Planning and Promoting Events in Health Sciences Libraries: Success Stories and Best Practices 9781538135914, 1538135914

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Planning and Promoting Events in Health Sciences Libraries

Medical Library Association Books The Medical Library Association (MLA) publishes state-of-the-art books that enhance health care, support professional development, improve library services, and promote research throughout the world. MLA books are dynamic resources for librarians in hospitals, medical research practice, corporate libraries, and other settings. These invaluable publications provide medical librarians, health care professionals, and patients with accurate information that can improve outcomes and save lives. Medical Library Association Books Panel The MLA Books Panel is responsible for (1) monitoring publishing trends within the industry; (2) exploring new concepts in publications by actively soliciting and proposing ideas for new publications; and (3) coordinating publishing efforts to achieve the best utilization of MLA resources. Each MLA book is directly administered from its inception by the MLA Books Panel, composed of MLA members with expertise spanning the breadth of health sciences librarianship. Erin Watson, AHIP University of Saskatchewan

Chair

Jamie L. Conklin University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Chair Designate

Susan Maria Harnett, AHIP University of Florida

Member

Heather Jett, AHIP Mayo Clinic Libraries

Member

Sophie M. Regalado, AHIP Northern Ontario School of Medicine

Member

Vedana Vaidhyanathan Baylor University

Member

Elaina Vitale Dartmouth College

Member

Charles Harmon Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

Publisher Liaison

Martha Lara Medical Library Association

Staff Liaison

J. Dale Prince, AHIP Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center New Orleans

Board Liaison

About the Medical Library Association The Medical Library Association (MLA) is a global, nonprofit educational organization, with a membership of more than 400 institutions and 3,000 professionals in the health information field. Since 1898, MLA has fostered excellence in the professional practice and leadership of health sciences library and information professionals to enhance health care, education, and research throughout the world. MLA educates health information professionals, supports health information research, promotes access to the world’s health sciences information, and works to ensure that the best health information is available to all. Recently Published MLA Books Include 3D Printing in Medical Libraries: A Crash Course in Supporting Innovation in Healthcare by Jennifer Herron Diversity and Inclusion in Libraries: A Call to Action and Strategies for Success edited by Shannon D. Jones and Beverly Murphy Framing Health Care Instruction: An Information Literacy Handbook for the Health Sciences by Lauren M. Young and Elizabeth G. Hinton The Clinical Medical Librarian's Handbook edited by Judy C. Stribling The Engaged Health Sciences Library Liaison edited by Lindsay Alcock and Kelly Thormodson A History of Medical Libraries and Medical Librarianship: From John Shaw Billings to the Digital Era by Michael R. Kronenfeld and Jennie Jacobs Kronenfeld Planning and Promoting Events in Health Sciences Libraries: Success Stories and Best Practices edited by Shalu Gillum and Natasha Williams Great Library Events: From Planning to Promotion to Evaluation by Mary Grace Flaherty

Planning and Promoting Events in Health Sciences Libraries Success Stories and Best Practices Edited by Shalu Gillum Natasha Williams

ROWMAN & LITTLEFIELD Lanham • Boulder • New York • London

Published by Rowman & Littlefield An imprint of The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, Inc. 4501 Forbes Boulevard, Suite 200, Lanham, Maryland 20706 www.rowman.com 6 Tinworth Street, London SE11 5AL, United Kingdom Copyright © 2021 by Medical Library Association All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote passages in a review. British Library Cataloguing in Publication Information Available Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Gillum, Shalu, 1978- editor. | Williams, Natasha, 1986- editor. Title: Planning and promoting events in health sciences libraries : success stories and best practices / edited by Shalu Gillum, Natasha Williams. Description: Lanham : Rowman & Littlefield, [2021] | Series: Medical Library Association books | Includes bibliographical references and index. | Summary: “Planning and Promoting Events in Health Sciences Libraries: Success Stories and Best Practices presents a simple blueprint for planning and promoting library events and programs written with medical librarians in mind”— Provided by publisher. Identifiers: LCCN 2020047785 (print) | LCCN 2020047786 (ebook) | ISBN 9781538135907 (paperback) | ISBN 9781538135914 (epub) Subjects: LCSH: Medical libraries—Activity programs—United States. | Library outreach programs—United States. | Medical libraries—Activity programs—United States—Case studies. | Library outreach programs—United States—Case studies. Classification: LCC Z675.M4 P625 2021 (print) | LCC Z675.M4 (ebook) | DDC 026/.61—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020047785 LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020047786 TM

The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI/NISO Z39.48-1992.

Contents

Preface

ix

Acknowledgments

xi

Part I: Practical Guide to Planning and Promoting Library Events 1 Introduction Shalu Gillum and Natasha Williams 2 The Life Cycle of Planning and Promoting Library Events Shalu Gillum and Natasha Williams 3 Budgeting for Library Programming Shannon Jones 4 Brainstorming Ideas for Library Events Tamara M. Nelson 5 A Purposeful Approach to Library Events Promotion Erinn E. Aspinall 6 Assessment of Library Programming Shalu Gillum and Natasha Williams

1 3

Part II: Success Stories 7 Case Study: Using Contests on Social Media to Grow Your Audience and Increase Engagement Kelsa Bartley 8 Case Study: Women of Color in Medicine: A Panel Discussion Jessica A. Koos and Mona Ramonetti

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11 23 35 47 61

69 71 81

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Contents

9 Case Study: Orlando Health UpSkill: A Hospital Library Integrated Workforce Initiative Aidybert Weeks and Stephanie Harris 10 Case Study: Developing a Multifaceted, Intentional Approach to Library Promotion through an Effective Communications Committee Mary Joan (M. J.) Tooey and Lauren Wheeler 11 Case Study: Halloween-Themed Library Awareness Program for National Medical Librarians Month Jaclyn Castek and Angie Novak 12 Case Study: Library Fun Labs: A Successful Experiment in Crafting Community Katherine A. Morley Eramo, Rebecca A. Morin, Amy E. LaVertu, Katherin R. Deford, Tom Quinn, and Siamak Samiean 13 Case Study: Partnering with Public Libraries in Rural and Underserved Areas of North Carolina: Providing Community Outreach Terri Ottosen, Nandita S. Mani, Megan Fratta, and Michelle Cawley 14 Case Study: Easy but Effective Virtual Programming: HSL Podcast Club Carly Lambert and Shalu Gillum

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Index

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About the Editors and Contributors

145

Preface

If you are a librarian at a library with a resource collection that is almost 100 percent digital, and users can access those resources without ever stepping foot in the library, how can you engage with your users? How can you let them know you offer valuable services to help them? We found ourselves in just this predicament when our library, a brand-new health sciences library at a new medical school, opened its doors. Not all students choose to study in the library, and most faculty, staff, and residents have no reason to come to the library if they can find what they need beyond the four walls of the library space. While this is especially true for libraries with primarily digital collections, even traditional libraries increasingly face this struggle. Consequently, we had to get creative to find ways to bring users into the library space to connect with librarians and library staff and take advantage of library services and so users could be more aware of the library and its many offerings. Our method of choice was simple: fun. By creating fun and creative programs to connect users with the library (i.e., the physical space, the collection, and the library team), we were able to solidify the library as the center for informative and valuable services and resources at our institution. When we learned that the Medical Library Association was looking for a book on planning and promoting library programing, we immediately jumped at the opportunity. Having just recently developed a continuing education course on the same topic, we felt uniquely prepared to expand on our thoughts even further. How could we translate our experiences into a useful tool for other librarians? We can all agree that library programming can increase patron awareness of and engagement with library resources and services at any library. However, in our experience, creative programming and promotion is what really draws people into the physical library space, especially as libraries evolve and become more virtual. Over the course of a ix

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decade, we have created and employed several fun programs for our main user groups (medical students, faculty, and staff members) that have worked well to draw people into the library space or that have created successful connections between users and librarians. To accomplish this, we have adapted a method—we’re calling it a “life cycle”—for planning and promoting library events as a foolproof way of making sure events and programs go off smoothly. While this has worked well at our library and our institution, there is obviously more than one right way to plan and promote library events, and often it is more helpful to see what has worked (and not worked) for others than to simply follow prescribed guidelines. It is our intent that this book will walk readers through the stages of library programming and promotion and that through the case studies contained in this book, readers will gain insights from other health sciences librarians who have successfully created programs for their users, even those with little to no programming budget. Of course, no publication schedule is perfect, and as luck would have it, we were in the process of completing this book when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Many libraries, including our own, had to change course when it came to their own programming. That said, we do still believe that the concepts in this book continue to apply, even if we are unable to provide services to our patrons in person. Perhaps now more than ever, we could all use some guidance on how to approach restructuring our programs in such a way that they continue to be engaging and accessible. All in all, it is our hope that the book will be a useful reference tool for current health sciences librarians in both academic and hospital settings and perhaps even for library and information science students looking to gain an understanding of library programming and promotion.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank our library team and work families, both past and present, for their support, for giving us the creative freedom to try our crazy ideas, and for listening to us incessantly discuss library programming. Thank you to Nadine Dexter, Deedra Walton, Pammy Herring, Terri Gotschall, Raney Collins, Nadia Fortune, Carly Lambert, Melodie Gardner, Faith Shafer-Moody, Amelia Strickland, and Denise Suits. Thank you also to members of our University of Central Florida College of Medicine family, who always show up for our events and make what we do worth it. Many thanks to our contributors for their time and enthusiasm and for sharing your experiences and expertise with us; this book would not be complete without you. We are also grateful to Charles Harmon, Erinn Slanina, and everyone else at Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group for their comments, suggestions, edits, and help along the way. Lastly, special thanks to the Medical Library Association Books Panel for supporting our book proposal and recommending it for publication. Thank you to our families for putting up with us!

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Part I

Practical Guide to Planning and Promoting Library Events

Chapter One

Introduction Shalu Gillum and Natasha Williams

“Do anything, but let it produce joy.”—Walt Whitman

Imagine being approached by the director of your library with the task of planning an event meant to draw patrons into the library space. Or think about a time when you identified an opportunity or experience that would be meaningful to share with your library patrons. How do you get an idea out of your mind and successfully see it through to completion? Many of us did not go into the field of librarianship to be event planners, yet we often find our roles inching in that direction for a myriad of reasons. Is it enough to develop an idea and hope it comes to fruition, or is there more to successful event planning and promotion than meets the eye? We have spent a few years contemplating this question and have come to the conclusion that most of us already possess the skills necessary to plan and promote library events, but we might not know how to apply them yet. We have all attended a library conference and happened across a poster session or paper presentation that sets our mind racing with thoughts of “Hey, that idea is really neat. Can we do that in our library?” And there is plenty of inspiration to be found at conferences, from turning your library into an escape room to teach information literacy and research skills 1 to hosting workshops on art and the humanities to enhance clinical practice. 2 Ideas like these inspire us all to get creative and step up our programming, but too often we return to our libraries and never take the next step. The same thing happens when we stumble upon brilliant ideas on websites like the American Library Association’s Programming Librarian, specifically developed as “a place for library professionals to share, learn, and be inspired to present excellent programming for their communities” 3 and full of inspiration and creative programming resources and content. Sometimes the only thing stop3

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ping us from pursuing the ideas we find is the thought that they are out of our reach or beyond the scope of the work we do. The reason we wanted to put this book together is to share a simple truth: ideas like these are not out of your reach or beyond the scope of the work you do as librarians. And the truth is that the librarians presenting these ideas come from libraries just like yours. Pulling off successful, creative, engaging library programs requires thoughtful planning more than event planning skills. As librarians, we are well versed in taking the needs of our patrons and translating them into useful services. Those same skills form the backbone of any event—or library program—planning process. OUR JOURNEY TO LIBRARY PROGRAMMING SUCCESS When we first started planning library programs and events, we had no shortage of ideas, but they did not always lead to success. Back then we measured success by how many people showed up to our events, and we were often disappointed by those numbers. After much trial and error (mostly error), the tide turned for our library’s programming success when we tuned in to (1) who our users actually are and (2) what those users want. For example, like many libraries, we had the idea to hold monthly lunch and learn sessions, which we initially focused on faculty. Attendance was lackluster at best, so we stopped the sessions. After a long hiatus and much brainstorming about the type of users who typically attend other events held by the library, we realized that the majority of attendees at our non-studentcentered events were staff, so we came back with a new version of our lunch and learn series aimed at them. Five years later, some of our lunch and learns draw a crowd of twelve to fifteen people (or more), while others draw six. Our measure of success is also no longer just how many people showed up but that we can count on our users to come to our events month after month. While the number of attendees varies based on the topic discussed, our users consistently attend the sessions because we are providing content that interests them, and they know they can count on the library to provide fun and engaging sessions. This has also spilled over to other programs we have created. Once our library established a reputation for hosting fun, informative, and engaging programming, participation in all our efforts improved. Finding a new successful program model was as easy as listening to our users. After each of those early sessions, we sent out a brief survey to attendees to find out the types of content they were interested in. It became apparent that our staff was clamoring for information on work-life balance, wellness, professional development, and technology. It was also clear that because our staff did not feel they were getting this type of programming elsewhere, they looked to the library to provide it. Armed with this informa-

Introduction

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tion about our users’ needs, we were able to develop successful programs beyond just our monthly lunch and learns, and we shifted our focus to become a center for workplace wellness for all users. We also realized over time that our faculty prefer library instruction in a one-on-one setting. When we offered reference management training in this format, with the promise of a librarian coming to the faculty member’s office, we had an unprecedented response and higher faculty engagement than for any other programming done in the past. If this scenario sounds familiar to you, you are in good company. In their National Impact of Library Public Programs Assessment, the American Library Association acknowledges that programming has become a more significant aspect of the services offered by all types of libraries in recent years. 4 Previous studies have indicated that these programs come in all varieties and that there are many ways to categorize the types of programming librarians are endeavoring to create. 5, 6 We are all focused on finding better ways to reach the patrons we serve. We assure you that there is a light at the end of your own programming tunnel too. There is much to be gained from taking a critical look at the way you have approached programming in the past. WHAT YOU WILL FIND IN THIS BOOK Planning and promoting events in health sciences is not rocket science, nor should it be a stressful process. This book is intended to be a practical guide for executing successful programs and events in health sciences libraries. This is not a one-size-fits-all solution but rather a good framework to start developing programs to see what works best in your library and for your users. This book is divided into two parts: Part I is a practical “how-to” to walk you through the important steps of planning and promoting successful library events. Part II presents case studies from libraries around the United States, which offer fun ideas and best practices that will hopefully spark ideas and get your library programming creativity flowing. We will also be introducing you to what we call the life cycle of planning and promoting library events. Chapters 1 through 6 will delve into some of the parts of this cycle in more depth, including budgeting for library events and promotion, brainstorming, strategic communication to create a consistent and cohesive message, and finally assessment. Chapters 7 through 14 contain a collection of diverse case studies from different libraries. It is our hope that you will see your own library reflected in some of these studies, which may spark an idea (or several) that you can implement yourself. Even if your library or users are different from those described in this book, the lessons

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our contributors share and the best practices provided can easily be modified to work in your setting. We subtitled this book “Success Stories and Best Practices” because we feel it is important for us to share what has worked for other health sciences librarians. Many of the case studies found here identify similar best practices. These are the best practices to which we ourselves subscribe, and we would like to highlight a few of them. Make It Simple and Easy It is incredibly easy to fall victim to overcomplicating the things we do. Sometimes an idea is so grand that, in our excitement, it gets away from us early on in the planning stages. By the time we are ready to execute the idea, it feels overwhelming and unwieldy. We all eventually realize that the best approach is often the simplest one. As we discuss in the next chapter, stay mindful of the limits of your team, budgets, and other key factors that go into your planning process. Bigger does not always necessarily mean better; what we want to deliver are quality experiences that we can actually execute. Consistency Is Key The difference between a successful event and a dud is consistency: consistency in applying what you know about your patrons, consistency about what you know about your team, and consistency in making sure your message reflects what your library is about. Consistency is also important in other areas that you might not have considered. As discussed in chapter 5, consistent branding and communication are often overlooked parts of successful library programming. Finally, consistency is important in your programs themselves. For example, if you have your lunch and learn sessions on the same day of the month, at the same time, and in the same room, this builds consistency in your users’ schedule and helps your users more routinely engage with your library. This concept helps build familiarity between your user groups and your library and the programming it offers. When your programming gets to the point where you are consistently generating interest and reaching your intended audience, that is a good indicator that your approach is working. Be Inclusive When we build our programming and services, it is essential to remember that the patrons we serve are not a monolith. Our users are just as unique as each of us when it comes to their needs, interests, and even skill sets. As Nicole Cooke notes, “Library services are not one-size-fits-all, rather libraries should be as flexible, accommodating, and as diverse as our communities.

Introduction

7

Diversity is ever present and increasing in our society, and libraries should be able to meet their communities where they are, instead of offering a prepared slate of services and resources deemed suitable for them.” 7 We should be encouraged to think of ways to reach out to all our user groups, even the hidden ones that may often be overlooked (such as the support staff at our institutions). Ask yourself or your team questions such as, “How can this program be customized to also meet the needs of X user group?” or “Is there something more appropriate we can do to see this identified need met?” Public libraries have been leading the charge for years by being central figures in their communities and providing a place where all groups are valued and made to feel welcome; can medical libraries in all their configurations not be seen the same way? If there is any place within our institutions that should feel as though inclusivity is embedded into every aspect of its operations, the library, simply by virtue of its unique mission to serve and provide information to all, is well positioned to be that space and serve that purpose. Our programs can and should reflect this. Create Opportunities for Engagement with Librarians and Library Staff Library programs can serve a dual purpose: they can bring people into the physical library space, and they can create opportunities for engagement with library personnel. Users who may not usually come to the library to ask for help may find themselves face to face with a librarian in an informal setting during a fun program and may find it easier to ask for help in the future. Think about where your events are held—do they allow for attendees to engage with library staff? Do they create opportunities for impromptu library services? As libraries move away from physical collections that bring users into the library, serving mostly as study spaces, it becomes even more imperative for us to draw our users in through programming so we can remind them that librarians and library staff are here to help. Make It Catchy Health sciences libraries are trusted sources of reliable information for their users, but that does not mean that we should take ourselves too seriously. We can still be professional while injecting some fun into our programming. A simple way to do this is by using catchy names for your programs—librarians love alliteration and puns, after all. A perfect example of this comes from one of the case studies in this book describing “Fun Labs,” a creative outlet for students to craft in the library. Some examples from our own library include “Step 1 Survival Cart,” “Stress-Less Summer,” “Info Expo,” and “Bring Your Own Lunch,” which we call “BYOL.” Names like these

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make your programs easy to remember for your users and also help with promoting programs, especially on social media. Keep It Fun! Speaking of fun, when we began exploring the need to step up our own programming, we realized that many of our past failings neglected to take into account a concept that we now know we cannot operate without: fun. We discovered that without this concept as our guiding principle, every event or program we planned and executed felt like work that we were obligated to do. For example, when we began circulating iPads in our library a decade ago, we held monthly lunch and learns to teach patrons how to use them because it seemed like a practical topic to present on. We found that these efforts yielded little engagement and even fewer attendees. In hindsight, it was unlikely that our hearts were truly in it. Each lunch and learn felt like an afterthought as the calendar date approached, and there did not seem to be anything particularly exciting about what we were offering. What was not obvious to us at the time was that if it felt like work to the people putting on the event, that feeling probably also extended to the intended audience. Fast forward a few years to when we were better able to understand the wants of our users, and our monthly lunch and learns became much more entertaining. We hosted sessions with themes such as “Craft and Relax,” “Clinical Aromatherapy,” and other engaging topics that encouraged interaction between our library team and attendees. We have found that we work best and succeed more when we ask ourselves “Why not?” Why not host a succulent adoption as a wellness activity for our faculty, students, and staff? Why not embrace a stuffed llama— seemingly abandoned in the library space over the summer—as an unofficial mascot? The possibilities for injecting some fun into the busy days and lives of the communities we serve are endless if we allow ourselves to let our hair down from time to time. Be Flexible We can spend weeks building the perfect program or promotion only to have those plans unexpectedly altered by forces outside of our control (like a once-in-a-lifetime global pandemic). Learning to expect the unexpected and roll with the punches without becoming completely discouraged is an important skill to acquire, especially now. All might not be entirely lost; use these opportunities to creatively problem solve and find ways to adapt your plan to best suit the moment at hand. An example of how we approached this can be found in chapter 14.

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FINAL THOUGHTS In the 1930s, library scientist and mathematician S. R. Ranganathan wrote about five laws that have been used to describe the library field for decades. His fifth law, that libraries are a growing organism, 8 truly speaks to the idea that what we do is constantly in flux, and we have little choice but to change with the times and adapt to what our users need from us. If you have found that your approach to library programming could use a restart, now is the time. We have all been in that place before. It is to the benefit of our users and our institutions to confidently embrace our capacity to take what we know about our libraries and the people we serve and translate that information into executing successful programming and events. If you are ready to dive in, we hope that you will find this book to be a welcome companion. NOTES 1. Rachel Helbing and Stefanie Lapka, “Library Lockdown: Elevating Instruction through an ‘Escape Room’ Experience” (poster presentation, Medical Library Association Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL, May 2019). 2. Lita Anglin, “Reflecting Art in Nursing Practice: Developing a Program to Support MidCareer Nurses” (presentation, Medical Library Association Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA, May 2018). 3. “About,” Programming Librarian, accessed April 9, 2020, https://programminglibrarian. org/about. 4. Beverly Sheppard et al., “National Impact of Library Public Programs Assessment: Phase 1, A White Paper on the Dimensions of Library Programs and the Skills and Training for Library Program Professionals” (Chicago: American Library Association and New Knowledge Organization, 2019), 4, accesssed April 9, 2020, https://nilppa.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/ 06/NILPPA_Phase-1-white-paper.pdf. 5. Shannon L. Farrell and Kristen Mastel, “Considering Outreach Assessment: Strategies, Sample Scenarios, and a Call to Action,” In the Library with the Lead Pipe, May 2016, http:// www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2016/considering-outreach-assessment-strategiessample-scenarios-and-a-call-to-action/. 6. Barbara Blummer and Jeffrey M. Kenton, “Academic Libraries’ Outreach Efforts: Identifying Themes in the Literature,” Public Services Quarterly 15, no. 3 (August 2019): 179–204. 7. Nicole A. Cooke, “Introducion to Diversity, Inclusion, and Information Services,” in Information Services to Diverse Populations: Developing Culturaly Competent Library Professionals (Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2016), 1. 8. S. R. Ranganathan, “The Fifth Law,” in The Five Laws of Library Science (Madras, India: The Madras Library Association, 1931), 382, https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1. $b99721&view=1up&seq=12.

BIBLIOGRAPHY “About.” Programming Librarian. Accessed April 9, 2020. https://programminglibrarian.org/ about. Anglin, Lita. “Reflecting Art in Nursing Practice: Developing a Program to Support MidCareer Nurses.” Presented at the 2018 Medical Library Association Annual Meeting, Atlanta, GA, May 2018.

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Blummer, Barbara, and Jeffrey M. Kenton. “Academic Libraries’ Outreach Efforts: Identifying Themes in the Literature.” Public Services Quarterly 15, no. 3 (August 2019): 179–204. https://doi.org/10.1080/15228959.2019.1592058. Cooke, Nicole A. “Introduction to Diversity, Inclusion, and Information Services.” In Information Services to Diverse Populations: Developing Culturally Competent Library Professionals, 1–10. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, 2016. Farrell, Shannon L., and Kristen Mastel. “Considering Outreach Assessment: Strategies, Sample Scenarios, and a Call to Action.” In the Library with the Lead Pipe, May 2016. http:// www.inthelibrarywiththeleadpipe.org/2016/considering-outreach-assessment-strategiessample-scenarios-and-a-call-to-action/. Helbing, Rachel, and Stefanie Lapka. “Library Lockdown: Elevating Instruction through an ‘Escape Room’ Experience.” Poster presented at the 2019 Medical Library Association Annual Meeting, Chicago, IL, May 2019. Ranganathan, S. R. “The Fifth Law.” In The Five Laws of Library Science, 382–416. Madras, India: The Madras Library Association, 1931. https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1. $b99721&view=1up&seq=12. Sheppard, Beverly, Kate Flinner, Rebecca J. Norlander, and M. D. Fournier. National Impact of Library Public Programs Assessment: Phase 1, A White Paper on the Dimensions of Library Programs and the Skills and Training for Library Program Professionals. Chicago: American Library Association and New Knowledge Organization, 2019. https://nilppa.org/ wp-content/uploads/2019/06/NILPPA_Phase-1-white-paper.pdf.

