Library and Information Science Commons^™

Branding Matters: Reimagine Your Library Services, Susan T. Wengler

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Crowdsourcing As An Approach To Customer Relationship Building In Academic Libraries, Lisa A. Ellis, Aisha Pena

Publications and Research

Library initiatives to first-year students not only present an opportunity to offer information literacy instruction for student advancement but they also serve a key marketing function by communicating the library’s ongoing value and building customer relationships. Library orientation tours are an example of how to effectively market to first-year students. Combining peer-to-peer learning and user-generated content via social media known as crowdsourcing, Newman Library sponsored a contest challenging first-year students to create a video sharing a useful library tip. The contributions and benefits of this co-creation approach to fostering relationships are examined and the implications to strengthening other library-user bonds …

Making Electronic Databases Functional On The Library Website: A Practical Approach, Kanu A. Nagra

Publications and Research

This paper presents a process on making electronic databases functional on the library website for on and off campus access for optimum use. It covers the steps after the price, license terms and conditions are finalized between library and vendor and the decision is made by library and subject experts to subscribe or purchase the database. The operational workflow steps can be challenging for new professionals when implementing it for the first time. The step by step approach provided in this paper is meant to help new professionals in strategic planning, organizing the structure and management of library databases provision, …

Out With The Old, In With The New: Best Practices For Replacing Library Signage, Mark Aaron Polger, Amy F. Stempler

Publications and Research

Signage is an essential way of communicating with users and is a vital way to alert patrons to important information, news, upcoming events, policies, and directions. Literature on library signage has emphasized the importance of consistency and clarity, to avoid clutter and contradictory messaging, and the need for buy-in from library staff, faculty and patrons. However, few scholarly studies address user preferences in signage. This article fills the void between theory and practice, and offers step-by-step details for revamping signage, specifically in an academic library. At the heart of the authors’ thesis is that library signs are living documents. Libraries …

Do You See The Signs? Evaluating Language, Branding, And Design In A Library Signage Audit, Amy F. Stempler, Mark Aaron Polger

Publications and Research

Signage represents more than directions or policies; it is informational, promotional, and sets the tone of the environment. To be effective, signage must be consistent, concise, and free of jargon and punitive language. An efficient assessment of signage should include a complete inventory of existing signage, including an analysis of the types of signs, its location, language, and its design. This article outlines the steps involved in a comprehensive signage audit, which along with a literature review, provides the foundation for creating a signage policy, best practices guidelines, and a branding strategy for future signage.

Marketing Library Workshops: A Model For Achieving Popular And Critical Success, Catherine Stern, Alexandra Rojas, Elizabeth Namei

Publications and Research

While drop-in workshops can often be a vital and important component of academic library instruction programs (Manuel, 2003), it is an ongoing challenge to keep them fresh and to attract sufficient numbers of attendees to make the enterprise meaningful and worthwhile. Workshops offer an opportunity to raise the library's profile within the institution and be recognized for the work librarians do to support the college's mission. LaGuardia Community College Library has sought to achieve both popular (good attendance) and critical (enhanced college-wide recognition) success with its workshop series. The outreach initiatives described in this article brought us closer to both …

Who's Spinning The Library? Responsibilities Of Academic Librarians Who Promote, Mark Aaron Polger, Karen Okamoto

Publications and Research

Purpose

– The purpose of this paper is to explore the responsibilities and challenges faced by academic librarians whose major responsibilities include the overall promotion of the library.

Design/methodology/approach

– A questionnaire was sent to seven library listservs asking respondents to describe their work duties, promotional activities, academic background, and professional challenges and concerns.

Findings

– This study garnered 215 responses. Respondents who completed the questionnaire identified as academic librarians whose major responsibilities include the overall promotion of the library. Librarians who promote face a plethora of challenges, including time restraints, lack of funding and limited support for their promotional …

Planning A Reading And Discussion Series In An Academic Library, Rebecca Arzola

Publications and Research

Planning a reading series for an academic library takes an initial investment of time, energy and attention to detail. When you consider all the elements involved with planning and executing a reading, the initial investment of time and effort to devise a smoothly run event series is well worth the results. It can be as creative a venture as you have time for. Do what is comfortable for you

Selective And (Subtle) Marketing Of Library Instruction, Mark Aaron Polger, Karen Okamoto

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Leonard Lief Library Sony Reader Program: Leading Cuny In Digital Media Technology, Stefanie Havelka, Jennifer A. King, Adelaide Soto

Publications and Research

No abstract provided.

Making Twitter Work: A Guide For The Uninitiated, The Skeptical, And The Pragmatic, Valerie Forrestal

Publications and Research

This article highlights the advantages of librarians and libraries establishing a professional or institutional presence on Twitter. This basic introduction to the web service also discusses innovative ways to shape your Twitter account into a successful professional development, reference, and outreach resource.

The Informationist: Ten Years Later, Mark Aaron Polger

Publications and Research

The article explores the last 10 years of literature relating to Davidoff and Florance’s informationist concept. An informationist provides many of the same services as a medical librarian, is a permanent member of the clinical team, and resides on the clinical floors. The author explores the job functions of the informationist and examines whether this service has come to fruition. The author argues that the informationist service can only be fully realized in large academic health sciences libraries, large teaching hospitals, and medical research organizations such as the National Institutes of Health. To facilitate this argument, a questionnaire was distributed …

Information Takeout And Delivery: A Case Study Exploring Different Library Service Delivery Models, Mark Aaron Polger

Publications and Research

This article explores the transformation from the traditional service delivery model of a hospital library (patrons come to the library to request materials and information) to a more dynamic service delivery model where library staff deliver all services on clinical floors, participate in clinical rounds, and teach in staff and physician offices. This model is similar to the “informationist role.” The article discusses the “Information Takeout and Delivery Service” model and includes usage statistics comparing 2005 to 2008. It also shows that data from a questionnaire of 50 library users who were identified as “active library users” illustrate that this …