LMCC24: Full Schedule

Welcome to the 10th Annual Library Marketing and Communications Conference!

10:00am CST

Mascots for Marketing! Re-investing our JCD-Winning Funds for Library Promotions

Wednesday November 13, 2024 10:00am - 11:00am CST

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!

Speakers

Nicole Fowles

Communications Coordinator, Delaware County District Library

Nicole Fowles is the Communications Coordinator at the Delaware County District Library in Ohio. Her department’s “Your Library” project was the recipient of a 2018 John Cotton Dana Award from the American Library Association. Nicole was a keynote speaker at LMCC in 2019 and... Read More →

Sponsors

Unique

Wednesday November 13, 2024 10:00am - 11:00am CST
Grand A

Campaigns and Programs

Format Speaking Presentation
Audience Beginner

10:00am CST

Balancing Acts: Navigating Sensitive Community Topics with Grace

Wednesday November 13, 2024 10:00am - 11:00am CST

Grand GH

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.

Speakers

Michal Utko

Director of Marketing and Communications, Okanagan Regional Library

Michal Utko has dedicated over seven years to branding, marketing, and communication at the Okanagan Regional Library. Previously, he managed and collaborated at marketing agencies, working with brands such as Volvo, Jaguar, and Mitsubishi. Passionate about design and architecture... Read More →

Wednesday November 13, 2024 10:00am - 11:00am CST
Grand GH

Compassionate Marketing

Format Speaking Presentation
Audience Intermediate

10:00am CST

Bite-Size Market Research Tools: Micro Surveys and Usability Studies

Wednesday November 13, 2024 10:00am - 11:00am CST

Grand F

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.

Speakers

Mark Aaron Polger

Associate Professor/Coordinator of Library Outreach, College of Staten Island, City University of New York

I am an academic librarian and information literacy instructor who has been working in libraries since 1992. I received my MLIS degree in 2000 from Western University (UWO) and I have worked as a librarian in public, hospital, and academic libraries. Currently, I am the Coordinator... Read More →

Wednesday November 13, 2024 10:00am - 11:00am CST
Grand F

Marketing Strategies

Format Speaking Presentation
Audience Beginner

11:15am CST

Marketing Library Services to Transgender Patrons

Wednesday November 13, 2024 11:15am - 12:15pm CST

Grand GH

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.

Speakers

Zephyr Rankin

Marketing and Communications Librarian, East Texas A&M University

Zephyr Rankin (he/they) is the Marketing and Communications Librarian at Waters Library at East Texas A&M University. After time at public libraries, Zephyr received his MLS from Emporia State University in 2022 and made the move to academia. While at East Texas A&M, he began working... Read More →

Wednesday November 13, 2024 11:15am - 12:15pm CST
Grand GH

Compassionate Marketing

Format Speaking Presentation
Audience Intermediate

11:15am CST

It’s Giving Promotional Items: An Assessment and Analysis of Giveaways on Instagram

Wednesday November 13, 2024 11:15am - 12:15pm CST

Grand A

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.

Speakers

Samantha Paul

Reference and Marketing Librarian, Valdosta State University

Samantha Paul is the Reference and Marketing Librarian at Valdosta State University (@vsuodumlibrary).She has been working on the library’s Instagram since 2016. In addition to managing the library’s social media,Samantha designs promotional materials, crafts monthly newsletters... Read More →

Wednesday November 13, 2024 11:15am - 12:15pm CST
Grand A

Social Media

Format Speaking Presentation
Audience Beginner

1:30pm CST

Pizza for Reading: Using Nostalgia and Digital Marketing to Engage Cardholders

Wednesday November 13, 2024 1:30pm - 2:30pm CST

Grand GH

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.

Speakers

Kelly Marble

Digital Marketing Specialist, Des Moines Public Library

Kelly Marble is the Digital Marketing Specialist at the Des Moines Public Library. Over the course of her seven-year career she has worked in a variety of industries specializing in social media and email marketing. She found her home in the library marketing world three years ago... Read More →

Wednesday November 13, 2024 1:30pm - 2:30pm CST
Grand GH

Campaigns and Programs

Format Speaking Presentation
Audience Intermediate

1:30pm CST

Accessible Marketing Through a Trauma-Informed Lens

Wednesday November 13, 2024 1:30pm - 2:30pm CST

Grand F

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.

