Thursday, January 27
The conference has 7 sessions each day (listed in Central Standard Time). This day has 3 sessions in the Marketing and Small Libraries tracks, following with a Closing Session to end the conference. You must register for each session individually.
9 a.m.
Get Back in Here! Promotional Ideas to Draw People Back in the Library (Marketing)
Register
The number one question facing many libraries right now is: how long will it take us to rebuild use of our physical space and collections lost in the pandemic? One promotional message is not going to grab the attention of all your community members. In this session, you’ll learn to focus your energies on core audiences, including readers. Get actionable strategies for creating specific, targeted messages to re-energize those patrons. You’ll leave with a plan to use your core brand (books!) to draw people back to the library and get them to use other services.
Participants Will:
- Get actionable strategies for creating targeted messages
- Leave with a plan to use the library's core brand
- Re-shift its focus on library readers
Angela Hursh, Senior Engagement Consultant, NoveList
The conference has 7 sessions each day (listed in Central Standard Time). This day has 3 sessions in the Marketing and Small Libraries tracks, following with a Closing Session to end the conference. You must register for each session individually.
9 a.m.
Get Back in Here! Promotional Ideas to Draw People Back in the Library (Marketing)
Register
The number one question facing many libraries right now is: how long will it take us to rebuild use of our physical space and collections lost in the pandemic? One promotional message is not going to grab the attention of all your community members. In this session, you’ll learn to focus your energies on core audiences, including readers. Get actionable strategies for creating specific, targeted messages to re-energize those patrons. You’ll leave with a plan to use your core brand (books!) to draw people back to the library and get them to use other services.
Participants Will:
- Get actionable strategies for creating targeted messages
- Leave with a plan to use the library's core brand
- Re-shift its focus on library readers
Angela Hursh, Senior Engagement Consultant, NoveList
9 a.m.
Food in the Library: Reading & Feeding the Community (Small & Mighty)
Register
Many libraries used to have policies against having food in the library. Not at Julie's library. Join Julie Elmore, Director of the Oakland City - Columbia Township Public Library, as she shares how her library is using food in the library in new and unique ways. Drive through food pickups, growing a vertical garden, programming around food, and partnering with their local food bank for the Commodity Supplemental Food Program for seniors are just a few of the ways that this library is helping to combat food insecurity in their community. Julie will share tips about creating partnerships with community organizations and finding the grants to help make these food programs a success.
Participants Will:
- Learn how to use food in the library in new ways
- Master how to create partnerships with local food banks
- Discover grants on developing food programs
Julie Elmore, Director, Oakland City - Columbia Township Public Library
10:30 a.m.
Out-of-the-Box Marketing Tactics (Marketing)
Register
It's time to think outside the box!
Learn new ways to promote programs, services, and more using social media and other tools.
This presentation will focus on new and different ways we can use the tools in front of us to promote our libraries.
Participants Will:
- Learn an overview of library marketing
- Create practical tools to promote library programs
Sasha Vasilic, Public Relations and Marketing Supervisor, Niles-Maine District Library
10:30 a.m.
Capturing Your Community (Small & Mighty)
Register
Every community is special and has an interesting history, fascinating people, and an ongoing story. Every small library has a unique opportunity, and perhaps the responsibility, to capture and preserve that community. Hear over fifty ways that this one library has taken local subjects to increase resources and create imaginative programming for patrons of all ages. Joan’s out-of-the-box thinking will take you beyond the gathering of oral histories into maps, mysteries, musicals, and more. This is the niche your library is equipped and destined to fill.
Participants Will:
- Create unique ideas to preserve the history in your community
- Learn out-of-the-box ways to engage your community
- Discover imaginative programming for patrons of all ages
Joan Weaver, Director, Kinsley Library
12 - 12:30 p.m.
Canva Demo and Q & A
Join us for a quick Canva demo, and have questions answered.
Submit your questions by Tuesday, January 25.
Canva Demo and Q & A
Join us for a quick Canva demo, and have questions answered.
Submit your questions by Tuesday, January 25.
1 p.m.
PR Is More Than a Press Release (Marketing)
Register
Want to know one of my biggest pet peeves about marketing? When the terms “PR” and “marketing” get confused, mixed up, and our practice and expectations get out of whack. Let’s fix that today! This webinar will talk about the basics of PR (including building good media relations), its place in the marketing cycle, what PR can (and maybe can’t) do for libraries, best practices for the way media works today, basic elements for your PR toolkit, and how setting clear expectations for PR can lead to greater success.
