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Summer 2007
Dear American Library Association member,
Library visits have increased to nearly than two billion a year. Public, school and university libraries are flourishing, yet school library media centers were hard hit by funding cuts in the past year.
To help tell our story effectively, library staff at all levels need to have the tools to get the word out to media and advocates alike in a results-oriented, cost-effective manner.
Just like those we serve, we thrive with access to the right tools. This handbook can provide your library community—public library professionals and staff, school librarians, library researchers, curators of special collections, trustees, systems librarians, and Friends of libraries—with many of those tools. All you need to do is access them – the technology, the tips, the skills to keep you in instant and constant touch.
Communications and public relations are in essence the art of influence. With the great relations we have developed with media—and therefore the public—over time, we have gained the ability to help shape public opinion in our communities through such efforts as National Library Week, Library Card Sign-up Month and Banned Books Week. We have worked steadily to build relationships with professionals in our community as we motivate our customers to become lifelong learners who faithfully use our unique library resources throughout their lives.
This guide is designed to help you determine if the story you’re shaping is a news item, a feature, or a calendar listing. Is it best for radio, TV, print or the Internet? And, how can you get attention for your programs without breaking the bank or taking up too much valuable staff time. Building on the
In addition to this guide, you may find additional resources at the ALA Public Information Office’s Web site .There you will find press releases, sample PSAs, national fact sheets, props for press conferences, soundbites, and more. Be sure to check out The Campaign for America’s Libraries Web site which contains valuable information for the day-to-day promotion of and advocacy for your library.
We hope the skills, tools, and confidence you gain from this manual will provide you with what you need to disseminate your message to the media and beyond. And remember: everything you need for a strong, effective communications strategy is available @ your library®.
Sincerely,
Mark R. Gould
Director, Public Information Office
American Library Association
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