Chapter Two

The Life Cycle of Planning and Promoting Library Events Shalu Gillum and Natasha Williams

All event planning typically occurs in stages, and planning library events and programs is no exception. While it is tempting to jump from idea to event, careful consideration of each of the stages of planning and promotion can mean the difference between a successful library event and an unsuccessful one. Planning and promoting library events can be broken down into six distinct phases (see figure 2.1): 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Taking stock Brainstorming Planning Creating and promoting content Hosting the event Assessment

Since it is often the goal to create successful recurring events for library users, these phases can be thought of as cyclical rather than linear. That is, there is a life cycle of planning and promoting library events: after an event is over, thoughtful assessment will likely result in a decision about whether that particular event will be hosted again, and the cycle should repeat itself. This is important because going through each phase again for the same event can result in improvements that make the event better the next time around. How long this cycle takes from beginning to end will vary for each library and can depend on a number of factors, including the number of people involved and the type of event. Similarly, how often this cycle is repeated will vary by library. Libraries with individuals or departments dedicated to 11

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Figure 2.1. The life cycle of planning and promoting library events. Courtesy of Shalu Gillum and Natasha Williams.

promotion may go through this cycle at more regular intervals as part of their promotional processes, whereas in other libraries this may be more sporadic and only occur as the need arises. TAKING STOCK Assessing Prior Programming The first stage in the library planning and promotion life cycle is taking stock. It is helpful to begin with what, if anything, has already been done at your library in terms of programming. Consider what went well, what could be improved, and whether the final outcome was in line with the library’s

The Life Cycle of Planning and Promoting Library Events

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goals for the event. If there are already popular events in your library, think about why a particular event is popular. Perhaps it was the time of day or the time in the academic calendar that drew in a large crowd. Maybe it was because food was provided. Ultimately, all librarians hope that the content being delivered is what attracted people to an informational event. Similarly, it is helpful to consider why an event did not succeed. Was it scheduled at the wrong time of year? Were there other events happening at the same time within the institution that drew people away? Answering these types of questions will help to ensure the success of any future programming, both by not repeating past mistakes and by continuing with events that had positive outcomes. Resources During this initial stage, it is also helpful to consider what resources are available for planning and promoting library events. This will vary by library. Some libraries have a dedicated person or department charged with library promotion, and these individuals or departments can go by different names, including outreach, public services, and marketing. In some libraries all librarians take some type of active role in outreach or promotion. 1 In other libraries, there may be a committee consisting of librarians and other staff whose primary responsibility is not library promotion but who have been tasked with this duty on an ad hoc basis. As Toni Carter reports, “While the literature suggests that many libraries involve all staff in outreach activities—with or without the leadership of an outreach librarian—some libraries lack both an outreach librarian and collaboration among all staff.” 2 In a library where staff numbers are small or where there is no individual or department specifically dedicated to library promotion, it may be helpful to think about connections that can be made outside of the library. 3 For example, in academic institutions, there is often a department devoted to faculty professional development, and such a department can be a useful ally to help promote or even execute library programs for faculty. Similarly, a student affairs or other equivalent department can be helpful when putting on events for students. When taking stock, it is also important to consider the strengths and weaknesses of your team and institution. Even if you are a team of one, think about what skills—even non-librarianship-related skills—can be leveraged in favor of library promotion. For example, if you or someone on the library team has graphic design skills or experience with a design program such as Adobe Photoshop, those skills can be used to help create digital and traditional promotional materials such as flyers.

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Unique User Groups and Their Needs Taking stock also includes identifying your library’s unique user groups and their needs, including any overlooked or underserved user groups. For example, in academic medical centers, most of the programming efforts are focused on faculty, physicians, and medical students. However, there are likely other individuals who have access to the library and who are already library users, including administrative staff. This is also likely true at hospital libraries. Perhaps not enough programming is being geared to one of these groups. Budget One of the most challenging aspects of library promotion is undoubtedly finding the funds to put on events. Not all libraries have a budget for library promotion and outreach. In a review of library literature, Carter found that “only a small portion of the literature reviewed mentions budget and staff time devoted to outreach.” 4 Although the sample was small, the review found that of the libraries who provided their actual budget amount, most budgets were below $5,000, with some as low as $700. 5 Having a budget for library promotion can help with purchasing food, decorations, and giveaways or promotional items. External grants or awards often have limitations that prohibit funds from being used to purchase food, so having a line item in the library budget for promotion can be helpful if food is to be provided for an event. Sources of funding will differ from library to library, but funds can often be obtained through various means: internal (i.e., from the library’s home institution) or external grants, like the ones offered by the National Network of Libraries of Medicine and professional library associations; friends of the library groups; and by seeking donations both internally and externally. See Resources at the end of this chapter for more information. BRAINSTORMING The second phase in the planning and promoting library events life cycle is brainstorming. Brainstorming can either be the most enjoyable or the most challenging aspect of planning and promoting library events. Brainstorming can be carried out by as few as one person; however, a group of people will obviously generate more ideas. The process of generating ideas can be more enjoyable for all involved if some ground rules are set early in the process. For example, let everyone know that all ideas are welcome and that no one’s contributions or suggestions will be ridiculed. The key to generating ideas for library programming is to allow any suggestions; that is, decide at the beginning that there are no bad ideas. Ideas that might be ruled out in the present as unfeasible may be more suitable at some later date. When brainstorming in

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a group, have one person record every suggestion. Designate a place to keep this list where it can be consulted again in the future. When trying to generate ideas, think of unlikely places for inspiration, including past conversations with coworkers, students, faculty, staff, or residents; sessions attended at professional conferences; webinars; or old ideas that never came to fruition. PLANNING All library events begin with an idea, most likely born out of a brainstorming session. Before jumping ahead to the execution of that idea, it is important to consider how that idea will be promoted so that you maximize the number of attendees and achieve your goals. This requires some thoughtful planning, the third phase of the life cycle of library event planning and promotion. This phase can be further divided into three stages: (1) getting buy-in and finding support, (2) integrating your brand, and (3) goal setting. Getting Buy-In and Finding Support If you are not the ultimate decision maker in your library, you will likely need to get approval to implement any library programming idea. Thinking about how the library, its users, or the institution will benefit from a particular program will make it easier for a director or other decision maker to answer the question “Why should we do this?” Measuring return on investment can be tricky when it comes to library promotion. When libraries purchase a resource, it is typically much easier to track the usage of that resource to determine whether it is being used and therefore worth the funds expended. With library promotion, on the other hand, it is much more difficult to ascertain the return. Did more people use the library space or take advantage of its services as a direct result of a particular program that was promoted to them? Without asking users directly, this is almost impossible to determine. There can still be a return on investment for library programming and promotion, however, including increasing awareness of library resources and services; building community, institutional, or interdepartmental partnerships; and creating library goodwill. Integrating Your Brand Integrating your library’s brand into your promotion is an important part of any planning. For libraries, “brand” represents an idea that unifies everything the library does, so event planning and promotion should reflect your library’s brand. If your library has never had a conversation about its brand, now is a good time to identify one. In her chapter on the challenges and opportunities that libraries face when exploring the idea of branding, Jennifer

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Rowley notes the importance of “view[ing] branding as associated with the essence of the library and what it seeks to offer its users, and not simply part of marketing communication.” 6 A library can therefore look to its own carefully crafted mission, vision, or strategic objectives for inspiration for the kind of identity it wants to create. A library might also benefit from engaging in practical exercises designed to jumpstart the brand discovery process, such as those described by Spenser Thompson in his article on marketing libraries. 7 Establishing the identity of your brand can also be greatly simplified if your library is part of a bigger organization, and it is worth considering whether or not your library might be able to leverage this identity for its own use. 8 These identities may emerge as slogans or ideas that align with the greater organizational mission from which the library can build its own identity. Additionally, an overarching communications or branding policy may already be in place at your institution that provides guidance for applying the overall brand across various channels. This could include specifics regarding fonts, colors, and restrictions or limitations for disseminating the brand. The organizational identity may not sufficiently address all the library’s branding needs, so use a strategic approach to adopting these aspects. Once your brand has been established, make applying your brand to your promotions a part of your planning process every time you work through the programming life cycle. Consider how the library’s brand will be communicated and represented—or articulated—both visually and through other modes of communication with regards to the specific event or program. While each program will be unique, the underlying identity of your library should be consistently present, from the tone of your communications with or to your users to the types of information and visuals your library shares as part of its promotional activities. This concept of brand articulation extends to digital brand management as well. Rowley notes that users are more regularly engaging with the library through the library’s online presence, including websites and activity on social media. 9 Conveying the library’s brand consistently in these cases keeps the library’s digital communications (and social media accounts in particular) from coming across as an entity separate from the library’s established identity, which can reflect negatively on the brand. One key to ensure your brand is consistently applied during any kind of promotion is to make sure everyone who has a hand in these activities is aware of the acceptable practices that have been established. Creating a visible guideline or policy that addresses key aspects of how to apply the library’s brand can be helpful to ensure consistency in brand communication. Here are some other practical tips for creating a cohesive brand identity: • Involve library stakeholders in the development of your brand to understand how your library is viewed and experienced.

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• Build templates for any content delivered by your library, including flyers, e-mails, library signage, or messages, and provide key members of your team with access to this content. • Use the same theming, styling, and wording across recurring events to promote connections and familiarity with the content. Goal Setting It is important to establish goals while your ideas are still in the planning phase. Setting goals creates a concrete way to assess progress and also provides a mechanism to measure success or failure. Without this, it is difficult to determine whether or not the program or service that has been created has served its purpose. Creating goals that are realistic is key; otherwise you run the risk of setting yourself up for failure. However you choose to go about creating goals and objectives for your programming and promotion ideas, the important thing to remember is that you will ideally be looking back at these during the assessment phase. Making your goals clear from the start will make it easier to evaluate them later on. See Resources at the end of this chapter for more information on goal setting. CREATING AND PROMOTING YOUR CONTENT The next phase of the library planning and promotion life cycle is creating and promoting your content. Library promotion is typically done by two means: traditional and digital. Traditional promotion includes flyers, e-mails, newsletters, and blogs. Digital promotion, on the other hand, uses social media platforms to promote the library. When deciding which avenue to pursue—traditional, digital, or both—it is important to think about the library’s users and which users are likely to be reached via each platform. For example, students might not be very responsive via e-mail but may be more likely to engage with the library via Facebook or Instagram. Conversely, you may find that faculty are not on social media but may be more likely to notice a library announcement if it is part of a larger faculty-focused newsletter. Knowing where your target audience is will focus your promotion efforts, saving time and resources. It is also important to be mindful of overpromotion. For example, when promoting your program or event via e-mail, it is unnecessary to send a daily e-mail until the day of the program or event. This creates “noise” that your users will eventually tune out and may lead some users to ignore future email communications. Users do not require as many reminders or as much advance notice as you might think. Consider delivering your message twice: one initial e-mail and one reminder. The timing between these two communications might vary depending on your needs. For instance, if you need to

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place an order for food and are asking your users to RSVP, it would be best to send the second communication a few days ahead of the event to allow enough time to get a final headcount. Using some type of tool to track and manage your library’s promotion can help avoid overpromotion. For example, a calendar or spreadsheet can be used to plan out all the library promotion, both traditional and digital, for the month ahead. This way, it is clear whether too much or too little promotion is taking place. Similarly, this can reveal whether certain user groups are being communicated with either too much or not enough. HOSTING YOUR EVENT The most rewarding part of the life cycle of planning and promoting library events is hosting your event and seeing your ideas and plans come to fruition. There are simple things all libraries can do to enhance their events. There are also things librarians can do to keep themselves organized and perhaps ease some of the preparatory anxiety that often occurs when trying to plan an event. Enhancing Your Event Setting the mood for an event is a good way to get attendees into the spirit, and there are a few simple ways to accomplish this. The first is creating useful signage, such as directional signs letting people know where to go or line up for food. It can also include signage for tables, including tent cards labeling any food items being served. This is especially helpful in pointing out potential allergens like dairy or peanuts, or foods that have been specially prepared either for a particular diet or that are free from certain allergens. Another simple added touch is music. There are easy and free ways to add background music to events. A music streaming app like Spotify can be used on a smartphone or tablet. Alternatively, there are numerous compilations of genre-specific music freely available on YouTube. Music can be played softly in the background during the entirety of an event, in particular if the event is one where content is not being directly presented and attendees are encouraged to mingle and network. Music can help mask any silence that may negatively affect the intended tone of your event. Alternatively, at an informational event, music can be played while attendees are arriving or getting food and before any presentations begin. Another fun way to enhance your event is to include some type of game. These can be executed quite inexpensively with a little creativity. A bean bag toss is probably the easiest and most accessible game and can be adapted for any event. For example, at a reception hosted by the editors at their library for a Harry Potter–themed traveling exhibition from the National Library of

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Medicine, a corn hole board was transformed into a Quidditch game for attendees. The most basic added touch is decor, which can liven up any room or event space. Leftover decorations from other events or seasonal decor can easily be repurposed to liven any space. Finally, food is always a popular enhancement to any event or program. If the event has a particular theme, food items being offered can be given names that align with that theme. Staying Organized The key to successful library programs is staying organized. Even simple events can benefit from having basic details written down ahead of time. Creating a plan or checklist of all the tasks that must be accomplished in order for the event to run successfully (and being sure to check off items as completed) can make the difference between a successful, smoothly run program and a chaotic event where details are overlooked and library staff are left stressed and overwhelmed. This is particularly helpful if enhancements are to be added to the event so things like plates and serving utensils for food are not forgotten. Having a written plan or checklist is also useful in the event of an unexpected absence or emergency that leaves someone else other than the original person in charge of executing the event. Tracking Attendance Tracking event attendance can be useful for several reasons. A record of the number of people who attended an event can be used to generate a mailing list to whom follow-up or additional content can be sent after the fact. Attendee information may also be required as justification for budgetary purposes or reimbursement. Attendance can be tracked by creating a sign-in sheet for attendees to fill out as they arrive, which can be helpful for gathering additional information such as e-mail addresses and communication preferences. Even simpler, and if it is only necessary to track the number of attendees, a manual count can be done once the event space is full. It may be more difficult to gather an accurate headcount during an event where attendees can come and go as they please, so investing in a basic counter can help keep count of people as they arrive. ASSESSMENT The final phase of the planning and promoting library events life cycle is assessment. Assessment sounds intimidating, but it does not have to be. You should want to know how your efforts have been received, whether or not

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you met the goals you established during the planning phase, and whether there is any room for improvement. Your team might also have valid opinions to share about their perceptions of how an event or program turned out. Assessment should not be an exhaustive process, so only ask users questions for which you actually need answers, and ask them in a way that will give you meaningful data. Choose an assessment method fitting to the kind of information you need to gather. You may find that a survey questionnaire is not the best way to get the particular information you are seeking. In chapter 6, we will discuss different ways to gather assessment data and engage users in the assessment process using both traditional and nontraditional methods. CONCLUSION It can be exciting to come up with a great idea for library programming, and it is tempting to start implementing such an idea right away. Without careful planning, however, there is a greater risk of failure. Failure will differ according to every library’s goals, but often failure means little to no attendance at an event or program, or outcomes that were unanticipated. Thinking about planning and promoting library events as a life cycle, and taking the time to go through each phase of this life cycle, can help ensure that programs are well executed and well attended with little waste of resources and that objectives and goals are met. NOTES 1. Toni M. Carter and Priscilla Seaman, “The Management and Support of Outreach in Academic Libraries,” Reference and User Services Quarterly 51, no. 2 (July 2011): 164. 2. Carter and Seaman, “The Management and Support of Outreach,” 165. 3. Erin E. Meyer, “Low-Hanging Fruit: Leveraging Short-Term Partnerships to Advance Academic Library Outreach Goals,” Collaborative Librarianship 6, no. 3 (2014): 119. 4. Carter and Seaman, “The Management and Support of Outreach,” 164. 5. Carter and Seaman, “The Management and Support of Outreach,” 167. 6. Jennifer Rowley, “Branding Libraries: Challenges and Opportunities,” in Marketing Library and Information Services II: A Global Outlook, ed. Christie Koontz and Angels Massisimo (Germany: De Gruyter, 2013), 59. 7. Spenser Thompson, “A Disciplined Brand Approach to Marketing Libraries,” Marketing Libraries Journal 2, no. 1 (August 2018): 18–19. http://journal.marketinglibraries.org/ august2018/MLJ-v2i1-16-23.pdf. 8. Thompson, “A Disciplined Brand Approach to Marketing Libraries,” 21. 9. Rowley, “Branding Libraries,” 64.

RESOURCES Cornell University, Goal Setting, https://hr.cornell.edu/goal-setting.

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National Network of Libraries of Medicine, Funding Opportunities, 2019, https://nnlm.gov/funding. BIBLIOGRAPHY Carter, Toni M., and Priscilla Seaman. “The Management and Support of Outreach in Academic Libraries.” Reference and User Services Quarterly 51, no. 2 (July 2011): 163–71. https:// doi.org/10.5860/rusq.51n2.163. Meyer, Erin E. “Low-Hanging Fruit: Leveraging Short-Term Partnerships to Advance Academic Library Outreach Goals.” Collaborative Librarianship 6, no. 3 (2014): 112–20. https://digitalcommons.du.edu/collaborativelibrarianship/vol6/iss3/3. Rowley, Jennifer. “Branding Libraries: Challenges and Opportunities.” In Marketing Library and Information Services II: A Global Outlook, edited by Christie Koontz and Angels Massisimo, 55–70. Germany: De Gruyter, 2013. Thompson, Spenser. “A Disciplined Brand Approach to Marketing Libraries.” Marketing Libraries Journal 2, no. 1 (August 2018): 16–23. http://journal.marketinglibraries.org/ august2018/MLJ-v2i1-16-23.pdf.

Chapter Three

Budgeting for Library Programming Shannon Jones

As a former outreach librarian, I know firsthand the rewards and challenges associated with planning library programs that are fun, educational, and engaging and then promoting those programs to an academic health sciences campus. Outreach is about getting out of the library and building connections with library users in a variety of settings. Librarians often develop a suite of educational and promotional activities designed to build relationships with students, faculty, and staff to help shape user attitudes and perceptions of the library but more importantly to raise awareness about the vital resources, services, and collections that the library makes available to the campus. The library’s goal when developing an outreach plan should be to support users in doing their best work, which is achieved by offering relevant services and collections, personnel of the highest caliber, and programming that showcases the array of resources and services available. This chapter will focus exclusively on the latter specifically as it relates to funding programs. One of the greatest challenges with planning programs for the library is obtaining funding to deliver quality programs that provide meaningful experiences for library users. While this is a challenge, it should not stifle creativity. Instead, the lack of funding should breed ingenuity and innovation. In this chapter, I offer practical advice on preparing budgets for the programs you are planning as well as finding funds to support programming in the library. Many libraries across the country are likely experiencing financial constraints brought on by decreased funding allocations. Limited funding makes it necessary for libraries of all types to investigate ways to deliver new and novel services in the face of declining budgets. When it comes to planning programs, however, the best strategy is to dream big regardless of your budget allocation. You should develop a well-thought-out proposal covering 23

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the five Ws: who, what, when, where, and why. Your goal is to prepare a proposal that connects the program to goals identified in the library or parent organization’s strategic plan and describes the benefits to the program’s specific target audience. You should also specify with whom you will partner to execute the program. A proposal that incudes each of these elements will be essential in helping you to garner the institutional support that is needed for moving the proposal toward submission. PREPARING YOUR BUDGET An essential step in assembling your proposal is preparing the budget. It will be hard to garner support for a project without estimating the costs of implementing the proposed program. “Preparing a program budget is essentially translating intended program activities into monetary terms.” 1 Regardless of your funding source, you should give some thought to the specific items you will need to include in your budget. When thinking about your program, you need to visualize it from start to finish. The items you will include will depend on the type of program you are sponsoring. Following are a few questions to assist with determining what to include: 1. What are your program goals? Specifically, what are you trying to enable by offering this program? 2. What is the intended outcome? 3. What do you want participants to gain from attending the program? 4. Who is the target audience? 5. What time of day will the program be held? 6. Will refreshments be provided? 7. How will you market the program? 8. What type of supplies will you need to support the program? 9. Will you need any equipment to execute your program? If so, what type and how many? 10. Will you be providing any in-kind services to support the program? 11. Will the program feature a speaker who is not affiliated with your university or organization? You will likely need to factor in speaker fees and travel costs for unaffiliated speakers. Your responses to these questions will help you determine what items to include in the proposed budget. In addition, building in a contingency cushion is also an excellent strategy to cover unanticipated expenses. A sample budget is listed in table 3.1 to illustrate the points highlighted in this section. For example, imagine that your library director has charged you with planning an open house event to take place during the university’s Welcome

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Week. Welcome Week is scheduled during the first few weeks of the fall semester to welcome new and returning students back to campus. University departments from across the campus plan events to highlight services that are important to all students. The goals are twofold: engage with students and raise awareness about products and services. Using the aforementioned questions, you will build the specific funding request for your program. FUNDING STRATEGIES In the previous section, you were encouraged to answer a few questions to uncover items to include in your budget request. After answering those questions, you should plan to cast a wide net to explore all funding options. There are a variety of strategies you may consider when seeking funds to plan programs and events. The next section highlights five strategies that you might consider when working to garner funds for the program you want to plan or to execute programs with little to no money. Strategy 1: Library-Sponsored Funding The most direct method for acquiring funding to support your program is to prepare a proposal and ask your library administration for financial support. Work with your library’s business manager or the individual who is responsible for managing the library’s finances to learn about internal funding sources and the policies that govern those funds. Your business manager will explain the difference between restricted and unrestricted funds. “Restricted funds are designated by law or internally for specific purposes. Unrestricted funds . . . can be used for any allowable expenses under state and university guidelines.” 2 Examples of restricted funds include those generated from tuition or other student fees or through departmental activities and services, while unrestricted funds are generated from grants and contract activity or funds raised through student activities. The definitions for these funding types may vary according to your institution. You should also familiarize yourself with your institution’s procurement and contracting policies and procedures. This strategy will ensure that planned purchases adhere to specific parameters required by your institution. These parameters will dictate from whom you can purchase, what you are allowed to purchase, timelines for getting approvals, and more. Lack of awareness of your institution’s specific policies and procedures could cause significant delays in implementing your project and could cause problems with your institutions. Potential delays could affect processes such as getting the terms outlined in a license or contract approved by your general counsel, using a purchase card to purchase items, or working with accounts payable to pay invoices. For example, you are planning an open house event to welcome new employees to the institu-

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Table 3.1. Sample Project Proposal Program Title

Library Fest Information Fair/Open House

Program Goals

• • •

to raise awareness about library resources and services on campus to provide demos of library databases and equipment to give tours of the facility

Target Audience

Affiliated users on your campus, including: • students enrolled in health sciences degree programs • faculty conducting research in biomedical disciplines • teaching faculty incorporating library resources and services into their courses • staff supporting the education, research, and outreach needs of the institution • health professionals involved in education, research, clinical care, and outreach

Date

August 20

Time

10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Equipment Needs

• • •

laptop for tabletop demos computer classroom with projection screen table and chairs for invited exhibitors (campus partners and library vendors, etc.)