Participants will:
- Decipher the difference between PR activities and promotion activities
- Identify elements of the PR and a media kit your library should have
- Set clear expectations for PR efforts and identify one SMART goal for a library PR campaign
Jennifer Burke, President, IntelliCraft Research, LLC
PR Is More Than a Press Release (Marketing)
Register
Want to know one of my biggest pet peeves about marketing? When the terms “PR” and “marketing” get confused, mixed up, and our practice and expectations get out of whack. Let’s fix that today! This webinar will talk about the basics of PR (including building good media relations), its place in the marketing cycle, what PR can (and maybe can’t) do for libraries, best practices for the way media works today, basic elements for your PR toolkit, and how setting clear expectations for PR can lead to greater success.
Participants will:
- Decipher the difference between PR activities and promotion activities
- Identify elements of the PR and a media kit your library should have
- Set clear expectations for PR efforts and identify one SMART goal for a library PR campaign
Jennifer Burke, President, IntelliCraft Research, LLC
1 p.m.
Respectful Human Resources for Rural Librarians (Small & Mighty)
Register
Rural library directors and management face many of the same employer challenges as larger libraries – as well as a few unique ones. However, they also have the added challenges of fewer HR professionals and resources to help as well as living and doing their day-to-day business in the same community as the people and patrons they manage.
This session will address the basics that librarians need to know to keep themselves and their governing bodies out of legal hot water, best practices to manage a small part-time and volunteer staff for professional library services, and available resources to help you and your team thrive.
Participants Will:
- Develop best practices to manage a small part-time and volunteer staff
- Discover resources to help library teams thrive
- Learn day-to-day business practices
Lisa Shaw, Rural and Small Libraries/Workforce Development Specialist, Maine State Library
Respectful Human Resources for Rural Librarians (Small & Mighty)
Register
Rural library directors and management face many of the same employer challenges as larger libraries – as well as a few unique ones. However, they also have the added challenges of fewer HR professionals and resources to help as well as living and doing their day-to-day business in the same community as the people and patrons they manage.
This session will address the basics that librarians need to know to keep themselves and their governing bodies out of legal hot water, best practices to manage a small part-time and volunteer staff for professional library services, and available resources to help you and your team thrive.
Participants Will:
- Develop best practices to manage a small part-time and volunteer staff
- Discover resources to help library teams thrive
- Learn day-to-day business practices
Lisa Shaw, Rural and Small Libraries/Workforce Development Specialist, Maine State Library
2:30 p.m.
How A Remarkable Customer Experience Can Be Your Best Sales and Marketing Strategy (Closing Session)
Register
Let’s face it: Competition is tougher than ever these days. How can we stand out in a crowded marketplace that is constantly evolving?
Your library CAN compete on customer experience. When you create a remarkable experience for your customers, they become your best marketers and salespeople. The result is more customers who stay longer and recommend your company to others.
You’ll walk away from this closing session inspired to go back to work the next day with actionable steps to create a deeper connection with your customers. And Dan Gingiss doesn’t just talk about experience, he creates one for the audience, too!
Participants Will:
- Identify the types of experiences people share most often and why
- Apply an easy, 5-step framework for creating remarkable, shareable experiences
- See how customer engagement generates increased loyalty
- Leverage examples from many other companies across industries that have been successful with these simple, practical, and inexpensive ideas
Dan Gingiss, Chief Experience Officer, The Experience Maker, LLC
How A Remarkable Customer Experience Can Be Your Best Sales and Marketing Strategy (Closing Session)
Register
Let’s face it: Competition is tougher than ever these days. How can we stand out in a crowded marketplace that is constantly evolving?
Your library CAN compete on customer experience. When you create a remarkable experience for your customers, they become your best marketers and salespeople. The result is more customers who stay longer and recommend your company to others.
You’ll walk away from this closing session inspired to go back to work the next day with actionable steps to create a deeper connection with your customers. And Dan Gingiss doesn’t just talk about experience, he creates one for the audience, too!
Participants Will:
- Identify the types of experiences people share most often and why
- Apply an easy, 5-step framework for creating remarkable, shareable experiences
- See how customer engagement generates increased loyalty
- Leverage examples from many other companies across industries that have been successful with these simple, practical, and inexpensive ideas
Dan Gingiss, Chief Experience Officer, The Experience Maker, LLC