Speakers

Gabby Kindig

Communications Team Leader, East Lansing Public Library

Gabby is a multiply disabled communications professional and proud union library worker. She began her career in political communications, working for county, state, and national organizations, before pivoting to fulfill her childhood dream of working in a library. She now serves... Read More →

Wednesday November 13, 2024 1:30pm - 2:30pm CST
Grand F

Compassionate Marketing

Format Speaking Presentation
Audience Beginner

1:30pm CST

Social Media Strategy Survivor: Outwit, Outplay, Outlast

Wednesday November 13, 2024 1:30pm - 2:30pm CST

Grand A

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!

Speakers

Tanner Lewey

Social Media Editor & Strategist, University of Illinois Chicago

Tanner Lewey, the Social Media Editor & Strategist at the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), oversees the university’s flagship and chancellor social media accounts and outreach to social managers across campus. Previously, she was an academic outreach librarian in Maryland (McDaniel... Read More →

Wednesday November 13, 2024 1:30pm - 2:30pm CST
Grand A

Social Media

Format Speaking Presentation
Audience Beginner

3:00pm CST

Main Character Energy: How to Adopt Influencer Content to Drive Your Social Media Engagement

Wednesday November 13, 2024 3:00pm - 4:00pm CST

Grand BC

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.

Speakers

Vianey Becerra

Content Strategist, Enoch Pratt Free Library

Vianey Becerra manages and curates social media content for the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, MD. In 2023, the Pratt Library's Marketing and Communications Department received the Library Marketer of the Year Award by Library Journal. Becerra has worked in non-profit marketing... Read More →

Wednesday November 13, 2024 3:00pm - 4:00pm CST
Grand BC

Social Media

Format Speaking Presentation
Audience Beginner

10:00am CST

IDEA in Action: Your Voices Best Practices - Empowering Students, Building Bridges

Thursday November 14, 2024 10:00am - 11:00am CST

Grand A

Your Voices was a project at the San José State University College of Professional and Global Education that supported inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA) in graduate library and information science and applied data science programs. The project culminated in a final report and best practices guide highlighting the project’s successes for further expansion of student engagement and empowerment in its second iteration, Students: Amplifying Your Voices (SAYV).

This session will detail Your Voices and its results, highlight the best practices guide for organizations interested in replicating Your Voices, and share plans for SAYV.

Speakers

Kara Price

Graduate Student Assistant, San José State University

Kara Price (they/she/y’all, Mvskoke) is an information professional who lives and works in the traditional homelands of the Wichita, Kiowa, Osage, and Sioux. Kara is finishing their MLIS at San Jose State University with an emphasis on digital asset management and traditional knowledge... Read More →

Laura Dowell

Graduate Research Assistant, San José State University

Laura Dowell is in the process of obtaining her MLIS from San Jose State University with an emphasis in Open Education/Access and Resources through the lens of DEI, and is serving as the Special Libraries Student Chapter President at San Jose State University. Presently, she works... Read More →

Michele Villagran

Professor, San José State University

Dr. Michele A. L. Villagran is an accomplished educator, innovative speaker, entrepreneur, consultant, cultural intelligence and diversity & inclusion expert with over 24+ years of experience in the public and private sectors. Dr. Villagran’s research focuses on diversity and social... Read More →

Thursday November 14, 2024 10:00am - 11:00am CST
Grand A

Compassionate Marketing

Format Speaking Presentation
Audience Beginner

10:00am CST

Email Essentials: Increasing Patron Engagement through Marketing

Thursday November 14, 2024 10:00am - 11:00am CST

Grand F

In the past, Rochester Hills Public Library’s email campaigns mainly consisted of one big news piece followed by a wall of event promotions. Recognizing that the majority of our patron base rely on email communication for library news, we decided that it was time for a refresh. Over the course of a year, our small but mighty team has transformed our email marketing by implementing audience segmentation, refreshing our templates with eye-catching designs, and employing cross-platform messaging utilizing Vega Promote.