Budget Item

Cost

Notes

Room rental

$0

Event will be held at the library

Equipment rental

$0

Will use equipment the library owns

Catering/Food

$400

Light refreshments

Supplies

$100

Promotional Items

$300

Will order pens, highlighters, and water bottles to distribute to attendees

Door prizes

$200

Purchase

Total

$1,000

tion. As part of the program, you plan to provide light refreshments and beverages to attract attendees to the event. In reviewing your institution’s procurement policies related to entertainment expenses, you learn that you can use retained funds. The university’s policy provides guidelines for spending these specific retained funds. Retained funds are defined as revenues derived from athletics or other student contests, the activities of student organizations, the operations of canteens and bookstores, and approved private practice plans.

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Within the policy, you determine the specific instances when funds can be used to purchase food and beverages. The policy states explicitly that social events such as an end-of-year party for the library staff should be paid from personal funds, so in this instance purchasing refreshments of any type is prohibited. Adhering to your institution’s policies and procedures will prevent problems in the long run. Strategy 2: Forming Strategic Partnerships As you are working on your proposal, you will need to conduct an environmental scan of your campus to identify nonlibrary units that you think may be likely partners. Terry Semel, former CEO of Yahoo, encouraged businesses to use partnerships to achieve strategic business objectives during a conference presentation in 2002. 3 This advice is still valid now. One of the best strategies you should consider when planning programs that require funds is to form strategic partnerships with other campus units. Chances are there are groups on your campus who have money but lack programming ideas to execute. The benefits of forming strategic partnerships are vast. Partnerships enable you to address shared goals and common interests, do more with less by pooling resources, remove competition for attendees, provide an opportunity to showcase the library’s value in a variety of areas, and allow for subtle promotion of library resources. Look for groups that share common goals like providing services to researchers or students. Once you identify the group(s), you will need to meet with them to pitch the programming idea. You should be prepared to share with the group why you believe the program will benefit the target audience. For example, your library may want to plan a film screening series to highlight resources that the library holds in its collection. To emulate a real movie feeling, you want to provide attendees with candy and popcorn to enjoy during the film, but you lack funding support to purchase the items. This type of project is perfect for cultivating a partnership. For funding support, you reach out to contacts in the institution’s student affairs group to invite them to cosponsor the series. When entering partnerships, entities typically come prepared to contribute to an event’s success in some tangible way. In this case, you could ask the student affairs group, which likely has money to sponsor student events, if they are able to provide candy and popcorn for the event since the library is providing access to films via its Kanopy resource. It’s a win-win scenario that provides the library an opportunity to raise awareness about the resource while the student affairs group gains an opportunity to support a film series for the campus where one did not previously exist.

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Strategy 3: Applying for Grant Funding A number of organizations within your local community, on campus, regionally, and nationally may provide funding to support the programs you are planning or creating. You should make sure to read the grantors’ instructions carefully before you begin working on your application. While a number of grant programs do not permit the purchase of food items, they do allow you to develop wonderful programs. Below are a few places that you should consider when looking for funding opportunities. Your Campus Many institutions provide funding opportunities for which their constituents may apply. You should look around your campus or community to uncover those opportunities. For instance, several entities at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) offer opportunities for faculty and staff to apply for funding to conduct a wide range of projects. One of the opportunities provided at MUSC is via the Yearly Employee Support (YES) Campaign’s Family Fund Grant. The YES Family Fund is one of more than 1,300 funds within the MUSC Foundation that is supported by employee giving during the YES Campaign. Employees may apply for project grants of up to $2,500. 4 The Institute of Museum and Library Services The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is an independent federal agency that provides library grants, museum grants, policy development, and research. IMLS’s mission is to advance, support, and empower America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grant making, research, and policy development. To this end, IMLS provides grant funding to museums and libraries of all types to support a variety of projects. As the name suggests, the Awarded Grants Database features a searchable listing of grants that have been awarded. The database results show that in fiscal year 2019, grantees from the state of South Carolina included the University of South Carolina, South Carolina State University, Laurens County School District 55, the Catawba Indian Nation, and the South Carolina Aquarium. “Application forms and Notices of Funding Opportunities (Grant Program Guidelines) for the current fiscal year are made available approximately 90 days before the grant deadline.” 5 National Network of Libraries of Medicine The mission of the National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NNLM) is “to advance the progress of medicine and improve the public health by providing all U.S. health professionals with equal access to biomedical informa-

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tion and improving the public’s access to information to enable them to make informed decisions about their health.” 6 The NNLM “offers funding for projects that improve access to health information, increase engagement with research and data, expand professional knowledge, and support outreach that promotes awareness and use of NLM resources in local communities.” 7 In addition, the NNLM offers a variety of funding types, including exhibit, outreach, professional development, improvement, and data awards. The NNLM is divided into eight regions across the United States. Visit the NNLM funding opportunities webpage to learn more about the award types that are distributed in the region that includes your state, the funding periods and status, and a list of previously funded projects. Regardless of the funding agency, make sure to read the grantors’ instructions carefully before you begin working on your application. This will ensure that you include all requested proposal elements and that you follow submission instructions. For instance, the IMLS website warns potential grantees that “organizations and institutions that utilize third-party software to submit applications via Grants.gov may encounter old or outdated forms. IMLS cannot provide technical assistance for issues that applicants may encounter with proprietary software. The final and correct versions of all IMLS application packages can be found on the Grants.gov portal directly.” 8 Grants.gov is an electronic government initiative operating under the governance of the Office of Management and Budget. The portal’s website indicates that using Grants.gov is the fastest, easiest, and most cost-effective way for grant applicants to electronically interact with federal grant-making agencies. 9 The NNLM’s “Funding Beyond NLM and NNLM” is an excellent “starting point for finding grants and other sources of support.” 10 While not exhaustive, this list includes links to funders like the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, the National Science Foundation, the National Endowments for the Humanities, the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and many others. Using a resource such as Candid’s Foundation Directory Online will make the task of identifying prospective funders manageable. The Foundation Directory Online “is a database of the more than 103,000 private, community, operating, and company-sponsored foundations in the U.S. and their keyword-searchable IRS Forms 990-PF.” 11 Strategy 4: Monetize Services to Generate Revenue Libraries around the country are taking entrepreneurial approaches to generating revenue to support their work. A library can generate revenue in a variety of ways. Work with your administration to explore the specific ways that the library can generate revenue, including paying close attention to the parent institution’s specific policies that outline protocols to which you must

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adhere and the type of money-making activities in which the library can engage. From a budgetary perspective, libraries are often viewed as cost centers that do not charge for services that are seen as part of the library’s core mission. Charging for services like circulation, interlibrary loan, and document delivery will not likely go over well with the constituent groups you serve. Students have already paid tuition, community residents have paid taxes, and the university has allocated funds to the library to support these functions. A creative leader can find better ways to generate revenue. The process for determining the services or tasks you may want to monetize can vary. Some libraries have found it helpful to solicit ideas from the library’s staff when looking to identify potential services to monetize. Inviting personnel from all levels in the library to brainstorm ideas based on questions received at service points or inquiries made to individual staff members with an eye toward functions that another entity on your campus or within the local community does not offer is an excellent place to start when identifying potential services to monetize. Filling a gap in services is the best place to start. For example, the MUSC Libraries are located on the peninsula of Charleston among some of the low country’s finest restaurants. Very few of these restaurants are located within walking distance of the university’s campus; however, MUSC is home to nearly three thousand students and seventeen thousand employees and engages in more than one million patient encounters annually. 12 The lack of restaurants in close proximity to the campus is problematic for campus constituents because there is typically insufficient time to travel to and from restaurants between classes, clinical rotations, or appointments. For instance, personnel who work for the hospital have thirty minutes for lunch, and students have about an hour break between classes around noon. On-campus food options near the library include the hospital’s cafeteria, two national chain restaurants, and at least three local restaurants. The volume of people maneuvering about the campus daily makes getting a quick bite from one of the few available options in a timely manner almost impossible. In addition to a variety of brick-and-mortar restaurants, Charleston is also home to over 220 trucks, carts, and trailers that are licensed to sell food throughout the three counties that make up the low country. 13 In 2012, the MUSC Libraries began sponsoring Food Truck Wednesdays to supplement the food options available to the campus community. Every Wednesday from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., two to four food trucks park at the horseshoe outside the library. The food truck schedule is promoted via the library’s website and its social media accounts. Food truck vendors are charged a fifty-dollar participation fee that the library uses to purchase equipment for its technology lending program and to support its weekly Wired Wednesday event, where students are invited to stop by the fourth-floor service desk for complimentary coffee and snacks from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

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Another example of a library that has successfully monetized a service is the James V. Brown Library in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. In 2015, the James V. Brown Library was the recipient of Gale’s Cengage Learning Financial Development Award for its Own a Day at the Library service, which is a calendar where individuals have “the opportunity to name a day of library service to honor or memorialize someone special, to publicize a business, or to celebrate a birthday or anniversary.” 14 The cost for owning a day is a hundred-dollar donation to the library. “The program has raised more than $60,000 since 2009 to help the library continue its goals to champion the love of reading, open new doors to lifelong learning and ensure the preservation of library services for generations to come.” 15 Strategy 5: Crowdfunding The Internet has allowed libraries to extend services beyond their physical walls in ways that were not possible twenty years ago. This includes raising funds to support programs using crowdfunding. “Crowdfunding is a way to raise funds for a specific cause or project by asking a large number of people to donate money, usually in small amounts, and usually during a relatively short period of time, such as a few months. Crowdfunding is done online, often with social networks, which make it easy for supporters to share a cause or project with their social networks.” 16 Popular crowdfunding websites include GoFundMe, Kiva, Kickstarter, Indiegogo, and RocketHub. Crowdfunding may also be a way to generate revenue for library programming and promotion. A search for libraries on the GoFundMe website shows that a number of public and school libraries are using the site to raise funds for projects like building little free libraries and adding graphic novels and comic books to the library’s collection. IN SUMMARY It should not come as a surprise that one of the greatest challenges that many libraries face is that of declining budgets. Despite this challenge, the library still has to meet its mission of serving the information needs of its primary constituency. Meeting the evolving needs of the library target audience when funding is limited requires program planners to think outside the box. In a nutshell, the lack of funding should not stifle creativity or the staff’s ability to dream big when it comes to meeting needs and raising awareness about the library. The main goal of this chapter was to offer tips and strategies for preparing budgets and, more importantly, for identifying funding opportunities. An important aspect of asking for funding is preparing a proposal with a funding request. Libraries should consider a variety of strategies for funding programs and events. Requesting an allocation from the library’s budget,

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forming strategic partnerships with nonlibrary groups, applying for grants, identifying library services to monetize, and using crowdfunding are all approaches to consider when seeking funds to plan programs and events. Library personnel have used a combination of these strategies to plan and execute programs and events that offer users meaningful experiences using the library. NOTES 1. Rosemary S. Caffarella, Planning Programs for Adult Learners: A Practical Guide for Educators, Trainers, and Staff Developers (New York: John Wiley and Sons, 2002), 305. 2. Medical University of South Carolina, “Spending Transparency—Frequently Asked Questions,” accessed October 10, 2019, https://web.musc.edu/about/leadership/institutionaloffices/finance/financial-information/transparency/faqs. 3. Luisa Beltran, “Yahoo! Not for Sale (Yet),” CNN Money, December 2, 2002, https:// money.cnn.com/2002/01/10/deals/column_beltran/index.htm. 4. “YES Family Fund Grant,” Medical University of South Carolina, accessed October 10, 2019, https://web.musc.edu/about/giving/yes/grant. 5. “Notices of Funding Opportunities,” Institute of Museum and Library Services, accessed October 15, 2019, https://www.imls.gov/grants. 6. “About NNLM,” National Network of Libraries of Medicine, accessed December 26, 2019, https://nnlm.gov/about. 7. “Funding Opportunities,” National Network of Libraries of Medicine, accessed October 15, 2019, https://nnlm.gov/funding. 8. “Apply for a Grant,” Institute of Museum and Library Services, accessed October 15, 2019, https://www.imls.gov/grants/apply-grant/available-grants. 9. “About Grants.gov,” US Department of Health and Human Services, accessed October 15, 2019, https://www.grants.gov/. 10. “Funding Beyond NLM and NNLM,” National Network of Libraries of Medicine, accessed January 7, 2020, https://nnlm.gov/funding/grants. 11. “Frequently Asked Questions,” Foundation Directory Online, accessed January 4, 2020, https://fconline.foundationcenter.org/welcome/faq. 12. “Fact Sheet,” Medical University of South Carolina, last modified 2018, https:// education.musc.edu/-/sm/enterprise/about/leadership/institutional-offices/communications/f/ enterprise-wide-fact-sheet.ashx?la=en. 13. Hanna Raskin, “The Ultimate Guide to Charleston Area Food Trucks,” Post and Courier, September 12, 2018, https://www.postandcourier.com/food/the-ultimate-guide-tocharleston-area-food-trucks/article_e27aa932-a08c-11e8-bb35-1f10fcf03dd1.html. 14. “Own-a-Day Calendar,” James V. Brown Library, accessed October 25, 2019, https:// jvbrown.edu/calendar/own-a-day-calendar/. 15. “Own-a-Day at the James V. Brown Library,” Williamsport Sun-Gazette, December 22, 2019, https://www.sungazette.com/life/lifestyle-news/2019/12/own-a-day-at-the-james-vbrown-library/. 16. “What Is Crowdfunding?” GrantSpace, accessed October 16, 2019, https://grantspace. org/resources/knowledge-base/what-is-crowdfunding/.

BIBLIOGRAPHY Beltran, Luisa. “Yahoo! Not for Sale (Yet).” CNN Money, December 2, 2002. https://money. cnn.com/2002/01/10/deals/column_beltran/index.htm. Cafferella, Rosemary S. Planning Programs for Adult Learners: A Practical Guide for Educators, Trainers, and Staff Developers. 2nd ed. New York: John Wiley and Sons, 2002.

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Department of Health and Human Services. “About Grants.gov.” Accessed October 15, 2019. https://www.grants.gov/. Foundation Directory Online. “Frequently Asked Questions.” Accessed January 4, 2020. https:/ /fconline.foundationcenter.org/welcome/faq. GrantSpace. “What Is Crowdfunding?” Accessed October 13, 2019. https://grantspace.org/ resources/knowledge-base/what-is-crowdfunding/. Institute of Museum and Library Services. “Apply for a Grant.” Accessed October 15, 2019. https://www.imls.gov/grants/apply-grant/available-grants. Institute of Museum and Library Services. “Notices of Funding Opportunities.” Accessed October 15, 2019. https://www.imls.gov/grants. James V. Brown Library. “Own a Day Calendar.” Accessed October 25, 2019. https://jvbrown. edu/calendar/own-a-day-calendar/. Medical University of South Carolina. “Fact Sheet.” Last modified 2018. https://education. musc.edu/-/sm/enterprise/about/leadership/institutional-offices/communications/f/ enterprise-wide-fact-sheet.ashx?la=en. Medical University of South Carolina. “Spending Transparency—Frequently Asked Questions.” Accessed October 10, 2019. https://web.musc.edu/about/leadership/institutionaloffices/finance/financial-information/transparency/faqs. Medical University of South Carolina. “YES Campaign.” Accessed October 10, 2019. https:// web.musc.edu/about/giving/yes. National Network of Libraries of Medicine. “About NNLM.” Accessed December 26, 2019. https://nnlm.gov/about. National Network of Libraries of Medicine. “Funding Opportunities.” Accessed October 15, 2019. https://nnlm.gov/funding. “Own-a-Day at the James V. Brown Library.” Williamsport Sun-Gazette, December 22, 2019. https://www.sungazette.com/life/lifestyle-news/2019/12/own-a-day-at-the-james-v-brownlibrary/. Raskin, Hanna. “The Ultimate Guide to Charleston Area Food Trucks.” Post and Courier, September 12, 2018. https://www.postandcourier.com/food/the-ultimate-guide-to-charles ton-area-food-trucks/article_e27aa932-a08c-11e8-bb35-1f10fcf03dd1.html.

Chapter Four

Brainstorming Ideas for Library Events Tamara M. Nelson

“It is easier to tone down a wild idea than to think up a new one.”—Alex Osborn

Alex Osborn, an advertising executive from the 1950s, is credited as having coined the term “brainstorming.” 1 Since that time, the concept of brainstorming has evolved in many ways. Brainstorming is defined as a “group problem-solving technique.” 2 However, it is not only used to solve problems. Brainstorming in health sciences libraries is often used to derive ideas for how to engage users. Why brainstorm? Perhaps there is a new tool the library wishes to introduce or an innovative service that is currently underutilized that needs marketing. Determining the best way to execute new ideas through library events begins with brainstorming. It is fitting that this technique was developed by an advertising executive. Brainstorming in health sciences libraries is about finding attractive, appealing, and creative ways to promote our resources and services through a program or event. The goal is to increase visibility and reach as many of the library’s patron populations as possible—especially those who have been underserved. In this regard, librarians become advertising and marketing agents. Often library committees are charged with the task of coming up with a “new idea” for a program or event with a brief turnaround time. Creative thinking is necessary to implement innovation and change; however, imaginative ideas do not always come on demand. 3 Brainstorming, when carried out effectively, can prove useful in accelerating idea generation and igniting innovation in planning and promoting events in health sciences libraries.

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ESTABLISHING GROUND RULES Brainstorming sessions are an effective way of developing new ideas for a library event. As for any other professional meeting, it is important to establish ground rules to ensure fairness and respect. Ground rules are defined as basic rules and principles on which future behavior is based. There are many ways to go about establishing ground rules. The initial organizer or committee chair may decide on a predetermined set of rules or may solicit members of the committee to submit their personal ground rules prior to the formal brainstorming session. However, once the decision is made to establish ground rules, they should include inclusive language that encourages open dialogue and respect among members. These rules should be communicated before the initial session or at the beginning of the actual meeting. It is important that all members agree to the established ground rules. Ground rules may be procedural or behavioral. Procedural ground rules include starting and ending on time, putting phones on silent, and so on. Behavioral ground rules are used to establish behavioral norms for a meeting, such as treat everyone with respect and be constructive. In a brainstorming session, it is more important to focus on behavioral ground rules than procedural, but they must be expressed more concretely than just stating “be respectful and constructive.” 4 Behavioral ground rules identify how the group defines specific actions. For example, the statement “there are no bad ideas” is an example of how a group can relay the behavioral norm of respect. Other examples include “make statements and ask genuine questions” and “explain your reasoning and intent.” 5 Deferring judgment is also an important behavioral ground rule when brainstorming ideas. Establishing judgment-free zones encourages team members to be open and expressive while sharing their ideas. It is also important in brainstorming sessions to reinforce staying on topic and establishing a way to refocus the group if someone has gone too far off subject. The use of predetermined code words is often useful to refocus a group once they have ventured off course. This method is effective provided all participants in the session are aware of the code word. For example: In a brainstorming session on planning an event to welcome new and returning students back to campus, the group quickly shifts to discussing plans for a Halloween-themed event to introduce the new skeletal collection in the library. A group member who realizes that the conversation has gone off subject shouts “Banana!” (“banana” being the code word that was established to refocus the group in situations such as this). The group immediately halts discussion and regroups, coming back to the initial purpose of the session.

This is just an example of how using a code word is an effective way of signaling the need to refocus. The use of code words must be established in

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the ground rules. A group may also designate an individual to be responsible for alerting group members of a need to get back on topic without the use of a code word. No matter the method used, it is important to establish in the ground rules a way to redirect the group when necessary. During a brainstorming session, participants may talk at the same time or even talk over each other. When you gather a group of individuals who are passionate about a topic, this is bound to occur. While the goal is to capture as many ideas as possible, there must be order and respect. Establishing a ground rule that only one conversation will take place at a time or one person will talk at a time will ensure order and respect during brainstorming sessions. These rules also provide an opportunity for all participants to share their ideas and have their opinions heard. The different methodologies of brainstorming discussed later in the chapter also help facilitate this rule in brainstorming sessions. FINDING INSPIRATION Brainstorming sessions are designed to capture ideas. However, these ideas must come from somewhere. After ground rules are established, group members should begin looking for sources of inspiration. Preparing in advance for a brainstorming meeting is vital to the success of the planning process. An organizer may even decide to tell members to come prepared with two to three ideas to present and discuss. Even if group members are not instructed to, it is always a best practice to do background research and come to a session with prepared ideas. As Osborn stated, “It is easier to tone down a wild idea than to think up a new one.” 6 Inspiration can come from a variety of places and can provide a framework or starting point for planning and promoting events in health sciences libraries. In health sciences libraries, there is a plethora of sources of information, including some that may not have been previously considered. One source of information is publications such as this one. There are numerous titles written about successful programs in libraries that may be easily adapted to the health sciences setting. Another consideration would be to conduct a literature search in professional publications. Case studies, editorials, and articles have been written in publications such as the Journal of the Medical Library Association, Medical Reference Services Quarterly, and Library Journal. Local, state, and regional library associations may also periodically publish journals or newsletters that contain examples of programming in libraries. The Internet is also a source for inspiration. A Google search for program planning will yield thousands of websites with example programming from a variety of industries including libraries. Suggestions from these sites may trigger ideas that can be brought to a brainstorming session. During the

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brainstorming session, group members can suggest ways to adapt ideas to the health sciences library setting. This is important because part of brainstorming new ideas is considering inspiration from nonlibrary industries. Listservs, blogs, and social media sites are also great places to look for ideas for library events. These entities are designed to foster collaboration and sharing, so perusing them is a great way to be inspired by what others are doing. Not every institution has a budget to support conference travel; however, those who are able to attend one will find it most beneficial for inspiration. For example, there are several national conferences hosted by associations such as the Medical Library Association; American Library Association; and local, state, and regional organizations. Most if not all of these conferences include poster presentations where presenters discuss new programming and events they have held at their institutions. Attendees can interact with presenters and ask questions about their programming. These conferences also usually consist of oral presentations where attendees can hear about new innovations in service offerings. Organizations also sponsor webinars and continuing education courses that may serve as inspiration. Library stakeholders are often another source of inspiration. The faculty, staff, students, or other library users are the most important inspirations to consider when planning and promoting events. Input from these groups may be received formally or informally. The library suggestion box is a place where patrons share their ideas for the library. Surveys and needs assessments are also formal ways to solicit input. These surveys may be conducted by the library, or the data from a survey from another campus group may prove useful. Informally, conversations with patrons at the information desk or other events at the institution may also serve as sources for inspiration. Committee members may also reach out to individuals from the institution that they feel comfortable asking for suggestions and input prior to the brainstorming session. USING BRAINSTORMING METHODOLOGIES Brainstorming has evolved since it was first described in the 1950s. Most still consider brainstorming as simply a group of individuals coming together to share ideas. Usually there is someone jotting them down as they are stated, and the result is the creation of one cohesive idea or plan. Several methodologies have evolved due to the significant role that brainstorming plays in developing new ideas. There are also products, software, and training available for purchase. Limited library budgets, however, rarely allow room for these, and they are not necessary for effective brainstorming. The following section focuses on some of the most widely used methodologies for brain-

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storming and their strengths and weaknesses when planning and promoting events in health sciences libraries. SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis is a technique often associated with strategic planning and is used to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. These same concepts can be used in the developmental phase of planning an event. SWOT can be useful in brainstorming to analyze an idea or several ideas before deciding on a final plan for implementation. While SWOT can be used in an initial brainstorming session, it may be more beneficial to use during follow-up sessions to narrow ideas that were initially presented. SWOT is a way to visualize an idea by viewing it from different perspectives and attempts to gauge the impact of the idea and identify possible pitfalls. A SWOT analysis does not guarantee the success of an idea but is still a useful method for brainstorming events. The process of conducting a SWOT analysis is simple and can be easily implemented and adapted to planning an event. The first step is to divide a whiteboard or flipchart into four sections representing strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats (figure 4.1). Next, group members will give responses to each category with one member serving as a recorder to capture responses. Lastly, the group should analyze their findings, discuss, debate, and reach a conclusion or decision. It is important to note that strengths and weaknesses are internal (focus on what the library can do and control), and opportunities and threats are external (focus on factors outside of the library and what cannot be controlled). When considering the strengths, group members should identify benefits, advantages, and unique aspects of the idea. In contrast, weaknesses should identify pitfalls, disadvantages, and possible overlaps of an idea with past events or programs. The opportunities section is concerned with identifying the benefits to the intended audience, and threats attempt to identify factors outside of the library’s control that may hinder the success of the event. There is no guarantee that every strength and weakness will be addressed, nor will every opportunity or threat be identified. The purpose of the SWOT analysis is to serve as a framework for brainstorming sessions to help organize thoughts and ideas. In the scenario mentioned earlier in the chapter, the group was brainstorming an idea for welcoming back new students but got off topic discussing the Halloween event. It is now time for the group to brainstorm about the idea for a Halloween-themed event to introduce the new skeletal collection. Since an initial idea has already been identified, the group chooses to employ SWOT analysis to further discuss the idea during their brainstorming session.

