University Libraries’ Marketing Working Group Completes Term, Marketing Efforts Continue

In mid-July 2005, the Dean of University Libraries, Dr. Arthur Hafner, formed the Marketing e-Resources Task Force to develop a plan for marketing the University Libraries’ diverse e-resources, including online journals, databases, and the Digital Media Repository for teaching and learning.

Charged to explore ways to raise student and faculty awareness about e-resources, Task Force members launched an enthusiastic Fall campaign, adopting the slogan “Anytime Anywhere” to convey ubiquitous access to the rich online research materials available 24/7/365 to our students and faculty. The promotions included developing a Libraries’ screensaver with student models and a distribution of whimsical, ghost-shaped flyers and candy at BSU’s “scramble light,” which is located at the intersection of Riverside and McKinley in connection with Halloween.

In late summer, Dr. Hafner reconfigured the task force into the Marketing Working Group and gave it an expanded charge to “Provide recommendations to the Dean of University Libraries through suggestions about ways and methods to generate and coordinate creative promotional and campaign efforts of the University Libraries’ services and collections through message broadcasts and outreach activities.”

The expanded charge was seminal in recommending other groups of Libraries’ personnel that have since been formed into work groups for a holistic approach to continually improving the services and communication of the Libraries with the university community. These include:
• Services Excellence Working Group, which focuses on customer service and staff training
• Web Development Working Group, which recently implemented an improved site for the University Libraries and designed the Student Virtual Library page, an easy-to-use library interface for students
• Librarian Liaison Working Group, which has extended an earlier pilot program into a broader effort of intercommunication with several academic departments

Members of the Marketing Working Group reviewed marketing literature, followed blogs, and read other academic library newsletters to generate a wide variety of ideas for future implementation, including:
• a student photography contest
• radio and television spots for student stations
• centralized resource center for printing with related equipment and supplies
• faculty author/artist lecture series