Who Pays? Who Buys? Collegiality or intellectual ownership?
The case for marketing the school externally
A forum presentation by Suzette Boyd
at the ASLA (NSW) 1998 Biennial Conference
University of Sydney
8 - 9 th August 1998
We all live and work in a competitive and political environment.
It is critical to maintain the importance of the school library
in the eyes of the College Board, the administration and the users.
We need to concentrate on projecting a positive dynamic image...
and one that is borne out by the respect with which other
schools and institutions view us... because believe it or not, Principals,
Finance Directors, Board members talk to one another about
US... imagine how fantastic a Principal must feel when their library
is the envy of their peers!!
It is certainly widely acknowledged within the profession that marketing
our services is critical to our survival. I would like to take this
a step further and suggest that in the future marketing ourselves
externally and revenue raising may be as essential to our survival
as internal marketing is today.
Why market externally?
Because you have the big picture in mind
These libraries will always be looking for ways to improve the services
they offer their users, they will be outward looking, forward-planning,
goal-setting, non-complacent places and they will not be afraid
to take the risk of marketing externally. One of my staff
recently said!! This "keeps the creative juices flowing".
Because you are providing exceptional customer service and
so have something to sell
If you have produced something fabulous for your own users why not
extend yourselves a little bit and tell others about what you have
done... they will want to BUY your product, either because they
can't do it themselves or they are busy working on some fabulous
project for their own students... which you will soon be able to
buy for your library! What a wonderful opportunity for sharing and
learning!
To enhance your profile – both internal and external
We all know that profile is the lifeblood of success. So if you
want to be seen to be managing a successful library you MUST have
a positive profile. Your Principal may already have faith in your
abilities as a manager, but if you have created an external profile
they will also have faith in their own abilities for having supported
you!!
Because there is a demand from other schools and libraries
At MLC we started arranging Visitor’s Days after requests from
schools to bring groups of staff to tour the library... I mentioned
the possibility of a fee for service, and bingo!
Also I remember speaking at a SLAV conference last year and was
explaining that we had started to produce a booklet of useful Internet
sites for various curriculum areas for our students to use. Immediately
I was asked if these "Webways" were for sale. At that stage they
weren't, but being an entrepreneurial library we soon rectified
that situation.
To interact with your fellow professionals
There is an underlying desire to share what we are able to do and
have done with others. People don’t have to buy our services or
materials, they can produce their own. But, there is a demand for
materials assistance and services from librarians who do not have
the staff, the experience or the marketing drive to create their
own products. In the past School Library Branch used to produce
all the materials that we needed to provide necessary services for
our users... and we paid for them!! Now we have the opportunity
to do it ourselves, to be entrepreneurial and risk-taking, enhancing
our profile in the process.
To provide funds with which to innovate
At MLC we have developed an account called "marketing" to which
the College does not contribute. All of the monies we make through
sale of products, visitors, and library sponsored events go into
this account. All marketing expenses, except for staff salaries
come out of this account. The management team of the library has
set guidelines for the operation of this account. 
The aims of external marketing by the Library and Information
Centre are:
- To promote MLC
- To promote the Library and Information Centre
- To enhance the teacher-librarian profession through the sharing
of knowledge and publications
Guidelines for the allocation of funds are:
- Professional Development activities in addition to those funded
by PD
Rewards as acknowledgement of staff commitment
- Equipment and resources that support marketing initiatives
- To heighten library staff morale and team spirit
How do you market externally?
Through risk-taking
Be aware of the needs of your fellow professionals... and be ready
to respond to that need if you think you have a product that others
can use to enhance their delivery of library services. If your users
need something you can guarantee that users in other schools would
also. There is a whole market there waiting to be tapped. What an
entrepreneurial opportunity for the risk-taker!
(In my workshop tomorrow I will be showing participants how to be
risk-takers... and win the approval of your Principal... and hopefully
your staff).
By being focussed on the users – providing exceptional
customer service
If you are student-focussed you will naturally be producing products
and developing services to enhance their learning. At MLC, once
we had produced User Guides for all our CD-ROMs we thought other
schools might be interested in purchasing them because our students
found them so useful. We also knew that they would be a worthwhile
selection tool for other schools.
By working in teams
At MLC all of the products that have been sold have been
the result of a co-ordinated effort by all staff.
By communication
Be aware of list-servs, appropriate journals and other suitable
places to advertise your product and services. Having a Library
Home Page is a necessity as then your prospective clients can see
what your presentation standards and philosophies , before committing
themselves.
By networking
By attending conferences and seminars you develop networks and gain
insight and inspiration. It also gives you the opportunity to do
some informal market research!
The results of successful external marketing
For the students in you school or college
The materials that are produced for student use will be of a high
quality and will continually be improved and evaluated. The
students are more likely to have pride in their school library and
recognise the efforts and services provided by library staff, resulting
in an exciting and dynamic sense of support and community. Income
from sales can be used to produce other materials to enhance student
learning.
For the College/School
Invaluable public relations = promotion, promotion, promotion
The Library in that school is seen as leading the pack and can become
the benchmark by which others measure their products and services.
For the Library Profession (the clients)
Those librarians who buy materials marketed by others are
able to provide enhanced services to their users. They are given
the opportunity to see what others are doing and may then go on
to improve the quality of what was originally purchased, by producing
their own in-house publications. They may be inspired to improve
the services they offer their students through redesigning facilities
or services. Libraries who market externally are providing a service
to schools who are not as well resourced.
For Library Staff
There is great pride and a sense of ownership and achievement for
those involved in externally marketing their library. Opportunities
for creativity and innovation are necessary for staff development
and the planning, goal-setting, team work, evaluation that goes
on when marketing externally are essential components of a dynamic
and revolutionary library service.
In the words of the library staff at MLC:
"we have an opportunity to work together to produce quality publications"
"we share skills, learning from each other"
"we work collaboratively for a common goal and to a deadline"
"it brings the needs of the user to the forefront of staff thinking
and operating"
"we feel valued"
"we enjoy the benefits of the revenue that is raised"
"it ensures we do our best"
"there is evidence of what we have achieved"
"it empowers all of us"
MLC Library - external marketing initiatives
- Revenue raising
- Library Home Page
- Jamie McKenzie Conference
- Webways
- User Guides for Electronic Resources
- Visitor's Days
- Technology Expos
- Book Launches on the Internet
- Community Access
Conclusion
Externally marketing your school library can lead to an enormous
sense of collegiality as librarians from all over Australia feel
they can contact you for advice and feedback.
The profession needs to support entrepreneurs as these people are
the ones with the courage to put their reputation "on the line",
for others to buy, use. modify and possibly compete with.
And remember:
If you always do what you have always done
you will always get what you have always got.
Copyright 1998: Suzette Boyd
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