In this presentation, we'll guide you through our journey of creating a monthly newsletter from drafting to delivery. We'll share valuable insights into effective communication and design practices, ensuring that your email messaging serves both your library's objectives and the unique interests of your patrons.

Speakers

Michele Dimond

Marketing Coordinator, Rochester Hills Public Library

Michele Dimond is the marketing coordinator for Rochester Hills Public Library in Rochester Hills, Michigan. Michele has a background in graphic design and marketing, working in the realms of non-profit and education before making her way into library services two years ago. As a... Read More →

Taylor Fisher

Senior Product Manager, Clarivate

Taylor Fisher is a Senior Product Manager at Clarivate. Taylor is one of many product team leadersresponsible for delivering library specific solutions that provide intuitive and exciting library experiences topatrons, staff and donors. Her primary focus is on Vega Promote and Vega... Read More →

Thursday November 14, 2024 10:00am - 11:00am CST
Grand F

Marketing Strategies

Format Speaking Presentation
Audience Beginner

11:15am CST

Elevating Library Milestones: From Concrete to Community - The Robarts Library 50th Anniversary Journey

Thursday November 14, 2024 11:15am - 12:15pm CST

Grand F

Join us as we delve into our year-long celebration of the Robarts Library's 50th anniversary. We'll share the story of how we transformed a restricted-access, brutalist building perceived as closed-off and daunting into a warm and inviting opportunity for community engagement. From curating an exhibition and launching an immersive microsite, to hosting engaging events and leveraging social media, we'll reveal our strategies for maximizing impact with limited resources. Discover how archivists, librarians, and staff collaborated to elevate this milestone and engage with students and alumni around the globe, and leave with practical insights to apply in your local context.

Speakers

Larysa Woloszansky

Director of Library Communications, University of Toronto Libraries

Larysa Wolosznaksy is a visionary leader with a deep-seated passion for storytelling and empowering others. As the Director of Library Communications at the University of Toronto Libraries, she oversees all communication aspects across UTL's 40 libraries, driving initiatives that... Read More →

Thursday November 14, 2024 11:15am - 12:15pm CST
Grand F

Sharing Your Story

Format Speaking Presentation
Audience Advanced

11:15am CST

Building a Video Powerhouse: Project Management, Quality Standards, and Staff Development for Effective Library Marketing

Thursday November 14, 2024 11:15am - 12:15pm CST

Grand GH

Engaging video is the standard for modern marketing, but the process of capturing, editing, and producing high quality video content can be overwhelming for libraries without dedicated marketing staff. In this presentation, Plano Public Library will share how their eProduction team contributes to the efficient development of video content for instructional videos and social media drawing from all positions and skill levels. We will discuss our project management strategies, brand and quality standards, and how members of the eProduction team are trained and supported.

Speakers

Rachel Yzaguirre

Community Outreach Librarian, Plano Public Library

Contact me: rachelyz@plano.govRachel Yzaguirre is a Community Outreach Librarian who manages Plano Public Library's social media presence and newsletter, plans programs and outreach, and more. She has created video content for Plano Public Library since 2013. Rachel is a member of... Read More →

Thursday November 14, 2024 11:15am - 12:15pm CST
Grand GH

Video and Design

Format Speaking Presentation
Audience Beginner

1:30pm CST

From Brand Guides to Wayfinding and Websites: Creating Consistent Customer Experiences

Thursday November 14, 2024 1:30pm - 2:30pm CST

Grand F

Is your library wallpapered in signs and flyers that are meant to be helpful but are a confusing hodgepodge? Does your website need an update? Have you been thinking about creating a brand guide but don’t know where to start? This session is for you! Learn how one library updated its brand guide (including a new primary and secondary color palette, designated fonts, and design and photography guidelines) then used it for a systemwide wayfinding and signage project and web redesign project. The result? A consistent experience for customers, whether visiting online or in person.

