Libraries featured on Today Show!

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26184891/vp/31237988#31237988

The ALA Public Information Office worked with the Today Show on this
segment and has followed up to encourage NBC affiliates to take up the
story locally. But you can help extend the reach of this positive story
in several ways:

1) Include the Today Show link on your library Web site

2) Reach out to your local media this week with your local story
(particularly NBC affiliates), complemented by national data from the
ALA. Two key data points from the Today Show were: 73% of public
libraries report they provide the only free access to the Internet in
their communities. This rises to 83 percent for rural libraries:
http://tinyurl.com/mupmzd and www.ala.org/plinternetfunding Also, 68
percent of Americans have a library card: http://tinyurl.com/9ewpcc

3) Take advantage of free ALA resources to help tell your story to
media, elected officials and funders:

Sending positive messages in a downturn economy

I read an interesting article by Emily Silverman of University of Massacuhusetts who posited that library administrators often, in the face of budget cuts, are tempted to send messages to their publics to rally support, using messages such as "Save the library!" and "We need your help!"

She writes that even though our instincts may tell us to cry out in pain to get the attention we deserve, these types of messages often do more harm than good. Supporters like to respond to a positive message; they like to support an organization that is not in financial trouble. She believes that cries for help do not yield results.

Silverman advises to continue doing as much as you can in finding ways to give users what they want (know your audience) and find multiple ways of communicating your library's successes. Libraries' resources are in incredible demand. Libraries are having to do more with less and we must have honest and confident messages and be forthright about the financial impacts we are facing. But let's tell the good stories and focus on the positive reasons that people are flocking to their libraries. Libraries have transformed to successfully meet changing needs, such as free wifi, DVDs & video cameras for check-out, employment counseling, computers, ESL classes, tutoring, expanded programming for youth and homeschoolers, and free use of community rooms.

Share your statistics, stories and successes in every way that you can, not just using data. Use testimonials by your customers, find partners to help share the message about the many ways that the library impacts its community and build a pool of strong examples and images showing how the library demonstrates value and benefit in good times and bad using print and electronic means.

Take pride in your success (even in a downturn economy) and people will remain committed in you. Yes, it hurts right now and the decisions are tough--harder than most people realize. But it's important to find ways to tell the library's story in ways that encourage financial support without the negative undertone of "save us."

A Never-ending Challenge: Marketing Your Library

Now, more than ever, library personnel must find ways to promote their value and service to their communities, administrators, city council members and others. Even though this was written in 2004 and is a product from Elsevier, a scholarly publisher of science and health info, they are advocates for libraries. This particular newsletter's theme was sharing the library's value and strategic marketing. it has some great info:
http://www.elsevier.com/framework_librarians/LibraryConnect/lcvol1no3sep2003.pdf

Size, Versatility, and Low Cost -- Contributing Factors to Netbooks’ Popularity

Recently, some of our personnel spoke about how they use their netbooks, citing convenience and cost as top attributes. The name, netbook, is apt for this small-size laptop computer because of its reliance on an Internet connection.

James Bradley, Head of Metadata & Digital Initiatives, spent about $375 on his black ASUS Eee PC 1000HE Netbook. It features a 10-inch screen and wireless N connection with Bluetooth connectability. It has a battery life of over seven hours on a charge. He spent another $25 to upgrade the memory to 2 GB RAM.

“I love it,” he said. “During work hours, I use it for e-mail, Web, and word processing. It is portable and easy to take to meetings, thus my notes on a meeting can be saved to my main workstation when I return and then form an electronic and searchable archive of meeting notes and agendas.” When away from work, he also uses his netbook to watch videos, such as YouTube or Hulu, and he uses Adobe PhotoShop and publishes family photos on his Web site.

Denise Kinney, Secretary to Library Assistant Deans, really likes her ASUS Eee 1000HA. It features a 160 GB hard drive, sports 1 GB RAM, and offers wireless G capability. She used the wireless connectivity to locate genealogy information and to download knitting and crochet patterns, which she reads as she knits.

“Truly, there is no limit as to what may be accessed or stored on this netbook,” she said. “I have the world at my fingertips through my netbook.”

Robert Seaton, University Libraries’ Web Development Specialist, said he likes the portability of his Acer Aspire One with its 10.1-inch screen and 1.6 GHz Intel Atom N270 processor. He paid about $350 for the sapphire blue unit.

“I can take it with me everywhere,” he said. “The size is small so it’s like carrying a paper notebook, and it is a fast machine. It’s small enough that I can take it to a meeting and it won’t be distracting.”

Robert said that his netbook even plays some of today’s more popular 3D games. The units do not come standard with a CD-ROM drive, although it makes up for that by having several USB ports and an SD card reader as well as a multi-card reader. It has built-in wireless so any software that he wants can usually be downloaded and installed.

Because the price of the netbook is so reasonable and its performance is so high, the unit seems to be perfectly suited for almost everyone. For less than $400, you can have a powerful, portable computer that offers word processing, video playback, e-mail, and other functionality. From any WiFi hotspot or ubiquitous 3G network, the netbook is perfect for providing convenient access to the Internet from home, work, or school.