU’s single-search-box access to the library’s many

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f U

lste

r L

ibra

ry]

at 0

5:20

25

Nov

embe

r 20

14

Raising the Library Profile to Fight Budget Challenges 367

collections enables users to get quickly to the resources they need, ratherthan getting tangled in multiple starting points. As the library eliminates com-plexity, it reduces the allure of general Web searches, and cements its roleas the best starting place for research.

As GVSU reached the final stages of implementation of the Summonservice, the library began its outreach, focusing on faculty members. Usingits team of faculty liaison librarians, the library took its show on the road,hitting faculty meetings with news on how they could use the Summonservice to best advantage. For example, they showed faculty how to embed aSummon widget into course pages and syllabi, providing simple step-by-stepinstructions.10

The result: a win-win-win that places the library clearly in the herorole: professors benefit from reduced student complaints of “I can’t findanything on this topic”; students get fast access to quality informationdirectly from their course page (and their preferred source for researchrecommendations), and the library directs usage back into its biggest invest-ment, generating the kind of success metrics that make compelling budgetarguments.

WINNING THE HEARTS AND MINDS OF RESEARCHERS

While the open Web may have won some early battles for the attention ofusers, the war is clearly not over, and libraries’ superior content presentsa compelling advantage. To be deemed an essential service and to protectessential funding, libraries need to conquer their specific barriers, shaping theirsystemsand service tomatch theneedsof users. Thiswill require aunifiedeffortthat also encompasses publishers and all vendors serving libraries. Researchon end-users (faculty, student, and otherwise) abounds. It’s incumbent onus all to act on this research, understanding that—with multiple options forinformation access—these users are in the driver’s seat. The time to takeaction is now. There are ideas, resources, and technologies today that canbring researchers back to the library. We just need to take the first step.

SUGGESTED RESOURCES

Association Marketing Support

American Library Association. Advocating in a Tough Economy Toolkit.American Library Association [database online]. Chicago, IL, 2009,http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/advocacy/advocacyuniversity/toolkit/index.cfm

Association of College and Research Libraries. The Power of PersonalPersuasion: Advancing the Academic Library Agenda from the Front

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f U

lste

r L

ibra

ry]

at 0

5:20

25

Nov

embe

r 20

14

368 L. James-Gilboe

Lines. Association of College and Research Libraries [database online].Chicago, IL, 2009, http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/issues/marketing/advocacy_toolkit.pdf

Public Library Association. Libraries Prosper with Passion, Purpose, andPersuasion: A PLA Toolkit for Success. Public Library Association[database online]. Chicago, IL, 2007, http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/pla/plaadvocacy/librariesprospertoolkit/index.cfm

Vendor Resources

EBSCO. EBSCO Publishing Customer Success Center. EBSCO [databaseonline]. 2009, http://www.ebscohost.com/customerSuccess/

Elsevier. Marketing Library Services to End Users. Elsevier [database online].2009, http://cogscilibrarian.blogspot.com/2008/06/presentation-on-marketing-library.html

Gale, Cengage Learning. Market your Library. Cengage Learning [databaseonline]. 2009, www.gale.cengage.com/power/marketing

OCLC, and Leo Burnett USA. 2009. www.geekthelibrary.orgProQuest. Marketing your Library: Heroes, Tips and Tools to Promote

Libraries and Resources. American Library Association AnnualConference. 2009, www.proquest.com/go/myl; www.proquest.com/go/mylpres

More Inspiration for Library Marketing and Websites

Circle, Allison. The Bubble Room. Library Journal [database online]. 2009,www.libraryjournal.com/blogs.html

Dempsey, Kathy. 2009. The Accidental Library Marketer. Medford, NJ:Information Today, Inc.

Marketing Library Services. [Online newsletter], http://www.infotoday.com/MLS/default.shtml

Dempsey, Kathy. The M Word. 2009, http://themwordblog. blogspot.com/LibSite. LibSite: A Recommendation Service for Library-Related Websites.

2009, http://libsite.org/

REFERENCES

1. Amanda Lenhart, Maya Simon, and Mike Graziano, The Internet & Education: Findings of thePew Internet & American Life Project. The Pew Internet & American Life Project. 2001, http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2001/The-Internet-and-Education.aspx (accessed September 24, 2009).

2. John Law, Observing Student Researchers in Their Native Habitat. Presentation at AmericanLibraries Association Midwinter Conference. Seattle, WA, 2007.

3. Ibid.

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f U

lste

r L

ibra

ry]

at 0

5:20

25

Nov

embe

r 20

14

Raising the Library Profile to Fight Budget Challenges 369

4. Anne Prestamo, Is Google Winning? Or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the BigGorilla, 11. 2009, http://conference.amigos.org/sites/default/files/prestamo_presentation.pdf (accessedSeptember 24, 2009).

5. Alison J. Head and Michael Eisenberg, Finding Context: What Today’s College Students Sayabout Conducting Research in the Digital Age. The Information School, University of Washington: ProjectInformation Literacy Progress Report. 2009, http://projectinfolit.org/pdfs/PIL_ProgressReport_2_2009.pdf(accessed September 24, 2009).

6. Law, Observing Student Researchers in Their Native Habitat.7. Head and Eisenberg, Finding Context.8. Beth Dempsey, South Australian Students and Faculty Now using SummonTM Web-Scale

Discovery Service to Speed Research. Serials Solutions. Seattle, WA, 2009, http://www.serialssolutions.com/news-detail/michigan-south-australian-students-and-faculty-now-using-summon-web-scale-d/ (accessedSeptember 24, 2009).

9. Ron Berry, Interview by Beth Dempsey. Ann Arbor, MI, 2009.10. Ibid.

Dow

nloa

ded

by [

Uni

vers

ity o

f U

lste

r L

ibra

ry]

at 0

5:20

25

Nov

embe

r 20

14