Speakers

Christie Lassen

Director of Communications and External Affairs, Howard County Library System

With more than 25 years’ experience in communications, Christie Lassen brings a wealth of experience spanning various types of organizations. She is a graduate of Leadership Howard County and a member of various local boards and committees where she contributes her expertise in... Read More →

Kristen Blount

Senior Graphic Designer, Howard County Library System

Kristen Blount (she/her) is the Senior Graphic Designer for Howard County Library System (Maryland). With 20+ years of experience, she is responsible for all print materials, including a bi-monthly news and events magazine, the annual report, and summer reading games and collateral... Read More →

Thursday November 14, 2024 1:30pm - 2:30pm CST
Grand F

Branding

Format Speaking Presentation
Audience Intermediate

1:30pm CST

Structuring Internal Communication from the Top-Down and Bottom-Up

Thursday November 14, 2024 1:30pm - 2:30pm CST

Grand BC

Elevate your organization's internal communication game with actionable strategies straight from Spokane Public Library's playbook. Communications leaders from Spokane Public Library will walk attendees through the past, present, and future of their internal communication strategy, highlighting successful tactics and pointing out continued areas for improvement. From hierarchical dissemination of information by management to the grassroots input and feedback from frontline staff, learn how to manage internal communication using key strategies like weekly all-staff emails, a comprehensive internal website, and an easy-to-maintain internal resource structure. This session also includes a coaching strategy for how to upskill communication skills in frontline leadership.

Speakers

Amanda Donovan

Director of Marketing and Communication, Spokane Public Library

Amanda Donovan is the Director of Marketing and Communication at Spokane Public Library. A John Cotton Dana Award and PRXchange Award winner, Amanda has more than 19 years of marketing and communication experience including 7 years in library marketing. When not handling Library communications... Read More →

Alina Murcar

Communications Manager, Spokane Public Library

Alina is a Marketing and Communications Manager at Spokane Public Library with a passion for connecting communities through the power of informative, fun marketing strategies and relationship building. As an integral part of the Spokane Public Library team for the past two years... Read More →

Skyler Noble

Marketing & Communications Manager, Spokane Public Library

Skyler is a Marketing & Communications Manager at Spokane Public Library with over seven years ofexperience. She loves libraries not only for the vast collection of books and things to check out, but for thereaction people have when she shares with them all the awesome and unique... Read More →

Thursday November 14, 2024 1:30pm - 2:30pm CST
Grand BC

Internal Communication

Format Speaking Presentation
Audience Intermediate

1:30pm CST

"Wait, Librarians do WHAT?!": Marketing Research and Instruction Services to Different Audiences

Thursday November 14, 2024 1:30pm - 2:30pm CST

Grand A

In this session, an academic journalism librarian at the University of Florida - whose research and instruction statistics have increased nearly every year since 2013 - will outline how she markets and frames these services in a way that generates interest from a wide variety of audiences – even beyond her liaison area. She will also describe how she has “sold” public and academic library research services to former students who are now practicing journalists, and to other groups outside academia. Tips and tricks (and lessons learned) will be discussed along with how these approaches can be applied to multiple library settings and sizes.

Speakers

April Hines

Journalism and Mass Communications Librarian, University of Florida

April Hines is the Journalism and Mass Communications Librarian for the George A. Smathers Libraries at the University of Florida. Her research areas include information literacy instruction for journalists, library marketing and outreach, and social media engagement. She has a bachelor's... Read More →

Thursday November 14, 2024 1:30pm - 2:30pm CST
Grand A

Sharing Your Story

Format Speaking Presentation
Audience Intermediate

1:30pm CST

Embracing Short Form Video

Thursday November 14, 2024 1:30pm - 2:30pm CST

Grand GH

Short form video has dramatically increased in popularity over the past few years and the graphics and photos that we used to post no longer get decent organic reach. We all know that video is the way to go but how can we change our mindset to be video first when developing ideas and how is it even possible to increase video content creation with an already packed schedule? In this talk attendees will learn practical tips on idea development and video production to speed up the workflow while increasing engagement.