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Figure 4.1. An example SWOT analysis setup. Courtesy of Natasha Williams.

After responding to the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats associated with the idea, they developed a chart of their results. Gap Analysis or Gap Filling The method of gap analysis (also known as gap filling) entails identifying the current state and the end goal and finding gaps between the two. Gap analysis asks the question, “How do we get from here to there?” Gap analysis is a problem-solving approach; when used effectively, it aids in identifying the problem and finding workable solutions. It is easily adaptable to brainstorming ideas. The gap analysis method begins with identifying the current state or starting point. In planning an event, this may be the initial idea for the event, the product or service being introduced, or the general purpose (e.g., increasing student engagement or library visibility). When the brainstorming group gathers for the session, they may choose to use flowcharts, mind maps, or a variety of other ways to help guide the analysis. Visualization in this brainstorming method is important because it allows members to see the progression from beginning to end or from idea to plan. Once the brainstorming

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session begins, group members discuss ways of achieving the initial goal while keeping the intended outcome in mind, thus filling the gap. Referring to the previous scenario, the group has decided to use the gap analysis to brainstorm ideas for events to welcome new students back to campus. Planning a welcoming event is the starting point of the gap analysis because this is the intended purpose of the event. They then identify student engagement as their goal or ending point because this is the intended outcome of the event. During the brainstorming session, group members use a flowchart to capture ideas of how to welcome back students in ways that encourage continued engagement with the library. Mind Mapping Mind mapping is probably the most widely used method for brainstorming. It is simple to integrate into a brainstorming session and can also be combined with other methods, such as gap analysis. One of the biggest challenges in brainstorming is finding a way to capture all the ideas that are being voiced. Mind mapping is a nonlinear diagram that can effectively capture the influx of ideas during a brainstorming session while not disrupting the flow of the discussion or missing anything. There are several online templates and software products freely available for mind mapping. It is also easily done using a chalkboard, whiteboard, or flipchart. In planning an event, start with the initial idea or purpose in the center, and then create branches of the thoughts and ideas expressed during the brainstorming session (figure 4.2). Visually, a mind map may resemble a spider or octopus. It is nonlinear, so it can be whatever the imagination of the group desires. Participants will be able to visualize the effectiveness of the brainstorming session by how developed or undeveloped the finished map is. Starbursting Starbursting takes a detective/investigator/reporter approach to brainstorming that asks the questions who, what, when, where, why, and how in relation to a new idea or concept. This method can be effective because of its exploratory nature; one question leads to another. It is useful in building on concepts and making connections with ideas from multiple participants of the brainstorming session. Like mind mapping, there are several online templates and software available. The use of an artistic group member and a flipchart can also be effective. In planning an event, the main idea is placed in the center of the star diagram, and the points are labeled who, what, when, where, why, and how (figure 4.3). Participants then consider each question and record the answers on the corresponding points of the star. The end result is the beginning of a well-developed plan for the event.

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Figure 4.2. An example of a mind mapping diagram. Courtesy of Natasha Williams.

Five Whys While starbursting took a detective/investigator/reporter approach to brainstorming, the five whys method takes an interrogation approach. The five whys method has been described as a root cause analysis because it attempts to get to the heart of a problem. This methodology is often used in problem solving and is also an effective way to encourage open dialogue and trigger new ideas during a brainstorming session. It is the least structured of the previously discussed methodologies and does not require the use of a specifically designed diagram; however, a flowchart or fishbone diagram (also known as a cause and effect diagram) can be used. To brainstorm ideas for an event using the five whys approach, participants begin by identifying an initial idea and then build on it by asking “why?” and recording the answers. In the welcome event scenario from earlier in the chapter, the group may ask the question, “Why plan an event to welcome back students?” The answer may be, “To increase their awareness of library resources at the beginning of their tenure at the institution.” The next why may be, “Why is this important?” The answer may be, “To avoid students going their whole academic career here unaware of the helpful tools and resources we have available to them.” Each “why” will piggyback off the answers of the previous “why.” This is just an example of how using the five

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Figure 4.3. An example of a starbursting diagram. Courtesy of Natasha Williams .

whys can guide a discussion and lead to dialogue about an idea where new insights may be discovered. CONSIDERING OVERLOOKED USER GROUPS Brainstorming is the second phase of the life cycle of planning and promoting library events and can be the most beneficial yet problematic of all the phases. Brainstorming allows groups to come together and share ideas in order to best meet a goal or objective. It is important during the brainstorming process to eliminate or identify possible bias. One area where bias is likely to occur is in the selection of user groups to target. Therefore, it is important for the brainstorming team to consider possibly overlooked user groups throughout the process. For example, in academic health science centers, the medical program group tends to get the most attention because they are typically more numerous and better funded. Students from smaller programs may feel ignored or underserved. Early in the brainstorming phase, a committee should decide on

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the intended audience and whether the event or program will be inclusive of all user groups or targeted to a specific group (e.g., dental students, nursing students, faculty). Framing the brainstorming session with the intended audience in mind is crucial to the success of an inclusive event. CONCLUSION Planning and promoting library events in a health sciences setting can be equally rewarding and challenging. It is necessary to provide innovation in service offerings and establish visibility. Programs and events serve to connect libraries to users in ways that may not have been considered before. These new ways can only be realized through effectively carrying out the process of brainstorming. By working collaboratively and keeping the end goal in mind, health sciences librarians are capable of planning and promoting awesome events. NOTES 1. Hanisha Besant, “The Journey of Brainstorming,” Journal of Transformative Innovation 2, no. 1 (Summer 2016): 1. 2. Maria Shirey, “Brainstorming for Breakthrough Thinking,” The Journal of Nursing Administration 41, no 12 (December 2011): 497. 3. Shirey, “Brainstorming for Breakthrough Thinking,” 497. 4. Roger Schwarz, “8 Ground Rules for Great Meetings,” Harvard Business Review, September 24, 2016, https://hbr.org/2016/06/8-ground-rules-for-great-meetings. 5. Schwarz, “8 Ground Rules for Great Meetings.” 6. Besant, “The Journey of Brainstorming,” 1.

RESOURCES Mind Mapping Canva, https://www.canva.com/graphs/mind-maps/. Creately, https://creately.com/diagram-community/popular/t/mind-map. SWOT Analysis “Your Library’s Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats,” http:// www.ala.org/advocacy/sites/ala.org.advocacy/files/content/advleg/ advocacyuniversity/frontline_advocacy/frontline_public/swot.pdf. “SWOT Analysis Worksheet,” https://www.score.org/resource/swotanalysis-worksheet?gclid= Cj0KCQiAxrbwBRCoARIsABEc9shagytl7dNOzjHCIxkxJ7QrcBWai6BjBnbf9CjSzT27wKd33ZTImkaAvNWEALw_wcB.

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Starbursting “Starbursting: Understanding New Ideas by Brainstorming Questions,” https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newCT_91.htm. “Let’s Go Starbursting!” https://techacute.com/lets-go-starbursting/. Five Whys “5 Whys: Getting to the Root of a Problem Quickly,” https://www.mindtools. com/pages/article/newTMC_5W.htm. Gap Analysis “Mind the Gap: Free Gap Analysis Templates,” https://www.smartsheet. com/free-gap-analysis-templates. “Gap Analysis: Guide and Template,” https://www.executestrategy.net/ blog/gap-analysis. BIBLIOGRAPHY Besant, Hanisha. “The Journey of Brainstorming.” Journal of Transformative Innovation 2, no. 1 (Summer 2016): 1–7. Schwarz, Roger. “8 Ground Rules for Great Meetings.” Harvard Business Review, September 24, 2016. https://hbr.org/2016/06/8-ground-rules-for-great-meetings. Shirey, Maria. “Brainstorming for Breakthrough Thinking.” The Journal of Nursing Administration 41, no. 12 (December 2011): 497–500.

Chapter Five

A Purposeful Approach to Library Events Promotion Erinn E. Aspinall

Libraries strive to make the experience of their users as easy as possible, but the process of reducing user burden has hidden the work of libraries; collections content is increasingly electronic, librarian consultations take place online or in offices, and research questions are answered via chat or e-mail. As a result, library users only get a glimpse of the full range of services offered. Limited knowledge can affect user perception of the library, which can be a decade or more behind the reality. 1, 2 Hosting events within libraries is one important way to increase the visibility of library resources, services, and expertise and to bring user perception closer to the reality. Taking a strategic approach to events promotion will yield a valuable return on investment as it creates a consistent and cohesive message both over time and across communication channels, resulting in increased visibility and recognition that can lead to additional support, greater influence, and wider latitude for the work of a library. ALIGN WITH ORGANIZATIONAL GOALS As you build a library events program, consider programming goals. You may, for example, want to increase name and face recognition of library staff, introduce a new service, share news of resources and tools, or bring users into your library. Your programming goals are important and should drive promotional activities. Aligning programming goals with marketing goals reflects best practices for strategic communication, “the purposeful use of communication by an organization to fulfill its mission.” 3 Strategic communication requires both a communication strategy (what you want to do) 47

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and a communication plan (how you are going to do it). 4 By following a communication plan and strategy, your library will move away from tactical, reactionary, and short-term communication approaches that may be inconsistent or even harmful to your overall strategy and move toward intentional and purposeful communication. 5, 6 DEVELOP YOUR COMMUNICATION STRATEGY The first step in creating a communication strategy (what you want to do) is to write a strategy statement (figure 5.1). A strategy statement should be clear and specific, and it should answer the questions who, what, when, why, and how. When considering the who, be specific. Defining your primary audience will help you develop relevant materials and meaningful talking points. When considering why, align your statement with the needs of your organization by reflecting programming goals and desired outcomes. With a strategy statement in place, consider your key message, which should be clear and consistent and resonate with your audience. 7 Seeking collaboration and input from a variety of stakeholders is critical to message development. Brainstorm with colleagues about known and observed needs, speak with subject experts to identify important talking points, ask your audience to articulate their needs and how your work can address them, and engage champions to test ideas and gather testimonials that support your message. When you complete your research, synthesize and document findings with a focus on the benefit to your audience. The synthesized content will reflect your main talking points and will be an important reference when you begin to create content. Identify Resources Successful events promotion must take available resources into consideration. Be realistic about the resources you can commit to events promotion and what skill sets are available to you. Identify staff who have capacity and expertise to contribute to the work. Include subject experts and individuals with skills or interests in design, writing, and marketing. If external support is available, such as a communication office or freelancers, include those staff as well. Consider the time you have to dedicate to events promotion relative to other commitments. List additional resources including budget, software, services (such as printing services), analytics resources, and materials. Communication channels must also be considered. Analyze available communication channels for events promotion and identify the primary communication channel for your event, keeping in mind your message, audience, and resources. Different messages lend themselves to different communica-

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Figure 5.1. Template for communication strategy and communications plan. Courtesy of Erinn E. Aspinall .

tion channels. If your message is best delivered in quick soundbites, use social media. Likewise, if detailed talking points are the optimal way to share a call to action, consider a webpage or handout. Take into account what you know about your audience and their preferred workflow. If faculty never go to social media, consider e-mail or print mailings. If administrators are busy, consider a high-touch option for content sharing that puts the person first, such as a handwritten note or custom message. If students ignore e-mail, think of the best available alternative or identify ways to make your e-mail communication stand out. Weigh other resources when selecting communication channels, as available skills, time, and tools might restrict options. Use your resource analysis to determine the best way to share the most complete message with your audience.

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Create a Plan With your events promotion communication strategy in place, move on to the communication plan, which will detail exactly how you are going to promote your events (figure 5.1). Ronald Smith refers to elements of the communication plan as tactics—the visible outcomes of your communication strategy— and emphasizes that thoughtful planning and coordination of tactics is important as they require the heaviest investment. 8 While the communication plan is important, the plan itself can be simple and should outline the primary communication channel, the content type, the frequency of content sharing, and who will be doing the work. Each piece of the communication plan should be in harmony, as different messages lend themselves to different communication channels, which in turn will inform the content type and how the messages are delivered. Put It Together Once you have crafted a communication strategy statement and message, identified available resources and a preferred communication channel, and developed task assignments and a distribution schedule, combine this content to create an at-a-glance look at your communication strategy and plan (figure 5.1). Keep in mind that this is your communication strategy and plan, so add notes and modify the content to serve your needs. DEVELOP CONTENT Content creation requires skills related to writing, design, accessibility, and branding. Because content creation requires such a broad set of skills, it is arguably the hardest part of a communication plan. Start with the content piece that offers the most complete message for your audience. As you begin writing, reference your communication strategy and plan, paying particular attention to your audience, talking points, and communication channel, and be sure to call in experts when subject expertise or specialized skill sets are needed. From there, apply best practices to your content structure; place the most important information first, followed by less important information, and conclude with the nice-to-know information. 9 Use meaningful headings and subheadings to break up text, highlight important thoughts, and allow readers to scan for relevant content. 10 These guidelines adapted from the Peel Leadership Centre offer additional tips for crafting a compelling message: • Keep it clear. Avoid using jargon, and remember your audience. • Keep it concise, no more than a few sentences—a paragraph at most.

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• Make it believable, and make sure the communicator believes in the message. • Make it persuasive. Your message should evoke an emotional response. It should be a call to action that demonstrates why your message matters to your audience. 11 Enhance Content to Enrich Your Story Integration of a few key elements can enrich your marketing materials by creating an experience that engages your audience. Think about your favorite catalog; ask how it describes products in a way that captures your attention, and use this example as you begin to craft content. Also focus your writing on the story, not the topic. A story has the power to resonate with your audience in a way that facts and data do not. To find the story behind your topic, ask yourself how to present your talking points in a way that demonstrates the benefits to your audience. Use descriptive titles and headings that reflect your talking points and other actionable content. Incorporate quotes from champions who can support your message, and add images and other visuals—including videos—that illustrate your points. Apply Accessibility Best Practices Accessible content helps everyone and ensures that your marketing efforts reach as many people as possible. An individual’s ability to understand content reflects their ability at the moment and can be influenced by temporary or permanent cognitive, emotional, environmental, and physical limitations. There are many considerations for creating accessible content, and it is important to learn and apply accessibility best practices. Begin by using selected starter tips adapted from the University of Minnesota’s Accessible U resource: • Text: Use plain language with the goal of writing at the sixth-grade reading level. Avoid acronyms, jargon, idioms, and metaphors. The Hemingway app is one tool for analyzing and adjusting reading level. 12 • Structure: Use headings, bulleted and numbered lists, and short sentences and paragraphs. • Color: Use contrasting colors, and do not convey meaning through color. • Images and videos: Add alt text to images and captioning to videos. • Links: Use descriptive language in links, avoiding the use of general links such as “learn more” and “click here.” • Social media: Capitalize the first letter of each word in a hashtag. Place all hashtags and mentions at the end of your content. 13

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Use Consistent Branding Branding is the clear and consistent message for an organization that helps differentiate it from other organizations. 14 Brand standards help your audience recognize your content through the consistent use of fonts, colors, voice, and wordmark/logos across all communication materials. Most libraries are part of a broader organization that has defined brand standards for use across the organization. Default to your organizational branding if it is available to you. Contact your organization’s communication or administration office for access to branding guidelines and assets. Guidelines will likely include a wordmark/logo, primary and secondary colors, and standard fonts. If you need to develop a brand style guide, start with the basics and document your decisions in a way that is shareable across your library. Identify standard colors, generally two primary colors and a handful of complementary colors, and list their values (i.e., RGB, CMYK, and HEX) for easy repurposing. Select one to three fonts along with standards for applying those fonts consistently to titles, headers, and body text. Consider the development of a logo, which may require outside design expertise. If an image-based logo is not available to you, identify a standard way to name or otherwise identify your library across all communication channels. Slogans or taglines can be considered verbal logos and can often stand in place of their image-based counterpart. 15 Whether you are using organizational or custom-built brand standards, consider additional elements that help differentiate your work. There are many useful guides for developing brand standards that are readily available online. In addition to logo, colors, and font, common elements of a brand include voice and imagery. Voice can be an important factor in events promotion. For example, decide if you want to be seen as authoritative, approachable, or helpful, and then draft out a few examples of what that voice would look like in practice. Imagery is also an important part of a brand and can include standard photo filters, illustration styles, and image placement. Once your branding elements are identified and documented, use your branding guide to develop standard templates for events promotion that can be shared across your library. SHARE CONTENT AND LEVERAGE RESOURCES You have done the hard work of creating the primary content to achieve your events promotion goals. Now you get to share the content as outlined in your communication strategy and plan and apply techniques that allow you to maximize your work for the greatest impact in order to increase visibility, gain influence, and save time.

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Create a Calendar Your communication plan outlines the frequency for events-related communication and identifies the individuals responsible for sharing that content. These details can be documented through an editorial calendar that outlines the who, what, and when of content distribution. A shared editorial calendar is a useful tool for assigning tasks and informing colleagues of who will help distribute content. Shared calendaring systems or project management tools can be used to create an editorial calendar and are particularly helpful when they allow reminder notifications to prompt work. Editorial calendars also help document how content was distributed for past events to inform approaches for the future. Identify Options for High-Touch Content Sharing Use your calendar to plan your initial content sharing, whether this is publishing a webpage, distributing a flyer, or posting to social media. To ensure a high-touch approach, consider the best timing for sharing your content as people tend to only hear your message when it is meaningful to them. For example, if your goal is increasing participation in your library grant-funding workshops, look at important deadlines from federal funding agencies and align them with your distribution plans. Also make sure the message is delivered by the right person, since identifying who is communicating the message is as important as the message itself. 16 The individual or group who is highlighted as the sender, expert, contact, or author of the content should have some meaningful connection to the audience as a way of increasing visibility or leveraging existing connections for greatest return. Additional strategies can be applied for a high-touch communication approach. For example, print marketing materials can be sent to important stakeholders and VIPs with a custom cover letter detailing the value of the event and encouraging participation. Business cards can be attached to a print distribution to encourage follow-up and future relationship building. For content shared digitally, custom e-mails with a headshot of the sender can be shared with champions, stakeholders, individuals, and departments that represent your primary audience. Identify additional places where small investments along these lines could have a big impact on audience engagement and events participation. Boost Reach Content can sometimes benefit from additional promotion to get it into the hands of your audience. Consider the format of your communication material to identify the best way to boost the reach of your message. Paid advertisement can be beneficial for social media. Small financial investments in paid

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advertisements, such as boosted Facebook posts, can greatly amplify your message and can be reflected in your budget planning. Mentions are also an important consideration for social media and can allow you to connect with interested groups and increase their engagement in your events programming. Enlist champions and others within your network with a request to help share content. Friends of the Libraries, for example, can be tasked with regularly sharing your social media posts. Student support groups may have similar goals and could help with cross-promotion. Faculty, researchers, students, and practitioners who have benefited from your support can also share content on your behalf. Repeat, Repeat, Repeat Communication goals are best achieved when sharing messaging across platforms and over time. Experienced communicators will tell you that when they are getting tired of sharing their message, people are just starting to listen. 17 Repetition of message is a tenet of strategic communication and an important approach to events promotion. 18 Ned Potter explains, “One-off promotions expect too much of our users and potential users. It’s more important (and more realistic) to build up awareness of the services we offer to relevant groups over a period of time, so that when they DO require something we provide, we’re the first thing they think of.” 19 Repetition of content must be thoughtful in order to engage your audience over time and ensure a larger return on your initial investment. To repeat content without the worry of audience burnout, share your content in many different ways. Take the initial (and most in-depth) content for your event, and then identify the “least publishable units.” This phrase, borrowed from academic publishing, refers to the smallest measurable unit of publishable content. 20 Taking a micro-publishing approach is appropriate and useful in marketing as it not only reinforces your message but can also help reach secondary audiences, allow for course correction when needs shift, leverage investments in time and resources, and create a steady drumbeat of news about library programming to support awareness building. When taking a micro-publishing approach to library events promotion, start by identifying any image, quote, summary excerpt, or other content that can either stand alone or be recombined in new ways to reinforce your message. Brainstorm ideas for how these least publishable units can be repurposed within your library’s communication channels. For example, use images and excerpts to create print or digital signage, align handout messaging with website content (or vice versa), share excerpts in social media or newsletters, use past event images to promote similar future events, and summarize events in annual reports. As you plan repeated content, revisit your edito-

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rial calendar to add reminders and assign tasks for additional content-sharing opportunities. Archive Your Work When you have reached the point of sharing and repeating content, you have done a substantial amount of work—from developing talking points to creating a brand to writing your content. In a library environment, where time and resources can be limited, it is not only important but crucial that you archive this work for future use. It is also crucial that you make these resources widely available to your library staff to share workloads and ensure continuity with staff turnover and other organizational changes. A shared communication archive is a powerful tool that will help save time, leverage resources, and support consistent messaging. Shared folders and documents can help create a communication infrastructure for your library and can be used to archive all communication materials, including strategies and plans, talking points, templates, brand standards, marketing materials, and visual assets such as photographs and images. Use consistent folder and file naming conventions to ensure that content is findable over time. REFINE YOUR APPROACH An important part of strategic communication is developing an evaluation plan that reflects the goals outlined in your communication strategy. 21 To create an evaluation plan, reflect on your communication goal and determine a few measures that could help with your evaluation process. These measures can be outlined from the start in your communication strategy but should be implemented as part of your communication plan. Your goal for library events marketing could be increased awareness, participation, engagement, or visibility, for example. Each of these outcomes could have different measures, and tools for measuring these outcomes will vary across libraries. Some communication-related measures include engagement in social media, open rates for newsletters, registration rate changes that align with marketing dates, use of a shortened URL tied to a particular message, and assessment of how event participants learned about the event. Metrics such as attendance at events, requests for a promoted service, or use of a highlighted resource can also be used, but keep in mind that direct correlation between marketing events and these metrics is not always clear. Evaluation activities can also be used to reflect on your process. Did any task take too much time or require additional skills? Were there any lessons learned? How would you do things differently the next time in terms of timing, audience, or message? When your analysis is complete, document your findings and share suggestions for

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improvement. Apply suggestions to future events promotion and other communication goals at your library. WHY PURPOSEFUL PROMOTION MATTERS This chapter outlines the steps for taking a strategic communication approach to library events promotion. Taking a strategic approach reduces the pitfalls associated with one-off promotions and has many benefits as it ensures promotional activities align with organization goals. As a result, a strategic communication approach allows you to: • • • • •

promote an understanding of your library’s mission, vision, and goals increase awareness of your library and its services establish and maintain relationships with key constituents strategically position your library for funding and other support manage change that affects your users 22

Application of a strategic communication approach to events promotion can be as formal or as informal as you wish and can be applied to all communication opportunities, big or small. Keep the strategic communication checklist (textbox 5.1) near your desktop to serve as a helpful reminder as you prepare to host your next library event.

