LMCC24

John Cotton Dana Award-winning Delaware County District Library reinvested their winnings to create a brand new mascot for the public library system. Percival Unicorn - or Percy for short - made his magical debut to the people of Delaware County in the Spring of 2022 and was an instant hit.

In this session, attendees will take away lessons learned for staff buy-in when developing any marketing campaign (but especially one with a friendly blue unicorn!), a unique approach to community engagement with a Pre-K audience, and Percy's next adventure as a spokesperson for kindergarten readiness!

This session provides insights into managing sensitive community topics such as drag story time events, emphasizing effective communication strategies and community engagement. Participants will learn how to maintain respectful and constructive dialogues, handle diverse community feedback, and keep their sanity intact while navigating these 'lightning rod' discussions. Through a focus on inclusivity and understanding, the presentation aims to equip attendees with the skills to foster community cohesion and handle controversial topics with confidence.

Library marketing activities should always be informed with user data. When conducting market research, you don't need a large sample to see the "big" picture. Developing scalable micro assessments such as mini surveys, usability studies, interviews, and focus groups with only a few questions can add value to your library's marketing and outreach efforts. With quantitative research, you are expected to have a large sample. However, that is not the case when conducting market research. In this presentation, micro assessments will be shown to be more effective, easier to manage, and garners more responses than more lengthier surveys.

Transgender members of our communities have distinct information needs that libraries can help meet. However, due to a variety of political and personal factors, many are hesitant to reach out.
How can you, as a marketing and library professional, connect with transgender people in your communities to inform them about library services? What do transgender patrons need to know about the library to see it as a safe place to find reliable information?
Attendees will leave with the knowledge and tools needed to create a marketing plan to attract transgender patrons with consideration to their individual library’s capabilities.

Giveaways can be an engagement opportunity on social media – rewarding existing followers and attracting new ones. However, the success of these promotional posts can vary. I will review the performance of our library’s giveaways, the lessons learned, and share best practices to replicate our successes and avoid our “failures.” Whether your library has hosted giveaways in the past or is planning to do so in the future, I will share my insights as far as logistics, opportunities, and challenges. Overall, this presentation will be a critical analysis of giveaways and their potential role in the library social media strategy.

The Book-It program with Pizza Hut in the 80’s and 90’s is a core memory for millennials and Gen-Xers. In 2021, DMPL launched the 30x30 Challenge, to capitalize on fond memories many have reading books to win pizza as kids. In 2023, 774 people participated and 308 completed the challenge, to read 30 minutes a day for 30 days. Finishers are entered into a drawing to win one of 30 gift cards to a local pizza restaurant. The session will cover the logistics, marketing tactics, using business partners to enhance the reach of the campaign, and success of the program.

As library workers we believe that “libraries are for everyone,” but what does that mean for your marketing and communications? In this session, participants will learn the basics of accessible design, and how to create inclusive and trauma-informed messaging. With these tools, participants will feel empowered to effectively promote library programs, materials, and services, and meet diverse community members where they’re at.

Would you rather write a strategy document from scratch for your library’s social media presence on various platforms or be dropped onto an island with a couple dozen strangers to brave the elements, compete in grueling challenges, and endure backstabbing and other generally stressful shenanigans? If you picked the latter, this is the session for you! Learn tips for outwitting the doubts (of leadership and yourself) and barriers, outplay the development process with helpful strategies and resources, and create a social media strategy for your library that can outlast institutional changes and even your own tenure. Survivors (aka library marketers) ready…go!

The rise of social media influencers has shifted the way in which organizations market themselves. In this 50 minute session, Vianey Becerra, Social Media Manager for the Enoch Pratt Free Library, will discuss how you can create content and apply creative inspiration used by today's influencers to your social media to increase engagement among customers. This training includes an overview of current social media trends, content and idea stimulation, and promotion of influencer building blocks to help you create an engaging social media strategy for your library.