Speakers

Keith Kesler

Social Media Librarian, Los Angeles Public Library

Keith Kesler has been the Social Media Librarian at Los Angeles Public Library since 2016. His work has been featured in the NY Times, L.A. Times, Washington Post, People, Sports Illustrated and many other publications. Most notably he produced the Linda Linda’s video for Racist... Read More →

Krystal Ruiz

Public Relations Specialist, Los Angeles Public Library

Krystal Ruiz has been a Public Relations Specialist at the Los Angeles Public Library since 2022. Her primary focus is to inform Angelenos of the endless possibilities available inside the Library's do-it-yourself makerspace, Octavia Lab. In addition to her role as a Public Relations... Read More →

Thursday November 14, 2024 1:30pm - 2:30pm CST
Grand GH

Video and Design

Format Speaking Presentation
Audience Intermediate

3:00pm CST

Building Buy-In: Change Management Strategies for Library Marketers

Thursday November 14, 2024 3:00pm - 4:00pm CST

Grand A

Navigating change can be challenging—especially for beloved, historic institutions like libraries. If you’ve struggled to get staff or community buy-in for a change, this is session is for you. Learn strategies for navigating transitions in the library landscape. Explore practical approaches to guide your team and community through internal and external changes alike. See examples from one public library that has transformed their internal processes and digital presence in the three years since opening their first dedicated marketing position. You will leave with actionable ideas and renewed inspiration for managing change within your own institution.

Speakers

Victoria Edwards

Marketing/Communications Coordinator, West Bloomfield Township Public Library

Victoria Edwards began her library career in reference and outreach before shifting to library marketing and administration. Since starting at the West Bloomfield Library in 2021, she has overseen numerous projects, including creating a Style Guide, facilitating a Community Needs... Read More →

Thursday November 14, 2024 3:00pm - 4:00pm CST
Grand A

Internal Communication

Format Speaking Presentation
Audience Intermediate

3:00pm CST

Newsletter Networks Past & Present: Information & Resource Sharing in a Consortial Context

Thursday November 14, 2024 3:00pm - 4:00pm CST

Grand F

In a consortial environment and a short-form content world, how can we ensure that long-form communications meet the mark for librarian engagement, relevance, and reach?

The Scholars Portal Newsletter is a triannual publication dedicated to resource sharing and collaboration in library services across the 21 member institutions of the Ontario Council of University Libraries (OCUL).

Working closely with Cait McKinney’s writing on feminist lesbian newsletter networks of the 1970s-1990s in Information Activism, this presentation will discuss how priorities of research newsletter networks from the past can inform successful long-form, community-based communication strategies in library resource sharing today.

Speakers

Gabrielle Crowley

Client Services Librarian, Scholars Portal, Ontario Council of University Libraries

Gabrielle Crowley is the Client Services Librarian at Scholars Portal - the service arm of the Ontario Council of University Libraries. She is responsible for consortial information sharing about Scholars Portal services through library communications, documentation, research support... Read More →

Thursday November 14, 2024 3:00pm - 4:00pm CST
Grand F

Sharing Your Story

Format Speaking Presentation
Audience Beginner

3:00pm CST

How to Deconstruct and Reconstruct Your Homepage: Notes from the Tortured Webmasters Department

Thursday November 14, 2024 3:00pm - 4:00pm CST

Grand GH

You’ve heard what can’t go on a homepage, but what CAN go on a homepage? In this session, we’re deconstructing elements of a library homepage from both a visual and content perspective, including main navigation. Next, we'll discuss how to develop your homepage goals when you prioritize your library's audiences, mission, and initiatives. Then, we'll need your help to design a homepage together, using poll-based audience participation to rank homepage elements and watch a homepage be brought to life. Tada, you've reviewed and created a homepage with an exercise you can scale at your library.

Speakers

Kati Polodna

Implementation Specialist, BiblioCommons

Kati Polodna is an Implementation Specialist at BiblioCommons who has helped 24 public libraries design their new websites. Prior to BiblioCommons, Kati worked at Arapahoe Libraries as a Web Content Developer and Marketing Specialist, and also worked several years on the floor with... Read More →

Claudia Strange

PR/Marketing Director, Fulton County Library System

Claudia Strange is a Marketing and Communications Professional with a love for all things digital. Claudia serves as the Director of PR and Marketing for the Fulton County Library System in Atlanta, Georgia. With an expertise in government communications, her passion is helping local... Read More →

Sponsors

Keesha Marson

Transform your public library's essential online services — your website, your catalog, your mobile app, your events calendar, and your marketing communications — into engaging experiences your staff and patrons will love.

Thursday November 14, 2024 3:00pm - 4:00pm CST
Grand GH

Video and Design

Format Speaking Presentation
Audience Intermediate