TEXTBOX 5.1. STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION CHECKLIST Steps to align communication activities with organizational goals for greater impact. • Develop your communication strategy and plan. • Write your strategy statement: define who, what, why, when, and how. • Identify key messages: gather input from colleagues, experts, champions, and your audience. • List resources: identify staff, expertise, tools, and budget. • Create a plan: detail the communication channels, the content type, the frequency of content sharing, and who will be doing the work. • Put it together for an at-a-glance summary.

A Purposeful Approach to Library Events Promotion

• Develop content. • Use principles for content organization: place most important content first, use meaningful headings to highlight important content. • Craft a compelling message: keep it clear, keep it concise, make it believable, make it persuasive. • Enhance content to enrich story: focus on the story, use descriptive titles and headings, incorporate quotes, add images and other visuals. • Apply accessibility best practices: use plain language, avoid idioms, apply structure with headings and lists, use contrasting colors that do not convey meaning, add alt text to images and caption videos, write with short paragraphs and short sentences, use descriptive links, and use best practices for social media mentions and hashtags. • Use consistent branding: apply standard logos, colors, and fonts. • Share content and leverage resources. • Create a calendar: outline the who, what, and when of sharing content. • Identify options for high-touch content sharing: distribute content when it matters to your audience, deliver content from the right person, connect with important stakeholders, use mentions to connect with your audience on social media. • Boost reach: use paid advertisement, engage champions, select the right communication channel, and remember your high-touch options. • Repeat, repeat, repeat: identify least publishable units for repurposing content across communication channels and over time. • Archive your work: create a shared library that includes your strategy, talking points, templates, brand standards, marketing materials, and visual assets. • Refine your approach. • Evaluate: identify measures that reflect communication goals, collect relevant information, and document and address findings.

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NOTES 1. Ned Potter, “Marketing Libraries Is Like Marketing Mayonnaise,” Library Journal, April 18, 2013, https://www.libraryjournal.com/?detailStory=marketing-libraries-is-like-marketing-mayonnaise. 2. OCLC and American Library Association, Awareness to Funding: Voter Perceptions and Support of Public Libraries in 2018 (Dublin, OH: OCLC, 2018), 8, 10, https://doi.org/10. 25333/C3M92X. 3. Kirk Hallahan et al., “Defining Strategic Communication,” International Journal of Strategic Communication 1, no. 1 (2007): 3, https://doi.org/10.1080/15531180701285244. 4. Mynhardt van Pletsen, “The Difference Between a Communication Strategy and Plan, and Why You Need Both,” KRAFT Insights, April 15, 2017, https://medium.com/kraft-designsmiths/the-difference-between-a-communication-strategy-and-plan-and-why-you-need-both126b04157d0d. 5. Paul A. Argenti, Robert A. Howell, and Karen A. Beck, “The Strategic Communication Imperative: Companies That Continue to Take a Tactical, Short-Term Approach to Communicating with Key Constituencies Will Find It Increasingly Difficult to Compete, Developing an Integrated, Strategic Approach to Communications Will Be Critical to Success,” MIT Sloan Management Review 46, no. 3 (2005): 61. 6. Hallahan et al., “Defining Strategic Communication,” 7. 7. Argenti, Howell, and Beck, “The Strategic Communication Imperative,” 61–67. 8. Ronald D. Smith, Strategic Planning for Public Relations, 4th ed. (New York: Routledge, 2013), 262–63. 9. Horst Pottker, “News and Its Communicative Quality: The Inverted Pyramid—When and Why Did It Appear?” Journalism Studies 4, no. 4 (2003): 501–02, https://doi.org/10.1080/ 1461670032000136596. 10. Kara Pernice, “The Layer-Cake Pattern of Scanning Content on the Web,” Nielsen Norman Group, August 4, 2019, https://www.nngroup.com/articles/layer-cake-pattern-scanning. 11. Nicole Salmon, “Communicating Your Strategy in 7 Easy Steps,” Peel Leadership Centre, May 12, 2017, http://www.peelleadershipcentre.org/communicating-strategy-7-easy-steps. 12. Adam Long and Ben Long, “Hemingway App,” Hemingway Editor, accessed November 11, 2020, http://www.hemingwayapp.com. 13. University of Minnesota, “Accessible U,” accessed November 11, 2020, https://accessibility.umn.edu. 14. Smith, Strategic Planning for Public Relations, 220–24. 15. Smith, Strategic Planning for Public Relations, 220. 16. Salmon, “Communicating Your Strategy in 7 Easy Steps.” 17. Alan Cubbage, “University Relations Officers,” in Center for Library Initiatives Annual Conference: Strategic Communications for the Academic Library, ed. Committee on Institutional Cooperation, Ohio State University, May 22–23, 2013, https://www.btaa.org/about/calendar/conferences/library/2015/cli/program. 18. Smith, Strategic Planning for Public Relations, 312–15. 19. Potter, “Marketing Libraries Is Like Marketing Mayonnaise.” 20. W. Broad, “The Publishing Game: Getting More for Less,” Science 211, no. 4487 (March 1981): 1137–39, https://doi.org/10.1126/science.7008199. 21. Smith, Strategic Planning for Public Relations, 329–58. 22. Adapted from Hallahan et al., “Defining Strategic Communication,” 5–6.

BIBLIOGRAPHY Argenti, Paul A., Robert A. Howell, and Karen A. Beck. “The Strategic Communication Imperative: Companies That Continue to Take a Tactical, Short-Term Approach to Communicating with Key Constituencies Will Find It Increasingly Difficult to Compete. Developing an

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Integrated, Strategic Approach to Communications Will Be Critical to Success.” MIT Sloan Management Review 46, no. 3 (2005): 61–67. Broad, W. “The Publishing Game: Getting More for Less.” Science 211, no. 4487 (March 1981): 1137–39. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.7008199. Cubbage, Alan. “University Relations Officers.” In Center for Library Initiatives Annual Conference: Strategic Communications for the Academic Library, edited by Committee on Institutional Cooperation. Ohio State University, May 22–23, 2013. https://www.btaa.org/ about/calendar/conferences/library/2015/cli/program. Hallahan, Kirk, Derina Holtzhausen, Betteke van Ruler, Dejan Verčič, and Krishnamurthy Sriramesh. “Defining Strategic Communication.” International Journal of Strategic Communication 1, no. 1 (2007): 3–35. https://doi.org/10.1080/15531180701285244. Long, Adam, and Ben Long. “Hemingway App.” Hemingway Editor. Accessed November 11, 2020. http://www.hemingwayapp.com. OCLC and American Library Association. Awareness to Funding: Voter Perceptions and Support of Public Libraries in 2018. Dublin, OH: OCLC, 2018. https://doi.org/10.25333/ C3M92X. Pernice, Kara. “The Layer-Cake Pattern of Scanning Content on the Web.” Nielsen Norman Group. August 4, 2019. https://www.nngroup.com/articles/layer-cake-pattern-scanning. Pletsen, Mynhardt van. “The Difference Between a Communication Strategy and Plan, and Why You Need Both.” KRAFT Insights. April 15, 2017. https://medium.com/kraftdesignsmiths/the-difference-between-a-communication-strategy-and-plan-and-why-youneed-both-126b04157d0d. Potter, Ned. “Marketing Libraries Is Like Marketing Mayonnaise.” Library Journal, April 18, 2013. https://www.libraryjournal.com/?detailStory=marketing-libraries-is-like-marketingmayonnaise. Pottker, Horst. “News and Its Communicative Quality: The Inverted Pyramid—When and Why Did It Appear?” Journalism Studies 4, no. 4 (2003): 501–11. https://doi.org/10.1080/ 1461670032000136596. Salmon, Nicole. “Communicating Your Strategy in 7 Easy Steps.” Peel Leadership Centre. May 12, 2017. http://www.peelleadershipcentre.org/communicating-strategy-7-easy-steps. Smith, Ronald D. Strategic Planning for Public Relations. 4th ed. New York: Routledge, 2013. University of Minnesota. “Accessible U.” Accessed November 11, 2020. https://accessibility. umn.edu.

Chapter Six

Assessment of Library Programming Shalu Gillum and Natasha Williams

After executing any library program or event, it is important to take a moment to analyze and assess how it went. Assessing library programs is an often-overlooked step but one that could lead to more successful programming. Post-program assessment allows librarians to “measure the success of the outreach activity, identify areas for iterative improvement, and demonstrate the value of the outreach activity to stakeholders.” 1 While in this book assessment is considered the last phase of the library programming life cycle, assessment can—and likely should—also be done during other phases to help inform later ones. With any form of assessment, it is important to thoughtfully create assessment instruments and then have them reviewed by someone else to ensure that questions will result in the type of information sought. 2 There are many ways to assess programming, and thought should be given to the type of assessment best suited to the user group(s), the type of information desired, and the stage at which the assessment is performed. Similarly, if in-depth comments are desired, some assessment formats are better suited than others, for example surveys versus micro-assessments, which will be described in this chapter. Finally, some assessments can be used to determine whether the goals of an executed program or event were met—a more accurate measure of the success of a program—whereas some assessment formats may be used to understand the needs of a particular user group in order to create future programming targeting that group. This chapter will discuss traditional and some nontraditional types of assessments for both evaluating library programming and events and for gathering information from users to help develop future programing. It should be noted that this is by no means an exhaustive list of all forms of assessment. 61

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FORMS OF ASSESSMENT FOR LIBRARY PROGRAMMING Attendance Data Gathering attendance data from a program or event is the basic form of assessment. Counting the number of attendees by either asking people to sign in on a sheet of paper or by keeping track using a handheld counter provides immediate feedback. This is great if you have set an attendance goal with a target number in mind, as you can easily see whether the goal has been met. If the numbers you have gathered did not meet your goal or seem very different from what you anticipated, this method can also be a good indicator that you may need to perform some additional assessments in follow-up to determine why some patrons chose to attend while others did not. That said, a disadvantage to just counting heads is that attendance alone is not always a sufficient measure of success or failure. A large crowd can have a poor experience in the same way that a small group can have an excellent one. With this type of assessment alone, it is also hard to determine people’s motivations for attending (e.g., free food) and whether people benefited from attending in the way intended. Consequently, it is advisable to supplement attendance data with additional information from another form of assessment. Surveys Arguably, the most common form of assessment is the survey. Surveys can be conducted in a variety of ways, for example on paper or via e-mail or other electronic means. Surveys for library programming do not need to be exhaustive; librarians are all too familiar with extensive needs assessments and user satisfaction questionnaires. Brief surveys for assessing library programs can be equally if not more valuable. The first thing to keep in mind is the goal of the survey—what kind of information is desired from the user? Surveys evaluating the success of a program after it is over should be short and relevant. Ask yourself, what are the two or three most important questions you want answered about the event, and can they be answered quickly in a survey format? Advantages of surveys over other assessment formats are that they allow for open-ended responses and follow-up questions. Simple surveys are also relatively easy to create. Most librarians have access to some type of survey software, whether it is free online software like SurveyMonkey or Google Forms or more robust software like Qualtrics. Surveys also allow for data to be gathered from specific user groups, which can help inform ideas for library programming.

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Surveys soliciting feedback after a particular program or event are typically deployed via e-mail. The main disadvantage to this method is a low response rate, something many librarians have likely experienced. Another disadvantage is the time between deployment of the survey and tabulation of responses. Creating good surveys that capture meaningful data can also be time-consuming, especially when considering which follow-up questions to ask. Another consideration is that “frequent use of surveys can result in survey fatigue,” and even if e-mail surveys do not end up in users’ junk mail folder, they may still be ignored. 3 One way to mitigate survey fatigue is to plan out surveys in advance to ensure they are far apart enough in time so as not to wear out potential recipients. Low response rates can also be mitigated by employing tablets or other forms of technology through which to deploy surveys in person rather than via e-mail. Micro-assessments One way to overcome the low response rate of e-mail surveys is to deploy a survey in person. Asking users to complete a short survey immediately at the end of an event, or even while the event is happening, may result in a better response rate. Another advantage is that the data gathered will be from users who actually attended the event. These types of surveys, or micro-assessments, are “narrowly-focused, short assessment tools that can be quickly designed, implemented, analyzed and used to make changes to library services.” 4 Micro-assessments, typically short surveys consisting of no more than five to six questions, which are deployed and collected immediately, may result in a higher response rate than traditional e-mail surveys, which often get lost in recipients’ inboxes. These types of surveys can be distributed in a variety of ways, for example via paper and pencil or by tablet or some other form of mobile device. Micro-assessments work best for very brief surveys with few to zero open-ended questions. 5 This type of assessment is good for gathering user data and is especially useful when data needs to be collected and results acted on more quickly than e-mail surveys allow. Another advantage of microassessments is that they can be repeated until the desired number of responses needed to inform a particular question are gathered from enough unique respondents. 6 Micro-assessment Tools A useful micro-assessment tool is the HappyOrNot Smiley Terminal. 7 The Smiley Terminal records answers in real time, and the tool can be on display during any event. The terminal features four buttons corresponding to four smiley faces representing very satisfied, satisfied, dissatisfied, and very dis-

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satisfied. Users push a button to answer a question or prompt, for example “How useful did you find today’s lunch and learn?” or “I enjoyed the subject matter of today’s lunch and learn.” Responses are collected via Wi-Fi, and librarians can view reports via a web-based interface. The main advantage of this type of tool is that it can be used to get realtime feedback during an event. Another advantage is that it is portable and can be used wherever the event or program is being held. The Smiley Terminal is also useful in that, by its design, it encourages interaction and participation from users. This type of assessment gets to the core question of user feedback: Were users satisfied or not? Different models of this device do allow for follow-up questions and comments. The main disadvantage to this tool is that it does not allow for targeting of any specific user group, nor is there a way to determine which responses are from which user group (i.e., no demographic information can be collected). Free Response Board A fun and interactive way to gather user feedback is to ask open-ended questions and allow users to freely write their responses. For example, a question can be written on or attached to the top of a whiteboard, bulletin board, or giant flipchart pad. This can then be placed in an area sure to attract the attention of the target audience or in a high-traffic area. 8 Writing utensils such as dry-erase markers or pens and sticky note pads can be left out for people to use to write their responses. If space permits, multiple boards could be left out in this manner. In this type of free answer assessment, responses start slowly, but once the burden of being the first to leave a response has been alleviated, this response method will likely be popular. Also, you might be surprised to see the unique ways your users respond to and interact with responses that have already been left. Focus Groups Focus groups are good for gathering data from a specific user group. For example, to obtain feedback on a particular event or program geared toward first-year medical students, a focus group comprised of several of those students could be helpful to determine the needs of that group, whether the group enjoyed a particular program, or perhaps why they did not attend a particular event or program. Focus groups may be time-consuming due to how long they can take to plan, from scheduling to recruiting participants, as well as how long it can take to analyze all the qualitative data that was gathered. In order to make the most of a focus group, there are a number of factors to take into consideration during the planning stages, including which library user groups you are re-

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cruiting, the questions you will ask focus group participants, and the moderator you will choose to run the session. 9 A well-planned and well-run focus group can encourage open conversation and even generate ideas for survey questions you might want to share with a larger group of users. Suggestion Box Suggestion boxes are commonly used in library spaces and are often included in an electronic format on library websites. Suggestion boxes are typically used to gather general feedback regarding how users feel about certain aspects of the library; user feedback is generally not solicited as a response to any particular question. This feedback may be gathered over a long period of time. Suggestion boxes create an easy and informal way for library users to leave their opinion whenever it is most convenient for them. Suggestion boxes also offer a certain degree of anonymity that may encourage more authentic participation and fewer sanitized responses. 10 The main disadvantage to suggestion boxes is they may, by their very nature, “encourage comments that focus on what the library could be doing better or differently, rather than on what it is doing well.” 11 If your library already uses some type of suggestion box, consider using it in a more targeted way as an assessment tool for a specific event or program. Make sure the suggestion box is available during an event, and encourage participants to leave feedback. As with other types of assessments, it is important to look at and engage with the responses you received in a timely manner and then to implement any necessary changes as appropriate. 12 SCHEDULING ASSESSMENTS One simple way to make sure assessments you want to perform happen in a timely manner is to schedule their creation and distribution ahead of time. Identify strategic points throughout your planning process to sit down and create the assessment, and then pinpoint exactly when you would like to collect the assessment data. Both of these processes can be added to the same library promotion calendar or spreadsheet that was mentioned in chapter 2. Aside from enabling you to see how the assessment lines up with the event, scheduling can also ensure you avoid overwhelming your users by planning too many assessments within a short time, resulting in survey fatigue.

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OVERASSESSMENT It should be noted that not everything needs to be formally assessed. Perhaps you have planned an event that you have no intention of holding again. You might consider collecting some anecdotal information from participants about their experience, but it would be unnecessary to create a follow-up survey that asks whether or not participants would attend this event again. As librarians, we are used to regularly collecting all sorts of data that may or may not be formally used, but assessment data need not be added to that list. Only collect assessment data that you intend to look at and make use of. POST-ASSESSMENT After any assessment is completed, it is important to gather and actually look at and digest the results. This may seem obvious, but often taking the time to analyze survey results can feel like a low priority. Setting aside time postassessment to discuss all results ensures that actionable results are not overlooked. Valuable suggestions may have been made by the very users for which a particular program or event was developed. Of course, not all suggestions will lend themselves to implementation or action, but even those should be considered, as they may point to a gap in current services or a previously unreported user need. If, on the other hand, suggestions received are actionable, be sure to think about how future programming can be developed or improved based on this feedback. It is possible that assessment results will reveal that additional assessments are needed in order to gather more in-depth data before any meaningful improvements can be made. In this case, you can use other assessment techniques like focus groups to start a longer conversation, or maybe just a more focused survey would suffice. Feedback from the team responsible for organizing and executing any event or program is also useful information to take into consideration. Determining what did and did not go well from their perspective can yield observations that may not have been noticed by the participants. Even if the event appeared to be a success from the standpoint of those who chose to participate in your assessment, your staff may have valid reasons to feel the complete opposite. You may find after taking into account various assessment data that your event or program just did not meet the goals that it set out to accomplish— and that is okay. From there, you can decide to go back to the initial planning phase and try to incorporate some of the feedback you received, or you can choose to scrap the idea entirely. While tossing out an idea that did not go

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according to plan is sometimes hard to do, think of what other positive results could come from redirecting that time and energy into something different. COMMUNICATING ASSESSMENT RESULTS Many of us have taken surveys only to wonder whatever came of the results. Users who take the time to complete an assessment of library programming likely feel the same way. Communicating assessment results where appropriate can strengthen library-user relations, create a sense of library ownership and empowerment among users, and build general goodwill toward the library. For example, for a free response assessment, consider using the boards to respond directly to feedback received from users. Not all types of assessments gather results that need to be shared with users, for example attendance information. Consider your users and the type of data gathered and how best to share pertinent results, especially if improvements will be made that are directly tied to user feedback. CONCLUSION Assessment may arguably be the most important phase of the life cycle of library programming and promotion. Without stopping to evaluate how an event or program went, or considering user feedback prior to planning an event, librarians risk setting themselves up for unsuccessful events or disappointing outcomes. Assessment for library programming does need to cross over into the research realm. Choosing the appropriate assessment, even the simplest or most basic, and targeting specific user groups with that assessment is the key to gathering useful data that can help inform future library programing. With any form of assessment, be sure to take the time to analyze and act on results in a timely manner. NOTES 1. Elizabeth German and Sarah LeMire, “Sharing the Value and Impact of Outreach: Taking a Multifaceted Approach to Outreach Assessment,” The Journal of Academic Librarianship 44, no. 1 (January 2018): 66–74, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2017.11.001. 2. Aaron W. Dobbs, ed., The Library Assessment Cookbook (Chicago: Association of College of Research Libraries, 2017), 119. 3. Dobbs, The Library Assessment Cookbook, 116. 4. Tim Hackman et al., “Micro-Assessments of Public Services Usability” (PowerPoint presentation, American Library Association Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL, June 25, 2016). 5. Dobbs, The Library Assessment Cookbook, 121. 6. Dobbs, The Library Assessment Cookbook, 121. 7. “Smiley Terminal,” HappyOrNot, accessed November 6, 2019, https://www.happy-ornot.com/en/smiley-terminal/. 8. Dobbs, The Library Assessment Cookbook, 121.

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9. “Focus Groups: Things to Consider,” Learning Space Toolkit, accessed November 6, 2019, https://learningspacetoolkit.org/needs-assessment/data-gathering-tools-2/focus-groupsthings-to-consider/index.html. 10. Cecile M. Farnum, Catherine Baird, and Kathryn Ball, “Can I Make a Suggestion? Your Library Suggestion Box as an Assessment Tool,” Partnership: The Canadian Journal of Library and Information Practice and Research 6, no. 1 (2011): 2, https://doi.org/10.21083/ partnership.v6i1.1431. 11. Farnum, Baird, and Ball, “Can I Make a Suggestion,” 3. 12. Farnum, Baird, and Ball, “Can I Make a Suggestion,” 2.

BIBLIOGRAPHY Dobbs, Aaron W., ed. The Library Assessment Cookbook. Chicago: Association of College & Research Libraries, 2017. Farnum, Cecilee M., Catherine Baird, and Kathryn Ball. “Can I Make a Suggestion? Your Library Suggestion Box as an Assessment Tool.” Partnership: The Canadian Journal of Library and Information Practice and Research 6, no. 1 (2011): 1–21. doi:https://doi.org/ 10.21083/partnership.v6i1.1431. “Focus Groups: Things to Consider.” Learning Space Toolkit. Accessed November 6, 2019. https://learningspacetoolkit.org/needs-assessment/data-gathering-tools-2/focus-groupsthings-to-consider/index.html. German, Elizabeth, and Sarah LeMire. “Sharing the Value and Impact of Outreach: Taking a Multifaceted Approach to Outreach Assessment. ” The Journal of Academic Librarianship 44, no. 1 (2018): 66–74. doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acalib.2017.11.001. Hackman, Tim, Terry Taylor, Ryan Buller, and Ashley McMullin. “Micro-Assessments of Public Services Usability.” PowerPoint presentation at the American Library Association Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL, June 25, 2016. “Smiley Terminal.” HappyOrNot. Accessed November 6, 2019. https://www.happy-ornot.com/en/smiley-terminal/.

Part II

Success Stories

Chapter Seven

Case Study Using Contests on Social Media to Grow Your Audience and Increase Engagement Kelsa Bartley

SOCIAL MEDIA AT CALDER: HOW IT ALL GOT STARTED In November 2015, the Louis Calder Memorial Library at the University of Miami announced its first social media page on Facebook. Before that we had been advertising our services using mostly traditional formats—posters and flyers in strategic places throughout the library, a large monitor at the library’s entrance, our website home page, and the Calder Communications blog. We were missing out on opportunities to reach out and share library information and resources with our patrons, using the social media platforms they were already on. Many of the library staff were later adopters of the technology and were not comfortable, did not have the know-how, or did not have the time to devote to learning the intricacies of social media management. Although I was good at using social media myself, I did not have formal training in social media management or marketing. THE “ACCIDENTAL” SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER In the spring of 2015, I attended the Florida Health Sciences Library Association Annual Meeting. I participated in a continuing education session entitled “What’s Your Status? Social Networking Trends in Libraries.” 1 The interactive session examined case studies of social media implementation in libraries and their successes, challenges, and future potential. I took away lots of ideas, information, and strategies about the value of the medium and 71

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felt it was imperative for our library to get caught up. With my supervisor’s encouragement, I approached library administration about using social media to connect with our medical students and the wider campus community. They enthusiastically agreed, and I began researching in earnest about how to launch social media platforms for libraries. Wanting to do a thorough job as the library’s newly appointed social media maven, the first thing I did was to search for training courses on social media management. I found out that my institution had a six-month, online Social Media Management certificate. The training, which the library funded with reduced pricing through the university, began in the summer of 2015, and I completed the course in January 2016. A library Facebook page was the result of the program, created using everything I had learned in the course’s training modules and case studies. Once the page was launched, we needed an effective way to promote awareness of the page and to grow our new followers. And so the idea of a social media contest began to form. CALDER’S FIRST SOCIAL MEDIA CONTEST: FEBRUARY 2016 I had learned about the concept of doing contests for brand promotion and growth during the social media management course, and I thought it would be an excellent way to let people know of Calder’s new social media presence. I also learned that images and video got the most engagement on social platforms. Our library staff had seen the growing popularity of photo contests on our own social media, so we decided we wanted to try that format for the library’s new platform. We also felt that since a large portion of the patrons using the physical spaces in the library were medical students, they would be the best target audience for our contest. Medical students were likely seeing the trend on their own social platforms; this in turn would make them more willing to participate in a contest. In January 2016, with feedback from the library’s newly formed social media committee, we planned the first Calder Medical Library Love Shots Photo Contest to coincide with Valentine’s Day. The committee consisted of the library director, the head of reference and education, the library’s webmaster, the daytime access services department supervisor, our student worker—who was studying advertising and marketing at the time—and myself. For the contest, patrons were asked to “show their love for Calder Library” by: 1. Liking Calder Library’s Facebook page: Likes of the library’s page would be crucial to growing our following and measuring our success. 2. Snapping a photo showing Calder Library love: The actual photo demonstrating their interpretation of the Valentine’s Day–themed contest.

