Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Vision, Advocacy, Narrative, Outreach: Strategic Communication For New Library Buildings, John E. Ulmschneider

VCU Libraries Faculty and Staff Publications

The scholarly and practice literature on communication strategies reveals the importance of both strategically crafted message content and a multilevel messaging process that reaches all stakeholders and potential supporters. This chapter describes how Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries developed and implemented a visioning, advocacy, and communications strategy in support of a major library construction initiative. The successful effort led VCU Libraries’ disparate communities to embrace and support a distinctive, award-winning library design that departed both from architectural practice at the university and from initial expectations for library buildings among stakeholder communities.