1. PUBLICITY (Reporter: DELA ROSA, Lorielyn G.) Publicity is the information publicly distributed in a variety of forms (announcements, advertisements, press releases, fliers, posters, etc.) with the intention of making something widely known. Libraries sponsor special events, especially during National Library Week, to publicize their services and programs (ODLIS, 2002). Library publicity is necessary for interpretation of library services to fulfill the Ranganathan's third law of library science i.e. Every Books its Reader. The aim of the library publicity is to identify the user, find out and fulfill his/her need, wants, demands by giving appropriate information or source of information. The main focus of this concept is the user and goal is his/her satisfaction. Publicity through Library Publications Publicity is one of the techniques used to create good public relations. Each library must consider itself unique, each serves a specific type of patron. The variety of services a library has to offer must be known to as many people in the community or organization as possible. Libraries issue a number of different publications for various reasons: 1. Promotion of the library and its services 2. Promotion of specific services, programs and/or library materials 3. Encouraging library use 4. Provision of community/organization information 5. Reporting The following are publications used to describe and advertise the librarys services to potential users: Annual Report. Emphasizes the major aspects of library services the collection, personnel, individuals and groups served, special events and activities. For some, annual report is published for the edification of a specialized public trustees, library staff, and legislators. For others, the report is another way to reach patrons and non-library users. The report which is usually prepared by library director, provides details of the previous years activities, including statistical data. The report is usually given to the officials responsible for library operations and should also be made available to the general public. Library Newsletters. Newsletters sometimes called house organ, are useful publications. Ideally, they should be issued frequently or at least regularly, in an attractive format with useful, mostly shorter items of interest. The newsletter could also list announcements of professional meetings, patents awarded to employees, honors bestowed on employees, publications written by employees, and presentations made by employees before professional societies. Newsletter must be current and honest. Newsletters are popular in special libraries and frequently used to draw attention to new or special materials, changes in library rules, personnel changes and special events. Library Guide and Handbooks. Guides provide information about the library and the rules for its use, and handbooks provide information about library materials and how to use them. Guides and handbooks continue to be popular for several reasons: (1) more educated people prefer print as a communication medium; (2) it can be picked up and read anytime and anyplace; (3) a single item can be checked more quickly for a needed piece of information than playing through an entire tape. These are usually distributed free. Current Awareness Bulletin. This may include general library publicity and announcements (new members of library staff, new services; general news items; details of those contents of recently received documents, which are of interest to clients, typically and especially of periodical articles. Current Content List. Collections of reprints of the content pages of issues of periodicals in a named subject area, photocopied and reproduced as booklet. Acquisitions or Accession List. It refers to a list of documents received by the library. It is produced as a by-product of the cataloguing and classification operations. Arrangement is by the author, class number or in random order which depends on the date the item become available. These publications can be designed and prepared easily using a personal computer with wordprocessing and graphic software programs. After the page lay outs are completed, a printer can reproduce the results. This system, called desktop publishing, is widely used for all forms of publications.

2. Other Methods to Promote the Use of the Library News Release or Press Release. This is a basic promotion tool and the means by which newsworthy items of information are sent to the mass media, whether past events or of forthcoming programs. Libraries use news release to announce programs and new services, budget increases or decreases, awards and gifts, and such milestone events as acquisition of the librarys millionth book. Exhibits and Displays.These are accepted useful promotion tools because of their tested ability to attract peoples interest. They serve as attractive, decorative show pieces, as well as educational aids. Most important, they bring people to the library. A bulletin board or display should keep pertinent daily information before the personnel of the organization. Library Posters.They are used for display to draw attention to materials, services, and events both inside and outside the library. They are produced in an array of sizes, colors, and styles, and for variety of purposes. Friends of the Library.A powerful public relations tool for libraries is people themselves. Library friends are not always library users; they may well be supporters of the librarys purpose without using the library collections, services and programs personally. Friends groups focus on financial support, collection development, publication, building of special collection, etc. Fund Raising.This is a special art that often demands professional public relations skills. Libraries can do their own fund raising, particularly if they work with the Friends organization. In many cases librarians make the best fund raisers because they can understand and communicate the librarys needs in a way that outsiders cannot. Government, corporate and foundation grants may be sought for major projects. Fund raising should be an on-going activity, and the library should maintain a want list of needed items at all times. Presentation to Community Groups.This is a common technique which includes talks to various groups in the librarys community often in places outside the library. These presentations usually describe the library and its services, and sometimes focus on a special part of the collection or a specific service which may be of particular interest to the community group being addressed. A special librarian can also give a demonstration of new online database searching services to a group of scientists working for the corporation. Library Logo.This is an identifying graphic symbol. In the commercial world, logos are usually referred to as trademarks and are considered part of a companys visual image. Logos or trademarks are the descendants of brands used to signify ownership as reminders of a companys products. In the case of libraries, a logo can be used as a symbol for the library staff itself, or as a graphic illustration of the materials and services of the library. The primary purpose of the library logo is to serve as an identification mark for the librarys external communications, on flyers and stationary and on bookmobiles, signs and exhibits. Library Orientation/Library Tour. Tour of the information center also can be valuable, for they familiarize users with the collection, services and staff. Such tours should not be limited to company employees alone, it is even more important to include outside groups.