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3. Posting the photo on Calder’s Facebook page and tagging it #LoveCalderLibrary: Posting on the library’s page for other page followers to see, liking and sharing the image, and tagging with the hashtag would give viewers the connection back to the library’s page. 4. Sharing the post on their own Facebook pages: Sharing it to their own pages allowed their friends to see the images as well as like, comment on, and share them further. It would also drive views to the library’s page for additional views of the other contest entries. The photo with the greatest number of likes won a twenty-five-dollar Starbucks gift card, so students had to make sure to get their friends to like their photo. The goal was to get people to engage with us and tell their friends what they loved about the library on social media. Promoting the Contest Posters, cards, and social graphics were created using Canva online graphic design software. The platform uses customizable templates, which made it very easy to create promotional material for print and content for digital media. Canva has templates of various sizes, including the optimum dimensions for various social media platforms (figure 7.1). It is a tool that continues to be used to this day. The content created in Canva was versatile enough to be used for promotion in a variety of ways. The contest was promoted as follows: • A large foam core–backed two-by-three-foot poster was placed in the library’s entryway. • Eight-by-eleven-inch flyers were posted by the elevators and at our information table located in the library’s entryway right next to Starbucks. • Cards were placed at the library’s main Access Services desk. • Details were posted on our new Facebook page. The poster image was posted on Facebook when the contest launched, and the card image was posted a week later as a reminder. The image of the card with altered dimensions was also used for promoting the contest on our website. Contest Results The initial run time was the week leading up to Valentine’s Day, but we decided to extend the deadline for another week in order to gain more entries for the contest. The response was very slow at first, and as the initial deadline approached, I began to worry that all our efforts would be in vain. After

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Figure 7.1. Love Shots Photo Contest poster 2016. Courtesy of Kelsa Bartley .

extending the timeframe, entries started coming in closer to the second contest deadline. The results were some very creative images and a large increase in page followers and content likes. The winning photo (figures 7.2 and 7.3) was posted by medical student Adriana Wong, with the hilarious caption “We like big books and we cannot lie!!! #lovecalderlibrary #reading #bestfriends.” The post received 264 likes and was the clear winner over the runner-up, who had 175 likes. Facebook metrics were collected during the contest. I was interested in seeing the impact the contest had, especially during the second week when we received the most entries. As seen in table 7.1, the contest created a major spike in our engagement for both weeks, with peak engagement during the last week of the contest.

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Figure 7.2. Love Shots Photo entry winner. Courtesy of Kelsa Bartley .

CONTEST TWO: FEBRUARY 2017 The contest was replicated the following year with less success. We had fewer entries and less engagement the second time around. An updated version of the same poster was used, and new social graphics were created to promote it to our new followers on Facebook (see figure 7.4). We did have a winner, but analysis needed to be done to determine why the contest did not yield results similar to those from the first time. There were plans for using contests based on the success of the first contest to boost online engagement on Calder’s Twitter and Instagram pages when they were started in 2017 and 2018, respectively. However, the results of the second contest made us pause to consider what could be done to keep the momentum

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Figure 7.3. Kelsa Bartley (center) with contest winners Adriana Wong (left) and Rachel McKean (right) receiving their twenty-five-dollar Starbucks gift card. Courtesy of Kelsa Bartley .

going for engagement on the newer platforms before we launched new contests. LESSONS LEARNED: THEORIES ABOUT SUCCESSES AND CHALLENGES In reflecting on our experience promoting the library using contests on social media, we learned some lessons from the process.

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Table 7.1. Facebook Metrics for User Engagement during the Love Shots Photo Contest, February 14–21, 2016. Metric

Week of February 14–21

Week of February 7–14 Trend

Page Visits

533

84

↑534.5%

Weekly Total Reach 3,210

653

↑391.6%

People Engaged

260

39

↑566.7%

Total Page Likes

101

70

↑44.3%

Consistency Is Key The time between contests was far too long. After getting people interested and engaged on Facebook with the initial contest, there was not a sustained effort outside of regularly posting engaging content to keep new followers hooked and gain even more followers. It is possible that if we had done other contests at strategic times during year—for example, at the end of the semester, at the start of the school year, or around the holidays—we would have sustained participation and engagement. When there is free stuff, people tell their friends! We did not capitalize on the initial interest, so by the time the second contest rolled around, fewer people were interested. The winner of the second contest was the second runner-up for the first contest; she made sure she won the second time around. Add Social Contests to the Marketing Budget One of the major limitations to the library hosting more frequent contests was lack of funding. We did not have a set budget for the contests. The prizes for both contests were donated by the library director. We probably could have afforded to do more contests and give out more prizes if we had planned the contests far enough in advance to budget for them or get sponsorship from other sources. Plan, Plan, Plan When planning your contest, be sure to ask some of these questions: • Do you have the resources (time and personnel) to effectively run the contest? • Who is your target audience? • What would they like to win? What is important to them? • What social platforms are they on? • Will they want to enter the contest?

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Figure 7.4. Photo contest card 2017. Courtesy of Kelsa Bartley .

• Are there too many steps or rules to entering? • How will they know there is a contest (signs, word of mouth, etc.)? • What are you going to do next to keep the momentum going? In hindsight, our contest may have been even more effective the second time around if we had done a bit more planning in terms of asking these questions again, since a year had passed between contests. It is quite possible that the target audience may have changed along with their needs and preferences. We assumed our students would be on Facebook, but what if they were using other platforms, like Twitter or Instagram? We assumed people would want Starbucks as a prize, but what if we had offered a different gift card or a different type of prize? We assumed we could replicate the contest the exact same way, even though it was a whole year later. Hosting contests requires the same market research as posting the right content. Would we have more contests in future? Absolutely! Being able to connect with our patrons on social media was an exciting way to begin building relationships with them as approachable and friendly library staff, and it showed that the library was more than just a place to study and use the

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resources. The contests are a great opportunity and access point to adding personal value to the library’s services and resources. NOTE 1. Martin Wood, Robyn Rosasco, and Terri Johnson, “What’s Your Status? Social Networking Trends in Libraries” (continuing education session, Florida Health Sciences Library Association Annual Meeting, Fort Lauderdale, FL, April 2015).

BIBLIOGRAPHY Wood, Martin, Robyn Rosasco, and Terri Johnson. “What’s Your Status? Social Networking Trends in Libraries.” Continuing education session presented at the Florida Health Sciences Library Association Annual Meeting, Fort Lauderdale, FL, April 2015.

Chapter Eight

Case Study Women of Color in Medicine: A Panel Discussion Jessica A. Koos and Mona Ramonetti

The Women of Color in Medicine event took place on March 25, 2019, at the Stony Brook University Health Sciences Center in celebration of Women’s History Month. The event was a panel presentation consisting of three female physicians and was targeted mainly at students who might have an interest in the topic. It was designed to give some insight into the varied experiences that many women of color face in their journey to achieving success in the field of medicine. BACKGROUND The event was first conceived by the University Libraries’ Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity Committee (EIDC) as a means of engaging the health sciences campus in its initiatives. One of the committee’s goals was to offer programming that provided a voice to the various underrepresented groups on campus. This event was inspired by Stony Brook University’s Pre-Medical Access to the Clinical Experience (PACE) program, which is a six-week program for third-year undergraduate students from socially disadvantaged backgrounds. PACE provides these students with preliminary experience in the field of medicine via exposure to professionals in the clinical and research environments. During the planning and implementation phases of the event, the EIDC members worked with the program director of PACE and the student group CHILL: Mental Health and Wellness Peer Education. CHILL’s mission is to facilitate students in providing referrals to their peers for wellness and mental health resources on campus. The collaboration 81

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proved to be fruitful in terms of increased interest in the work that all three groups (EIDC, PACE, and CHILL) were doing on campus. In addition, it was an opportunity for these three groups to forge an ongoing relationship with each other. THE PANELISTS The program director from PACE provided referrals for three potential panelists for the event based on their previous work with the PACE program. Each potential candidate was an African American woman actively working in the medical field as a physician. A focus on African American women physicians was decided on since their experiences are unique in that they face challenges associated not only with gender but with race as well. Vanessa Northington Gamble posits in her article “Conversations with History” that “while white and black women physicians have shared the commonality of gender discrimination, African American women have had to battle not only sexism, including that of black men, but racism, including that of white women. They have had to confront humiliating stereotypes of black women and the work they should do.” 1 Taiwo Odufunade adds, “It’s amazing that a Black woman in the medical field is still such a novel idea. Most patients, and even other hospital staff, are used to seeing women who look like me as nurses.” 2 Each panelist was provided with an overview of the event along with expectations of the subject matter that would be shared with the audience. The next step was to ask each panelist to supply a brief biography and a photo for promotional purposes. Several follow-up e-mails were sent to either the panelists or their administrative assistants in order to obtain these materials. The event was then promoted via both the campus and the library’s website as well as the library’s social media platforms. In order to gauge the interest in the event, it was requested that attendees register for the event via a link. A total of thirty-seven individuals registered for the event. The audience was comprised of a racially diverse pool of students, faculty, and staff. EVENT CONTENT The format of the event was a panel in which each woman was asked to speak for approximately ten to fifteen minutes on her journey to success and the challenges she encountered in becoming a successful physician. The topic was intentionally broad in order to allow each panelist the freedom to include whatever she thought would be most pertinent. The panelists discussed their experiences growing up and provided details about the support they received from their families. They also provided a detailed account of

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how they ended up in their current roles. Perhaps one of the most impactful portions of the event was when one of the panelists discussed how she was discouraged from pursuing a degree in medicine by a guidance counselor based solely on the statistics of the number of successful women of color working as physicians. This same panelist also detailed how she continues to experience discrimination in her current position. For example, she described how hospital patients at times will assume that she is with housekeeping when she enters their room, even though she is wearing her white lab coat. The other two panelists described how they struggled to find their place in the medical field and how they oftentimes questioned their ability to be a physician. The importance of representing and being a relatable face in the racially diverse pool of patients was discussed as well. Taiwo Odufunade explains the need for such: “Building a diverse physician workforce will go hand in hand with improving healthcare access and quality of care in our communities. If we expect our hospitals to serve all patients in our community, and if we hope to root out racial disparities in healthcare, we must begin to change expectations about what a doctor looks like and who belongs in the field of academic medicine.” 3 The narratives from each panelist were very engaging, and the audience audibly reacted to their stories throughout the event. While the main focus of the event was the panelists’ presentations and the question-and-answer session that followed, both PACE and CHILL were given time to promote their various endeavors. After the panel discussion, the head of the PACE program was provided with an opportunity to promote PACE. CHILL’s student representatives hosted a tabling event prior to and following the panel discussion, where they dispensed health information and discreetly wrapped feminine products. CHALLENGES There were several challenges associated with setting up the event. First, there was the issue of identifying African American female physicians who had the time and the willingness to participate in the event’s allotted time slot. The first round of inquiries was met with silence. A second targeted approach was directed toward three potential panelists: two were able to participate in the event, leaving a vacancy for a third panelist. That third individual was identified by one of the authors based on a previous introduction. The third physician agreed to be a participant, thus completing the panel. Once the panelists had been identified, there was also a fair amount of follow-up required in order to obtain the biographies and photos. Another challenge pertained to the arrangements for the space where the event was to take place. The venue is heavily used and shared with many

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departments within the building. It was discovered that, immediately prior to the event, there was another event scheduled to take place that involved food. Unfortunately, it was too late to alter the reservation. Close coordination with the janitorial staff was required to ensure that the space was cleaned and set up in time for the event. The audiovisual setup also presented an issue. Unbeknownst to the event coordinators, in order to use the audiovisual equipment that was already installed in the room to create a recording, a request to the Center for Excellence and Teaching was required at least one week in advance. This information was received too late; however, the library was able to provide its own audiovisual staff member with a camcorder to record the event. The only drawback was that a lot of ambient noise was captured, whereas the built-in setup for recording would have mitigated that issue. One final challenge was timing. The total duration of the event was one hour; however, some of the panelists ran over the time allotted for their presentations. This did not allow much time for the PACE presentation or the question-and-answer portion. It may have been beneficial to have prearranged a signal that time was up for the panelists. Yet, in instances such as this one, the fluid and organic nature of timing lent itself to a more authentic and engaging experience for the audience. Since the room was not reserved for another event immediately afterward, two of the panelists were able to stay a few minutes past the event, as was the head of the PACE program, in order to answer additional questions. EVENT OUTCOMES The event was deemed a success as it was well attended and raised awareness of the University Libraries’ diversity initiatives as well as the profile of the Health Sciences Library. Informal feedback received from attendees was extremely positive; words such as “inspiring,” “impressive,” and “eye-opening” were used to describe the event. The speakers also expressed their gratitude to the library staff for providing a venue that allowed them to share their experiences. They conveyed an interest in participating in similar events in the future as well. It was an opportunity for them to provide a voice to some of the experiences that women of color face in their journeys while pursuing a career in medicine. In addition, multiple students requested more information regarding the PACE program. Other students were grateful to gain some real-world insight into what the medical journey holds for many aspiring African American female medical students. They found the narratives “inspirational” and discussed the much-needed role of mentors with whom they could identify. Others left encouraged to pursue their goals despite the tough challenges ahead of them. Staff members lingered for some

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time after the event’s conclusion in order to ask questions, continue their conversations, and form some new collaborations. One such collaboration has been between one of the authors and one of the panelists. They are currently coauthoring a research project together. LESSONS LEARNED There were several lessons learned in terms of event planning that resulted from this experience. First, it is imperative to allow sufficient time to make all the necessary arrangements, being mindful that planning is just one of the many facets of hosting a successful event. “Hidden” tasks may also take up a significant amount of time, such as setting up and tearing down the venue and following up and thanking the panelists and involved parties the day after. These events do not exist in a vacuum; consultation with building management, technology staff, student staff, student groups, teaching faculty, and other staff members is necessary. Communication and following up with these parties can also take a significant amount of time. The initial planning may seem simple and straightforward; however, there will be a lot of moving parts. Approach the planning and execution with the knowledge that things can take significantly longer to accomplish than expected. Events such as this one create opportunities to partner with other programs and departments that provide a venue to share related concerns and challenges. They also provide a chance to create long-lasting and mutually beneficial relationships. The opportunity to work with the student group CHILL afforded us the chance to support one of their very valuable and successful initiatives on campus. In turn, we were able to reach another sector of the student body that would traditionally not attend an event such as ours. Finally, it is important to manage the timing of the event itself. While all participants were notified of time limitations several times prior to the event, it was difficult for them to keep on track during the event itself, as they were distracted with their presentations. Prearranging a signal to keep everyone on track throughout the event is important. Putting together an event such as this one involves the skillful coordination of various moving parts. The result was an event that shed light on a very important topic and that had an impact on many of the audience members. The event helped to increase awareness of the work of the University Libraries’ Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity Working Group; the Health Sciences Library; the PACE program; and CHILL. All in all, the authors would agree that it was well worth the investment, and plans are in the works to create similar events in the future.

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NOTES 1. Vanessa Northington Gamble, “Conversations with History,” The Women’s Review of Books 10, no. 5 (1993): 30. 2. Taiwo Odufunade, “A Black Woman in Medicine Should Not Be an Anomaly,” New York Amsterdam News, December 31, 2015. 3. Odufunade, “A Black Woman in Medicine.”

BIBLIOGRAPHY Gamble, Vanessa Northington. “Conversations with History.” The Women’s Review of Books 10, no. 5 (1993): 30. Odufunade, Taiwo. “A Black Woman in Medicine Should Not Be an Anomaly.” New York Amsterdam News, December 31, 2015.

Chapter Nine

Case Study Orlando Health UpSkill: A Hospital Library Integrated Workforce Initiative Aidybert Weeks and Stephanie Harris

From 2016 to 2019, Orlando Health UpSkill was a library-led workforce initiative formed through a multidepartmental collaboration between the Health Sciences Library, Systems Education, and Human Resources departments. The program provided in-person and web-based technology instruction to hospital employees at a large, urban hospital system in Central Florida. Having observed a notable technology skills gap among hospital employees, particularly those in frontline roles in departments such as Environmental Services and Food and Nutrition, library staff decided to formulate possible solutions to bridge the gap by leveraging librarian expertise and aggregating resources and instructor assistance from other departments. The impetus for the solution came about when librarians attended the 2015 Masie Learning Conference, which showcased upskilling programs in corporate industries. Though Orlando Health is a not-for-profit organization, the examples presented during the conference from the for-profit sector were easily translatable to a hospital organization. The goal for library involvement was twofold: integrate existing resources and services under the upskill model umbrella and revive the computer class offerings from previous years at no cost to employees. BACKGROUND The Health Sciences Library serves the hospital employees and affiliated physicians of Orlando Health, a multihospital system located in Central Flor87

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ida. The library is centrally located in the heart of the main campus in downtown Orlando. Library staffing includes three full-time librarians and one part-time library technical assistant. It boasts a flexible computer classroom that serves both for instruction and as a 24/7 computer lab that is managed by the systems librarian. The primary functions of the library are the provision of reference and access services to the clinical staff and administration within the hospital system and information and education services to visitors, families, and patients. The library is open to all hospital employees, and the library computer terminals are often used by frontline employees who do not have “desk jobs” and therefore are not assigned a computer at work. At the time of year when mandatory computer-based online regulatory learning was required of all staff, the librarians observed a marked increase in the number of patrons who required assistance in basic computer operation. In addition, the librarians often provided technical support for those seeking internal job transfers, including navigation of the human resources intranet interface and creating and updating résumés in Microsoft Word. It was during these interactions with hospital employees that librarians and library staff noticed the difficulties that some frontline employees experienced when using the library’s computer hardware, navigating the staff intranet, accessing employer e-mail, and conducting HR-related transactions. Library staff surmised that hospital employees faced with these challenges were at a glaring disadvantage when it came to equitable access to information, information sharing, and work production. In seeing this inequity among hospital employees, the library staff began to brainstorm possible program opportunities to address this gap. UPSKILL AMERICA AND ADULT LEARNING Upskilling is the investment into the education, training, and development of employees for the purpose of enhancing the skill set of the workforce and providing a career ladder for internal advancement. In January 2015, the Obama administration launched UpSkill America, now based out of the Aspen Institute, 1 as a charge to business to develop means for individuals without a college education to receive job training and education. What made the upskill movement appealing to library staff was that its instructional framework closely resembled that of “andragogy,” or adult learning theory, as coined by Malcolm Knowles. 2 This theory describes adults as self-directed, task-oriented learners who frame their learning from lived experiences. 3 Originating from the field of organizational development, andragogy incorporates learning strategies better suited to workplace environments where workers value their time; education is tied to extrinsic outcomes (i.e.,

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failure to complete affects organizational accreditation; completion positively affects strategic plan outcomes); and skills are often taught in real time, through repetition, and in a variety of formats. In health care settings, clinical staff benefit from mandatory education programs designed to reinforce skills and maintain clinical proficiencies. Though they are often required to meet similar technical proficiency through the completion of general mandatory education, these educational opportunities are not often afforded to staff who are not in caregiving roles. Basic computer literacy is expected of all staff, regardless of occupational role or responsibilities. TECHNOLOGY LITERACY GAP It is reported that 31.8 million Americans are not digitally literate, meaning they do not possess adequate computer skills to complete basic tasks, such as using a mouse or highlighting text. 4 Compared to digitally literate U.S. adults, those who are not digitally literate tend to hold unskilled or semiskilled blue-collar jobs. Adult novice computer users have the disadvantage of not being immersed in a formal education network where computer access and education are readily available. 5 Public libraries fulfill an essential role by providing access and instruction to those who would not otherwise have the opportunity to leverage computer and Internet technology regularly. In doing so, the library and librarians ensure digital inclusion for underserved communities. 6 Although many patrons take advantage of free Wi-Fi for use with personal devices, it is reported that 39 percent of libraries report wait times for public access computers on most days, 7 thus illustrating the essential role libraries play in bridging the digital divide. PUBLIC LIBRARY INFLUENCE Often librarians are influenced by new and innovative ideas from counterparts in other library settings. This is especially true when it comes to brainstorming ways to improve or try new library programming and services. Orlando Health UpSkill benefited greatly from the structure and variety of computer classes offered by the Orlando Public Library, the flagship library of the Orange County Library System. One of the initial barriers for the Orlando Health UpSkill computer classes was the readoption of the original class formats used in previous training offerings. During phase 1, the classes were presented in three-hour blocks and divided between introduction and intermediate-level classes. This presented a challenge for hospital employees who could not be away from their job duties for three hours. In reviewing ways to reduce this barrier, we

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reached out to the Technology Education Center of the Orlando Public Library, as they had been providing computer classes to the community for many years. In meeting with these experts and gathering their feedback, classes were modified for phase 2. Instead of lengthy time blocks for classes, one-hour classes were introduced and implemented. Rather than categorizing classes into introductory versus intermediate formats for course content, classes were labeled according to levels (i.e., levels 1, 2, and 3). In adopting these simple measures, we reduced the total class time from six hours to three hours, reduced three-hour blocks to one-hour blocks, and increased the number of classes per topic from two to three. TARGET GROUPS Those we believed would most benefit from a technology-focused upskill program were the frontline staff, particularly those who served in food and nutrition services, environmental services, engineering, hospitality services, and as patient attendants. It was the initial goal to serve this group especially, as individuals who worked in these areas often spoke English as their second language, were older, and had difficulty moving upward within the organization. A CONFLUENCE OF SUCCESS FACTORS A culmination of external and internal factors led to the formation of Orlando Health UpSkill. Externally, library staff learned about the upskill movement by attending the Masie Learning Conference in 2015. This conference focused on training and education of employees in the corporate sector. Two librarians attended the 2015 Masie Conference, where they learned of the upskill movement that had become popular among large corporations like McDonalds and Hilton. These industry giants were using skills-based workforce programs to help in the professional development of their frontline staff and took their cue for success from UpSkill America. Internally, one of the primary factors allowing for technology classes to be offered was the redesign of the Health Sciences Library’s computer lab. Prior to 2015, the computer lab maintained five computer stations situated alongside two walls with a study carrel in the center. A future goal was the option to host classes in the library; thus, the staff took the initiative to modify the space to be more conducive to instruction. In the redesign, three computer stations were added for a total of eight, and the terminals were configured in four rows of two with a center aisle. The instructor could walk down the aisle and easily visualize the screens of all eight participants. A podium was purchased for lecture-based instruction as well as a television

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monitor equipped with wireless functionality for transmitting presentations from the instructor’s laptop to the screen. In addition, Orlando Health had undergone a restructuring phase and merged the Health Sciences Library and Systems Education Department under the same leadership, with both teams reporting to Human Resources. This new structure allowed for closer collaboration between the librarians, who were familiar with the skills gap, and the educators, who had prior experience in providing technology classes for the hospital system. Being under the auspices of Human Resources also further validated our mission to assist employees in their professional development. MARKETING AND PROMOTION OF LIBRARY CLASSES Prior to any outreach or promotion of Orlando Health UpSkill, official branding was required so that a distinct and noncompeting label could be designed to identify the program within the hospital system. The marketing department was the first point of contact in creating the Orlando Health UpSkill brand, including approval to officially market as an organizational initiative, approved phrasing, word order, and institutional branding. Once the program was officially titled as “Orlando Health UpSkill,” several promotional avenues were available for library and Systems Education representatives to explore. This included the creation of marketing materials such as flyers, handouts, packets, and a branded SharePoint site. The SharePoint site, a product of Microsoft, was launched to provide a “one-stop shop” web presence for accessing class schedules; linking out to community resources such as class listings at public libraries for those who could not attend a class onsite; and providing promotional materials that could be printed, posted, and shared at various work locations within the hospital system. Initial official promotion of Orlando Health UpSkill began with presentations to an audience of hospital administrators who had direct supervisory roles with frontline hospital staff. This often included the auxiliary and allied health divisions of the hospital. The goal was to pitch the idea and invite feedback as well as to garner buy-in from those who would ultimately determine the program’s viability. A member of the library strategically copresented before this group with a member of the Systems Education team who had a background as a clinical staff member and had previous connections to members of leadership. It was important to showcase the initiative with a familiar person who had credibility with clinical staff. It was also helpful to have a proposal packet readily available as a printed document or electronic PDF that stated the mission and goals of Orlando Health UpSkill, its tie-in with UpSkill America, and the services and classes offered. This method of communication proved useful for an audience of

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health care administrators whose primary language was a structured approach to information delivery known as the SBAR method (situation, background, assessment, recommendation). In written format, the SBAR could function like a business memo or proposal. Encapsulating information about Orlando Health UpSkill into a concise yet comprehensive overview of the program served as a complement to brief presentations and “elevator speeches” about the initiative. In addition to on-site presentations, classes were promoted through announcements placed on the organization’s intranet, known as SWIFT, with the help of the Internal Communications team. This team proved vital in the overall marketing of the classes, as they helped us to establish a communications plan that outlined the goals, delivery methods, and frequency with which we needed to promote the classes. At the beginning of each calendar year, the library representative for Orlando Health UpSkill would coordinate the new class schedule announcement with the Internal Communications Department to post on the staff intranet. One of the most effective methods of promotion was via posting flyers in high-traffic areas, such as the elevator in the employee parking garage. This was a low-cost strategy to promote classes to a captive audience with dedicated time to read the content of the marketing materials. The staff joked that the strategy to cover every flat surface with marketing materials even included the insides of bathroom stalls frequented by target staff. New classes were promoted at the beginning of the new year to coincide with the start of traditional spring semesters, and classes were marketed as an opportunity to “get back to school” and refresh skills after the winter break. In addition, educators training new employees on clinical systems mentioned the upskilling classes during onboarding and orientation. Publicity initiatives included using the staff intranet, securing a feature as a segment in News Review (internal news service of Orlando Health), establishing a SharePoint intranet subsite, and posting flyers with a list of classes. Anecdotally, what drove continued interest during the year was word of mouth. Hospital employees who attended classes showed their appreciation of the class offerings by sharing the news with their colleagues. Once one person took an Excel course, others from the same work area showed interest and attended subsequent classes. Specific efforts to reach frontline hospital employees, who were often the least likely to attend classes, required dedicated outreach strategies by representatives of Orlando Health UpSkill. These strategies included speaking with Environmental Services supervisors, attending employee huddles to promote classes, and providing open computer lab times to support Corporate Annual Required Education (CARE) during the mandatory education period that ran from January through April. CARE required all hospital employees to review and acknowledge federal, state, and industry regulatory

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information such as those provided by OSHA and the Joint Commission in order to meet employee compliance. Because the mode of providing this information was through computer-based learning using a content management system, we realized there would be a number of frontline employees who might experience difficulty navigating online modules. CARE Labs were promoted as open lab times; frontline hospital employees seeking technical assistance for the completion of mandatory education could stop by the library and request technical and bilingual assistance from library staff. Orlando Health UpSkill provided valuable support to this group during this period. CARE Labs were also an opportunity to promote other computer classes through word-of-mouth promotion by library staff and by placing flyers and class schedules in the computer lab space for hospital employees to view and take to share with others. Other delivery models for promoting Orlando Health UpSkill included drafting e-mail templates and standard messaging that were shared with hospital employees who e-mailed questions about the program and class offerings. This method saved a lot of time, as senders only had to update the name of the recipient before submitting a response. E-mail blasts were prohibited by hospital administration, so e-mails were restricted to individual inquiries or small batch e-mails sent to participants at the conclusion of a class. Infographics (figure 9.1) proved to be another useful form of promotion. As data related to class participation was already being recorded by members of Orlando Health UpSkill, this presented an opportunity to use the data for promotional purposes. Using PowerPoint and Excel, these vibrant and colorful infographics were a low-cost approach to sharing quick snapshots about the program with key hospital stakeholders. These informative aids quickly conveyed a visual story of total attendees and instructor hours and how many classes were held per quarter or year. Infographics were shared with department managers and hospital administration to showcase the value and growth of the program and build support behind allowing hospital employees to dedicate at least an hour of their day to attend a class. PROGRAM OUTCOMES Phase 1 In phase 1 (2016) of Orlando Health UpSkill, the SharePoint site was launched to provide a “one-stop shop” web presence for accessing class schedules, linking out to community resources such as computer class listings and offerings by local public libraries, and providing Orlando Health–specific resources such as information related to tuition assistance for hospital employees. Microsoft 2010 classes were reintroduced at no charge to hospital employees. Systems education instructors brought back the previ-

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Figure 9.1. Impact of Orlando Health UpSkill initiative over a three-year period. Courtesy of Aidybert Weeks and Stephanie Harris .

ous format of introductory and intermediate class levels with a time duration of three hours each. In the first year, there were 539 attendees, 171 instructor hours, and 70 face-to-face classes offered.

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Phase 2 In phase 2 (2017) the Orlando Health UpSkill team received feedback on the length of classes and reviewed ways to reduce class time. The new classes were modeled on the Orange County Library System, using one-hour classes with three levels (levels 1–3) for each Microsoft product (PowerPoint, Excel, etc.). In the second year, there were 815 attendees, 118 instructor hours, and 118 face-to-face classes offered. Though the instructor hours were reduced, this was due to the reduction in class time. Class offerings increased by 69 percent. Phase 3 In phase 3 (2018), the team continued to receive feedback as interest spread throughout the hospital system. A need to provide classes beyond the downtown campus was addressed through the creation of webinars that were fortyfive minutes in length and offered during the lunch hour (12:00 p.m.–12:45 p.m.) in addition to the regular classes. Due to shifts in work responsibilities with the Systems Education Department, the systems librarian became the main instructor for the classes. In phase 3, there were 527 attendees, 92 instructor hours, and 92 face-to-face classes. Phase 3 also introduced the use of Adobe Connect webinars with 65 total attendees, 10.5 instructor hours, and 14 webinars offered. Phase 4 The program entered its final phase in fall 2018 with the planned introduction of a semester schedule that offered classes during select months with the highest level of interest: fall semester (August–November) and spring semester (January–May). Classes began in September and ran through November. In phase 4, there were 393 attendees, 27 instructor hours, and 27 face-to-face classes. No webinars were offered. LESSONS LEARNED Orlando Health UpSkill was a fruitful endeavor that filled a necessary gap in the technical education and support of frontline employees and those seeking to improve their technology skills. Many of those involved in building the program understood the need to advocate for and support digitally marginalized and often underrepresented employees who lacked the necessary tools and supervisory support required to properly navigate a digital-first corporate environment. Though this program was another iteration of past offerings that existed at Orlando Health, it was the first that took the matter to heart

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Table 9.1. Orlando Health UpSkill Outcomes, 2016–2018 Phase 1 (2016) Phase 2 (2017) Phase 3 (2018) Phase 4 (Fall 2018) Attendees

539

815

592

393

Instructor Hours

171

118

102.5

27

Total Classes

70

118

106

27

and banded together hospital library staff and clinical system trainers to produce a series of classes and resources that benefited all employees. The following were lessons learned during the duration of the program: • The target group shifted from frontline to midlevel employees, specifically corporate and nurse leadership who transitioned into managerial roles seeking a refresher in business productivity applications like Excel and PowerPoint. • Coordinating the promotion and communication plan with the Internal Communications Department proved to be an essential strategy for marketing the program. • Manager and leadership buy-in proved challenging due to the time commitment involved in direct reports attending classes. • Promotion for the classes was achieved through the staff intranet; news announcements on the home page; word of mouth; staff presentations; email; and flyers posted in elevators, breakrooms, and other high-traffic locations. • Publicity via word of mouth, company intranet, e-mail, and flyers during the beginning of the calendar year boosted registration. • Approximately 70 percent of registered participants attended class sessions. • Classes in Spanish were requested often; however, these were not sustainable due to limited attendance. • Excel was the most popular class for Microsoft technology training. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The coauthors of this case study would like to thank the following individuals who helped build, promote, and provide instruction during the duration of Orlando Health Upskill: Rhonda Walmer, Anne Rosebrock, Tracy Lau, John Hollis, Gina Smail, Kelly Goforth, and Carolyn Wilson. We’d like to extend special recognition to Ms. Margaret Tramel and all the frontline hospital employees at Orlando Health who’ve enlightened us and who became the

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catalyst for launching this program. We’re indebted to your honest feedback reflecting a need for such a resource. You have taught us that learning is a mutual exercise that starts with listening, understanding, and setting aside assumptions, and for that we say thank you. NOTES 1. The Aspen Institute, “UpSkill America,” 2019, https://www.aspeninstitute.org/ programs/upskill-america/. 2. Malcom S. Knowles, “Human Resources Development in OD,” Public Administration Review 34, no. 2 (1974): 115–23. 3. Cari Kenner and Jason Weinerman, “Adult Learning Theory: Applications to NonTraditional College Students,” Journal of College Reading and Learning 41, no. 2 (2011): 87–96, doi:10.1080/10790195.2011.10850344. 4. Saida Memedova, Emily Pawlowski, and Lisa Hudson, “A Description of US Adults Who Are Not Digitally Literate,” in Stats in Brief (Washington, DC: US Department of Education, 2018), 2. 5. Pok W. Chin and Samantha K. Hastings, “Factors Contributing to Mature Adult Novices’ Computer Skills Learning: A Case Study in a Community Training Program,” Proceedings of the American Society for Information Science and Technology 43, no. 1 (2006): 2. 6. John Carlo Bertot, Brian Real, and Paul T. Jaeger, “Public Libraries Building Digital Inclusive Communities: Data and Findings from the 2013 Digital Inclusion Survey,” The Library Quarterly 86, no. 3 (2016): 276. 7. Bertot, Real, and Jaeger, “Digital Inclusion Survey,” 276.

BIBLIOGRAPHY Aspen Institute, The. “UpSkill America.” Accessed November 11, 2020. https://www. aspeninstitute.org/programs/upskill-america/. Bertot, John Carlo, Brian Real, and Paul T. Jaeger. “Public Libraries Building Digital Inclusive Communities: Data and Findings from the 2013 Digital Inclusion Survey.” The Library Quarterly 86, no. 3 (2016): 270–89. Canadian Chamber of Commerce. “Upskilling the Workforce: Employer-Sponsored Training and Resolving the Skills Gap.” VOCEDplus. 2013. https://www.voced.edu.au/content/ ngv:58955. Chin, Pok W., and Samantha K. Hastings. “Factors Contributing to Mature Adult Novices’ Computer Skills Learning: A Case Study in a Community Training Program.” Proceedings of the American Society for Information Science and Technology 43, no. 1 (2006): 1–12. Institute for Corporate Productivity (U.S.) (i4cp) and Aspen Institute. UpSkill America (U.S.). “Developing America’s Frontline Workers.” VOCEDplus. 2016.http://hdl.voced.edu.au/ 10707/395884. Kenner, Cari, and Jason Weinerman. “Adult Learning Theory: Applications to Non-Traditional College Students.” Journal of College Reading and Learning 41, no. 2 (2011): 87–96, doi:10.1080/10790195.2011.10850344. Knowles, Malcom S. “Human Resources Development in OD.” Public Administration Review 34, no. 2 (1974): 115–23. Memedova, Saida, Emily Pawlowski, and Lisa Hudson. “A Description of US Adults Who Are Not Digitally Literate.” In Stats in Brief. Washington, DC: US Department of Education, 2018: 1–33.

Chapter Ten

Case Study Developing a Multifaceted, Intentional Approach to Library Promotion through an Effective Communications Committee Mary Joan (M. J.) Tooey and Lauren Wheeler

THE IMPORTANCE OF EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION Libraries struggle getting out messages regarding their myriad activities. Whether it is special programming, classes and workshops, or even flu clinics, there is a lot of institutional competition for the attention of potential attendees and supporters. Visibility is key for reinforcing the importance of the library and promoting it as a vibrant, essential component of the institutional community. How can libraries promote and market programming routinely, consistently, and intentionally? BACKGROUND Six years ago, the Health Sciences and Human Services Library’s (HS/HSL) at the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) completed an extensive strategic listening and planning initiative. Multiple times throughout that process, the user community shared that they did not know what was going on in the library. This was very humbling and frustrating for the library team to hear, because it was felt a constant stream of communication emanated from the library. As a result, a strategic goal was developed focused on investigating communication strategies and the development of effective communication pathways. 99

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The investigation revealed a vast number of communications strategies and methods employed by the library, ranging from traditional pathways to new communication avenues. The HS/HSL published an e-newsletter, Connective Issues, for a number of years, and while statistics indicated a large number of subscribers, the number of readers actually opening the newsletter was low. The university developed new communications guidelines, tightening up control of university-wide communication. The HS/HSL planning team decided it was time to be intentional and systematic, looking beyond traditional communications strategies and assigning communications responsibilities to specific people. Organization was key given the amount of promotion needed for library activities, classes, and news and for developing the overall library brand. This new focus resulted in the development of the Effective Communications Committee (ECC). EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE The ECC held its first meeting in January 2014. The charge for the committee reads, “The ECC identifies initiatives within the Library to promote, and ensures that all communication avenues (social media, University publications, etc.) are used. The Committee meets monthly. Members are appointed.” Although simplistic, this charge encompasses the breadth of the work to be done. Composition The ECC, whose members are appointed, has cross-library representation based on communication strategies and responsibilities. This new committee-based approach involved staff being assigned to different communications platforms, defined very broadly. It took some time to get the committee composition correct. Learning about the university’s many different communication avenues required differentiating the message to fit the avenue and the audience. Currently, the ECC is comprised of the Connective Issues’ editor, the chair of the HS/HSL Exhibits committee, public services librarians who manage social media, the web manager, the communications liaison from the National Network of Libraries of Medicine/Southeastern Atlantic office, an instructional designer, the historical librarian/archivist, the emerging technology librarian who manages the makerspace, and the library director. The ECC meets monthly and is affectionately referred to as the HS/ HSL’s “PR Juggernaut.”

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MONTHLY MEETINGS A typical monthly agenda identifies upcoming HS/HSL events and their promotional needs. Different communications pathways are identified and discussed, and staff responsibilities are confirmed. Does the communication need to go in the student newsletter? How will this communication be conveyed through social media? Does this need a banner on the HS/HSL website? These are typical questions that arise during meetings. The committee also brainstorms content for the Connective Issues and Innovation Space newsletters. Connective Issues, the general HS/HSL enewsletter, is published four times a year and the Innovation Space newsletter about six times a year. The Innovation Space newsletter focuses specifically on the HS/HSL’s Innovation Space and its users. HS/HSL communication projects with a longer life span, such as the annual report, are also explored along with timelines and deadlines for completion. Special projects, such as a coloring book composed of images from the HS/HSL historical collections, are also discussed. It is important to note that all the work does not simply occur during the meeting. Meetings are where ideas flow, and team members go forth to work on respective assignments. Marketing needs to be opportunistic. There are always questions and ideas flowing in the e-mail list or side conversations outside of the meetings. Team members are empowered to act to make things happen. PUBLICITY GUIDELINES The HS/HSL investigated communication strategies and found a variety of methods and resources in use across the university, ranging from traditional newsletters to video boards and social media. The ECC sought a transparent way for members to know who would submit information, the proper format, and when promotional pieces were submitted. The committee identified these challenges and created a Publicity Guidelines document for internal use. In the table of contents of the Publicity Guidelines, committee members can find all the promotional resources and opportunities found at UMB. The pages that follow include instructions for how to submit content through each of these channels. Since specific people are responsible for submitting to different resources, the document lists the primary and secondary submitter. Also included in the document are timelines for submission, the type of subject matter to include, how to create an engaging and informative title, the size and file type needed for images, any other details specific to the resource, and the link to submit the content. The guidelines also include infor-

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mation restricted only to promotion on the HS/HSL website, such as access or technology issues. The Publicity Guidelines are available to committee members on the ECC internal website. If the library is promoting an event or service specific to students or employees, committee members refer to the document to ensure they are choosing the appropriate promotional resources for these audiences. Many times, whoever wants the event promoted will create the content, provide an image, and send it to the person in charge of submission; however, there are times when the person in charge of submitting creates the content. The Publicity Guidelines give ECC members, as well as library faculty and staff throughout the library, clear guidance when questions arise regarding who to contact about promoting messages to different areas of the university. It has also been helpful to gather all the resources—university-wide and within the library—and their requirements in one place. The Publicity Guidelines are a living document; when there are additions or changes to publication avenues or rules for their use, the ECC has a designated committee member to make these updates. CRAFTING MESSAGES The ECC promotes on social media, the library newsletter, digital displays, and university-wide channels. The language for each of these channels needs to be constructed to ensure the features of each resource are used effectively. After members of the committee discovered some messaging was being duplicated in multiple platforms, the committee determined there was a need to be more vigilant about the format for the type of resource being used. Though promoting the same thing, the language used in a tweet is not going to be appropriate for The Elm, the university-wide newsletter at UMB. Furthermore, the committee needed to take advantage of features specific and unique to Twitter, such as hashtags. To effectively use social media for promotion, content cannot be copied verbatim and posted to the various social media platforms. Social media engagement increased when the committee started posting to each platform individually rather than automatically pushing identical content from the library blog or from one social media platform to another. The Elm, with a larger circulation reaching a broader audience, allows for longer stories and has the ability to direct stories toward a specific audience or school. Being aware of these slight changes, limitations, and differences has helped to increase engagement through the library’s communication channels. The ECC promotes many different events and services. Reusing content and consistent branding for recurring events has helped events thrive. If audiences are able to remember an image from an event they attended in the

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past, they may be more likely to attend something similar again. For example, in 2018, the library hosted a successful flu clinic. In 2019, many of the promotional materials used the same images, colors, and language of the 2018 versions. Reusing content is also effective for ensuring clarity of communication for events. Library workshops occurring several times throughout the semester do not need a new description for each occurrence. If the descriptions did change, students might not realize they already attended the workshop. EXAMPLE: THE FLU PROJECT Using the procedures and strategies of the ECC has helped immensely in promoting various library events. When promoting events with a lot of moving pieces, it helps to fall back on these strategies. In 2018, the library teamed with the School of Pharmacy and Walgreens to bring a flu clinic to the HS/ HSL. During this time, the library’s Exhibits Committee also had an exhibit acknowledging the hundredth anniversary of the 1918 flu pandemic in tandem with the Outbreak: Epidemics in a Connected World exhibit from the Smithsonian. The flu clinic coincided nicely with the exhibits; however, the library had to work to ensure communication was effective regarding details surrounding the clinic and exhibits. Since there were other committees and campus entities associated with this event, effective communication was critical to its success. The ECC wanted to ensure people knew that there were two different events to attend: the exhibit openings and the flu clinic. To do this, those responsible for creating and submitting content focused on each event individually. Information about the exhibits went to the communication avenues in posts distinct from the flu clinic. The initial communication regarding these events was extremely long, detailed, and ultimately distracting to the reader. As the events grew closer, the committee shortened and simplified the communication to state where and when the events were taking place. Events were branded slightly differently from each other, using distinct colors and images. Because of these marketing techniques, the audience knew there were two separate, but related, events. The flu clinic event was a joint effort between the library and the School of Pharmacy. The library provided the space, and the student pharmacists administered the vaccinations. Having the extra unit send promotional materials helped reach a wider audience, attracting people who do not usually follow library events; however, the library did not always know what the School of Pharmacy was posting and vice versa. Departments and units were submitting their own unique content regarding the clinic. This not only caused confusion for the audience but also led to information overload. How-

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ever, it brought people into the library for the exhibit, talks, and clinic that otherwise would not have attended. Ultimately, the student pharmacists vaccinated nearly three hundred people, and both events were featured on the local news. In 2019, the library had total responsibility for creating all the materials for the flu clinic to ensure consistency. Having a common message coming from everyone involved helped alleviate confusion, misinformation, and information overload. FINAL THOUGHTS The ECC has been in existence for over five years and has helped the HS/ HSL to intentionally and purposefully promote the many activities going on in the library, providing a structure for marketing, public relations, and outreach. It has also helped the library to solidify its brand. Due to the variety of promotional methods, more diverse audiences are reached and engaged. Having specific staff designated for certain promotional and marketing roles removes the question of responsibility. Having well-articulated guidelines for each publication and promotional venue enables staff to step in if the usual person responsible is unavailable. Regular discussions and meetings ensure key personnel know what is going on and who is responsible for what. Great suggestions for marketing and promotion, such as column wraps, flip chart surveys, and elevator door clings, have come from the group. This is a very popular, sought-after committee. So much so that the composition needed to be restricted to specific people with specific responsibilities. It is a fun committee with a lot of creative people promoting the great work of the HS/HSL. Ideas tumble out, and there is a lot of laughing. The ECC members have come to realize that marketing involves more than writing articles and tweets. It is about thinking outside the box, and it is a creative process that includes the freedom to try new things, hone old skills, and build the library brand.

Chapter Eleven

Case Study Halloween-Themed Library Awareness Program for National Medical Librarians Month Jaclyn Castek and Angie Novak

For two years in a row, the Medical Library at Tampa General Hospital in Tampa, Florida, has run a Halloween-themed library awareness campaign in October to celebrate National Medical Librarians Month. This case study presents the planning and outcomes of the second year this promotional program took place. We will also include the lessons learned, opportunities for improvement, and ways the program can be expanded. BACKGROUND Tampa General Hospital is an urban 1,010-bed level 1 trauma center and is the primary teaching hospital for the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine. The hospital’s medical library staff consists of two medical librarians. Library services include article retrieval, literature searches, and classes on literature searching. These services are available to all hospital team members. According to library usage statistics, the largest group of users tends to be nurses, followed by pharmacists, physical/occupational/speech therapists, physicians, and hospital administrators. The first year we attempted a National Medical Librarians Month promotion, we did not tie it to another theme and did not see as much participation and interest in the event from hospital team members. By incorporating a fun theme, prizes, and additional events, we were able to garner greater participation from all hospital departments. 105

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PLANNING The goal of this library promotion was to increase awareness of library services among all hospital team members, especially those who may not think library services are available to them. Past surveys of library service awareness have shown that many hospital team members believe the library is only available for physicians. The two main events planned for this monthlong promotion included an information table that would be set up in the cafeteria on several different dates and a medical librarian “meet and greet,” where employees could meet the librarians, ask questions, and learn about services and resources available to them. The library coordinated with cafeteria management to book the dates and times for the information table and environmental services to have the table set up in the agreed-on high-traffic area. About a month before the event, the medical library selected and ordered several Halloween-themed prizes that visitors to the library or one of the promotional events would have the chance of winning by spinning a prize wheel. The prizes were all purchased on

Figure 11.1. This image summarized the National Medical Library Month events and was posted on the employee portal and sent out in an e-mail to all employees. Courtesy of Jaclyn Castek and Angie Novak .

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Amazon with the library’s Amazon Business account. Prizes included Halloween socks, a Halloween tote bag, flashlight keychains, highlighters that looked like syringes, candy, and raffle tickets. The prize wheel was purchased on Amazon for a previous promotional event. This prize wheel can be used for a multitude of different events and in different ways, as will be discussed further. The library also purchased two twenty-five-dollar gift cards, one to a grocery store and one to Target, which were to be used as raffle prizes to be awarded at the end of the month. While the main goal of this promotion was to increase awareness of the library and the services we provide, we also wanted to get feedback from hospital team members on what they already knew or did not know about the library and our services and what suggestions they had for improvements. We created a brief two-section feedback survey to be given to anyone who visited the library or one of our promotional events. The first section asked about usage of the library and its services, how the library services have affected their work, and how they rate their satisfaction with the services provided by the library. The second section was an activity in which employees matched a database name to a description of what it is used for and the type of journals or information it included. The purpose of this activity was to help employees learn about resources the library offered and what each one could be used for. Participants who filled out the survey were given an additional raffle ticket. They were also told that they could get one more additional ticket if they physically brought the survey to the library or simply visited the library during the promotion. ADVERTISING To get the word out about the events, we created several Halloween/spookythemed flyers (see figures 11.2 and 11.3). These were posted on the hospital’s intranet portal page and sent out in e-mail form to over eight thousand hospital team members. Hardcopies of the flyers were also placed in department mailboxes and posted in hospital team member breakrooms, the library, and the physicians’ lounge. INFORMATION TABLE The information table that was set up in the cafeteria in a high-traffic area was decorated with a Halloween theme and included various informative handouts (see figure 11.4). Handouts included information sheets on each of the databases available, classes being offered by the library, a PubMed Basics brochure, and Halloween-themed bookmarks that mentioned National Medical Librarians Month and provided the hospital library’s contact infor-

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Figure 11.2. National Medical Librarians Month events full-page flyer printed as a full page and as tent cards placed in the library and employee breakrooms. Courtesy of Jaclyn Castek and Angie Novak.

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Figure 11.3. Flyer to promote the event was displayed on the employee portal and in the medical library and placed in department mailboxes. Courtesy of Jaclyn Castek and Angie Novak.

mation (see figure 11.5). The prize wheel and a bowl of candy were also on the table. In addition, we set up a foam board sign that we previously had made for events like this. The sign had “TGH Medical Library” printed in organizational branded colors and font. In 2019, we also included a trifold posterboard presentation created by one of our librarians that provides information on each database available as well as information about the librarians and the services we provide. Both of the librarians sat at the table and greeted those who stopped by. We told visitors about National Medical Librarians Month and gave a short overview of the services provided by the medical

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library and then offered them a spin of the prize wheel. They were also told they could fill out the survey for another raffle ticket and visit the library for one more entry. MEET AND GREET The meet and greet event gave employees more time to talk with the librarians one-on-one, get suggestions for how to better search specific complex topics, and schedule an appointment in the library for one-on-one assistance with searching. Several of those who attended the meet and greet learned how the library resources could be useful in their own settings, which were risk management and human resources. Two employees made appointments with the librarians for one-on-one training. Several others were excited to learn how the library could help them with school assignments and writing articles for publication. During the event, a looping slideshow was displayed that featured information about the librarians, the services the library provides, where it is located, how to contact the library, and information on the

Figure 11.4. The medical library’s information table set up in the Tampa General Hospital cafeteria complete with prize wheel and engaging Halloween decor. Courtesy of Jaclyn Castek and Angie Novak.

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Figure 11.5. Halloween-themed bookmarks highlight the library’s services and promote the monthlong event. Courtesy of Jaclyn Castek and Angie Novak.

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databases available and who they might be relevant to. We also included a few positive testimonials we had received over the past year. PARTICIPATION The events attracted 154 participants in total. The cafeteria information table drew in 116 participants over three separate three-hour sessions. The librarian meet and greet event brought in 38 visitors. Out of the total number of team members who stopped by the information table and/or the meet and greet, about 60 percent were unaware that the hospital had a medical library or did not know what services and resources it provided. There were a total of thirty-one feedback surveys submitted. OPPORTUNITIES FOR IMPROVEMENT Surveys and Feedback The first year we held this event, the feedback survey we created seemed to be much more useful since a significantly higher number of people filled it out. The matching feature on the second-year survey proved ineffective as many people did not fill that portion out and therefore did not learn about the databases we had available. We intend to incorporate the more quiz-like questions into a game or more interactive activity to win prizes. One option would be to put these questions on each triangle of the prize wheel. Each triangle could have a number on it, which would correspond to a prize or a “prize level.” If the player gets the question correct, they would get the prize or prize level attached to that question. This would ensure that they are learning something about the library to get a prize and would make it more interactive, giving the librarians more of an opportunity to inform team members about library resources. Each time this promotion was run, the feedback survey included a section that asked users to rate their satisfaction with library services. While it was useful to help us determine the number of people who were not aware of our services and have not used the library, most everyone who had used the library before gave us perfect scores because, of course, everyone loves their librarians! We still feel it is important to offer this type of survey every couple of years to be sure we are still providing excellent service and to accommodate for staff turnover. Something that could be done in place of this in the years the survey is not offered is a “library wish list.” This would provide library users and those who have not used the library the opportunity to tell us what they think would really make the library more valuable and

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useful to them. Even if it is something outrageously out of budget, it could be possible to come up with alternatives that help meet the need. Expanding Our Reach Another lesson we learned is that there are still more hospital team members to reach out to. Since our hospital continues to grow and expand, there are several off-site locations that were not able to participate in our events. We did offer them the opportunity to fill out a survey and e-mail it back in order to get a raffle ticket for the gift card drawing, but we think they still do not feel included. There are many clinical and nonclinical team members at these locations who would benefit from library services, so in the future we would like to schedule visits to several off-site locations to increase participation from these groups. Replicating the events from our main campus, even on a smaller scale at our remote sites, can help to bring those team members closer to engaging with the library and the services it offers. Expansion of Interactive Activities In the past, we have also used other activities to engage team members, like an information scavenger hunt. The scavenger hunt featured questions about the library that team members could answer by visiting our intranet site. Similar to the survey’s matching section, this activity provided team members a prompt to learn things about the library and its services. However, unlike the matching section from the survey, the scavenger hunt was a separate activity that was completely online and could be answered by visiting the library’s internal site. The format of this activity had both advantages and disadvantages. It helped to bring traffic to the library’s intranet page as well as engaging team members on topics specifically about the library, like how many computers are available for use. The activity itself provided little insight about the library’s performance or outreach, and having the scavenger hunt solely online may have caused some missed opportunities in terms of who completed the hunt. There are many hospital team members who do not have easy access to computers at work; many of these team members might benefit from literature searching services. It might have also been quicker for people to do the scavenger hunt on paper. Offering the survey in different formats and incorporating similar questions into our prize wheel are other ways we could use this type of data in the future. We found this program to be a successful event two years in a row. Using the Halloween theme really helped draw more people to our events and, in turn, to the library. In the past, when we have just used the National Medical Librarians Month as the theme, we did not see as much turnout and participation from hospital team members. We used the information table in the

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cafeteria but did not use a seasonal theme and had very limited signage. Diversifying the promotional activities has proved to be important as we learn how team members like to engage with our content and has helped us to expand how we as librarians interact with hospital team members. Marketing has played a vital role in the success of these campaigns, especially when we are able to flex our creative muscles. We have continued to take cues from our own personal lives, other hospital departments, and other libraries as we search for new ways to engage with the team members we serve.

Chapter Twelve

Case Study Library Fun Labs: A Successful Experiment in Crafting Community Katherine A. Morley Eramo, Rebecca A. Morin, Amy E. LaVertu, Katherin R. Deford, Tom Quinn, and Siamak Samiean

Located in Boston, Massachusetts, the Hirsh Health Sciences Library (HHSL) supports the information needs of Tufts University’s Boston Health Sciences Campus. This campus is home to undergraduate and graduate programs in medical and dental medicine as well as graduate programs in nutrition, biomedical sciences, and public health. The campus is also home to a physician assistant program and the Tufts Medical Center hospital. In contrast to Tufts’s main campus, which is in suburban Medford, Massachusetts, the Health Sciences Campus reflects the bustling, diverse, and densely populated Chinatown neighborhood of Boston where it is situated. Housed on four floors of the Tufts Medical Education Building, HHSL is the only shared student space on campus. With a student population of nearly 2,500, plus faculty, staff, and hospital personnel, space on the Health Sciences Campus is at an absolute premium. 1 There is no designated space for students to congregate socially, such as a student center. Therefore, students lack a nonacademic space to relax and socialize and are often socially isolated from their peers in other programs. In 2003, HHSL underwent major renovations that included the addition of a café and the consolidation of two separate service points into a combined reference-circulation desk, the Library Service Desk. The addition of the café demonstrated the possibilities for a more socially oriented use of library space, as students from the various programs would use the café space both 115

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to eat and to just “hang out.” The creation of one combined Library Service Desk not only streamlined library services but also yielded additional gathering space on the library’s main floor. In the years following the renovation, HHSL staff began considering how they might leverage this updated space to engage the student population beyond providing for their information needs. Other than offering weekly research skills–related workshops, HHSL did not offer any programing oriented toward students. Initial attempts at events included “book talks” from recently published faculty authors and informal talks featuring prominent voices on campus, such as the dean of the medical school. Overall, these initial events remained education-oriented and had low attendance. They also revealed the challenges of coordinating events around the schedules of so many different academic programs. Nevertheless, planning and presenting these events brought together library staff with an interest in offering students more diverse and relevant programing. Combined with the desire to offer compelling programming, HHSL staff recognized the need to improve outreach. Capitalizing on the emergence of social media as a new way to reach a wide variety of patrons, the library established the Facebook Committee in 2009. During monthly meetings, the committee discussed ways to promote the library and optimize the workflow of posting on the library’s main outreach platforms: Facebook and a WordPress blog. The committee also provided content for the plasma monitors located around the facility, known locally as Info Screens. These efforts grew the library’s digital presence and increased engagement with students by meeting them in their digital spaces. Success in this effort sparked an increased desire to undertake more active programming and outreach activities. In 2013, to better represent the committee’s goals and a growing set of responsibilities, the group was renamed the Public Relations (PR) Committee. Current members are drawn from different service areas around the library and collaborate with coworkers throughout the library and associated academic programs. In addition to promoting library events, the PR Committee is responsible for planning fun monthly nonacademic activities throughout the academic year. Among the most popular events are craft projects called “Fun Labs.” Fun Labs are designed to be engaging while remaining simple enough to provide a quick opportunity for students to destress from their studies and examinations. Fun Labs create a congenial atmosphere for socializing between classes and present an opportunity for a creative outlet. Each Fun Lab is themed by current holiday, school event, or awareness month; examples include pumpkin painting, Valentine’s Day cards, lucky charms, study buddies, coffee cozies, and button making. Fun Labs are offered at least once a month on Thursdays and Fridays beginning at noon, and, depending on a craft’s popularity, supplies can be left out at the Library Service Desk until

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Figure 12.1. The area we set up for crafts, ready for study buddy making. Courtesy of Katherine A. Morley Eramo, Rebecca A. Morin, Amy E. LaVertu, Katherin R. Deford, Tom Quinn, and Siamak Samiean.

closing time. Fun Labs must require little to no instruction; however, they are stationed near the Library Service Desk, so library staff and student workers are able to provide guidance as needed. A key tenet of Fun Labs is that they are inexpensive, lightweight, and sustainable. While some supplies are purchased for specific projects, the majority come from a general supply of craft materials, such as pompoms, feathers, googly eyes, and construction paper. Supplies such as images and project templates are sourced from Creative Commons and public domain resources online. Fun Labs as they exist now developed in active response to student needs, both perceived and articulated. As previously mentioned, HHSL had been continually looking for ways to improve outreach. By spring 2014, the PR Committee identified a need for destressing and fun events, primarily through informal discussions with student staff and members of the library’s student advisory committee. Some outreach ideas included activities such as crafts and puzzles; events like open mics, movie screenings, and board game nights; and therapeutic sessions like acupressure and meditation. Plans for a program solidified over the summer with the intent to launch in October 2014. The initial lineup consisted of three events on consecutive Fridays: board games and puzzles, a meditation and mindfulness session, and Halloween pumpkin painting. The events were scheduled for 2:30 p.m. to 4:00 p.m., based on the assumption that most students would be out of class for

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the day and finished with assignments for the week. While no one participated in the first event, students who walked by expressed how much they liked the idea of taking a break from studying to do something fun. The planned meditation session did not occur due to scheduling issues, but the third event, pumpkin painting, was well attended—all twenty pumpkins purchased were painted. Due to difficulties coordinating the mindfulness session, the PR Committee opted to focus on events that could be set up near the Library Service Desk and would not require complicated advance coordination. November and December brought just one event per month: games and puzzles featured along with a turkey-themed craft in November, and graham cracker “gingerbread” houses in December. The events continued to pique interest, with students noting that they appreciated the offerings, though they often declined to participate. As the fall 2014 semester drew to a close, the committee reevaluated plans for the remainder of the academic year. Earlier programming ideas, such as meditation and mindfulness sessions, remained challenging to schedule. Students did not indicate a strong interest in such events, so Fun Labs were formalized as a once-per-month Friday craft. Board games shifted to Wednesdays and were offered every week. The committee soon learned that certain classes did not meet every Friday, and student attendance on campus was low on the off days, so a concerted effort was made to ensure events

Figure 12.2. Our pumpkin patch ready for students. Courtesy of Katherine A. Morley Eramo, Rebecca A. Morin, Amy E. LaVertu, Katherin R. Deford, Tom Quinn, and Siamak Samiean.

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coincided with class days. Only two Fun Labs were held in the spring 2014 semester: a very popular Valentine card–making day and a less popular “lucky stone”–making day. Encouraged by interest and somewhat increasing participation, and armed with newfound knowledge regarding class schedules, Fun Labs launched anew in the 2015–2016 academic year. For the first time, HHSL allotted a small budget for the PR Committee to purchase better materials, including hot glue guns, craft scissors, and more compelling craft supplies. Based on insight from the members of the student advisory committee, the start time of the Fun Labs was moved from 2:30 p.m. to 12:00 p.m., as many students had a free lunch period. Starting in November, and continuing to the present, crafts were offered on both Thursdays and Fridays for greater availability to participants. The last major logistical improvement to the program happened by chance in February 2016. Up to this point, all crafts had been set up on a table near the Library Service Desk. Due to all the tables being occupied one day, supplies were stationed at the end of the desk instead. This turned out to be an ideal location, as it was easier for staff members to keep an eye on crafts and refill supplies as needed. Also, students who came to the Library Service Desk for help were likely to wander over and participate. The current craft lineup has remained the same since September 2017, with a craft each month from September through December and February through April. These events are supplemented with bonus craft days in October, to coincide with the extra stress of midterms, and in February or March, depending on the timing of Mardi Gras. Fun Labs have had a variety of ripple effects, benefiting not only the library but also the students, faculty, and staff occupying the Boston Health Sciences Campus. While the program began as a lightweight means to encourage student interaction with library personnel and services, Fun Labs have grown to become not only a mainstay of HHSL programming but also an anchoring device for other outreach and public relations events. As the Fun Labs grew in popularity, other library programming blossomed around them, furthering HHSL’s reach to the patron population. Throughout the year, established Fun Labs are offered in conjunction with other outreach events to reach the widest audience; Fun Labs have been offered concurrently with visits from therapy animals from Tufts Paws for People, with thematic or seasonally appropriate book displays, and with tea and coffee breaks. While food will always draw a crowd, extending the time patrons stay in the library through interactive crafting yields a greater benefit than offering food alone. 2 When students spend more time in the vicinity of the Library Service Desk, HHSL staff can interact with patrons who normally engage with library services online or remotely. The distance created through majority digital curricular materials can make patrons averse to seeking help in per-

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Figure 12.3. A graham cracker gingerbread house with a variety of candy—the perfect intersection of craft and snack. Courtesy of Katherine A. Morley Eramo, Rebecca A. Morin, Amy E. LaVertu, Katherin R. Deford, Tom Quinn, and Siamak Samiean.

son, and the extra time students spend engaging in creative, nonacademic pursuits in the library heightens visibility and lowers resistance to asking for reference assistance. 3 A recent survey of college students born in 1995 or later indicated that many students find barriers to asking for help in the library, including “library anxiety,” a lack of awareness of library services, and a perceived lack of approachability on the part of librarians. 4 Exposure to library staff and services through Fun Labs makes the business of the library more familiar and normalizes the process of asking for assistance, as students continually witness the everyday work of librarians and staff as they conduct resource and reference transactions at the Library Service Desk. Fun Labs showcase the creativity of library staff and patrons, but they are successful because they also harness the unique sense of place occupied by HHSL. As the Boston Health Sciences Campus lacks a student center, the

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Figure 12.4. A selection of spooky study buddies. Courtesy of Katherine A. Morley Eramo, Rebecca A. Morin, Amy E. LaVertu, Katherin R. Deford, Tom Quinn, and Siamak Samiean .

library has become an “egalitarian common space” for students, faculty, and staff of the university as well as clinicians and employees of Tufts Medical Center. 5 As Sam Demas and Jeffrey Scherer point out, common spaces like HHSL “create opportunities for people who do not necessarily travel in the same disciplinary, social, political, or economic circles to frequently meet.” 6 The Fun Labs are discipline agnostic, simple, and accessible. They capitalize on how the space itself brings people together out of necessity and enhances interaction with others from other programs and fields; there are never Fun Labs “just for” students of a particular school, minimizing the risk that certain participants will feel the programming is “not for me.” BEST PRACTICES While Fun Labs evolved to address some specific needs and desires of HHSL students and library staff, the model is extensible and flexible to suit any library. There are a few helpful rules for best practices to consider when planning Fun Labs.

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Figure 12.5. A flock of pinecone turkeys. Courtesy of Katherine A. Morley Eramo, Rebecca A. Morin, Amy E. LaVertu, Katherin R. Deford, Tom Quinn, and Siamak Samiean .

Create a Catchy Name and Consistent Promotional Strategy The name “Fun Lab” corresponds to the shared experience of students, staff, and faculty on the Boston Health Sciences Campus, as all have some type of laboratory experience in their academic or professional careers. By invoking the “Lab,” these events are imbued with a sense of importance, driving home the notion that fun and self-care should be built in to students’ schedules alongside classes and homework. This name is used consistently on all marketing and promotional material, from flyers to digital outreach and social media. Ultimately, one of the most effective pieces of marketing has been having an example of the upcoming Fun Lab craft on the Library Service Desk. When students stop to admire it, staff can promote the next event. Be Predictable Yet Flexible Students in the health science fields tend to have rigid schedules, so having the predictable schedule of Thursdays and Fridays starting at noon allows for students to plan their time. They know what to expect and when to expect it, and they can carve out a few minutes to drop by. Because the craft materials are available until the library closes, students do not have to rush from class or clinic and have the flexibility to participate in the Fun Labs at the time that best fits their schedules.

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Make It Easy to Make and Take Choose crafts that the students can take with them after minimal work and waiting time. For instance, study buddies are extremely popular, but they are simply pompoms on a foam base with googly eyes, and occasionally feathers and other notions, held together with hot glue. A basic one only takes three to five minutes to make, but the ease and simplicity of the project also invites creativity. Students might sit down and stay for upward of twenty minutes, working on elaborate projects that they show off to their friends. Those friends might then stop by to make their own versions. All Fun Lab projects can be taken away after a short period of time, as all the glues and paints used are quick-drying. Keep It Simple Fun Lab crafts all share a low bar for entry and an immediate sense of creative gratification and require little to no oversight. Staff set out supplies at the end of the Library Service Desk, so while no one needs to manage the event, it is easy for staff to refill supplies and assist participants. Since the projects are simple, students will often engage staff in conversation while crafting, and many of the students who participate regularly in Fun Labs get to know library staff, minimizing any reluctance to seek academic help in the future. Don’t Give Up, but Don’t Hold Tight In the first two years of holding Fun Labs, craft ideas were tried and abandoned, and timings were tweaked. Study buddies were originally part of a day that included paper bag puppet making, but students flocked to the study buddy portion and ignored the paper bag puppets. When the next study buddy Fun Lab was held, the puppets were not offered. However, some ideas do take time to catch on. Fun Labs had very low participation initially and only became popular after consistently offering events for a full academic year. Even now, some events draw significantly higher numbers than others, but even the less popular ones can be a chance to advertise the program. Having a small handout of the schedule at the Library Service Desk helps students plan ahead for future events and demonstrates commitment to the program. With all the exams, classes, and related academic activities, arts and crafts events may slip their minds. But a consistent schedule, clearly advertised and supported, will become part of the fabric of their routine, and over time word of mouth will do much of the job for the staff. In fact, it is now common to hear tour guides tell prospective students about these events as they guide them past the Library Service Desk.

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CONCLUSION Fun Labs offer a new spin on library outreach and promotion, one that centers HHSL patrons and space over the already well-established priorities of education, academic success, and career building. Outreach and collaboration with community partners is not uncommon in health sciences libraries, but HHSL recognized an unfilled patron need for a different brand of content. 7 Rather than building a community bond through bringing expert services to the public, Fun Labs bring some outside services into the health sciences library. In bringing the sort of craft project one might associate with a public library into HHSL, the library is transformed, for a brief time, from a place of learning to a place of relaxation and community, emphasizing attributes that students might not associate with an academic library. This simple repurposing of space and attention invites patrons to think of their library, and its staff, in a new light. NOTES 1. Tufts University Office of Institutional Research, Tufts University Fact Book 2018–2019 (Medford, MA: Tufts University, 2019), 84–85. 2. Natasha Williams and Shalu Gillum, “Encouraging Users to Pop In: Popcorn Day in the Medical Library,” College and Research Libraries News 79, no. 7/8 (2018): 385–86. 3. Shalu Gillum and Natasha Williams, “Promoting Library Visibility through Creative Programing,” Medical Reference Services Quarterly 38, no. 3 (2019): 250. 4. Jodi Jameson, Gerald Natal, and John Napp, “Evolving and Enduring Patterns Surrounding Student Usage and Perceptions of Academic Library Reference Services,” College and Research Libraries 80, no. 3 (2019): 368, 380. 5. Sam Demas and Jeffrey A. Scherer, “Esprit de Place,” American Libraries 33, no. 4 (2002): 65–66. 6. Demas and Scherer, “Esprit de Place,” 65. 7. Stephanie M. Swanberg et al., “Community Engagement at an Emerging Academic Medical Library: A Three-Pronged Outreach Model,” Medical Reference Services Quarterly 37, no. 3 (2018): 235–37.

BIBLIOGRAPHY Demas, Sam, and Jeffrey A. Scherer. “Esprit de Place.” American Libraries 33, no. 4 (2002): 65– 68. Gillum, Shalu, and Natasha Williams. “Promoting Library Visibility through Creative Programing.” Medical Reference Services Quarterly 38, no. 3 (July–September 2019): 236–51. Jameson, Jodi, Gerald Natal, and John Napp. “Evolving and Enduring Patterns Surrounding Student Usage and Perceptions of Academic Library Reference Services.” College and Research Libraries 80, no. 3 (2019): 366–85. Swanberg, Stephanie M., Misa Mi, Keith Engwall, and Nancy Bulgarelli. “Community Engagement at an Emerging Academic Medical Library: A Three-Pronged Outreach Model.” Medical Reference Services Quarterly 37, no. 3 (July–September 2018): 234–48. Tufts University Office of Institutional Research. Tufts University Fact Book 2018–2019. Medford, MA: Tufts University, 2019.

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Williams, Natasha, and Shalu Gillum. “Encouraging Users to Pop In: Popcorn Day in the Medical Library.” College and Research Libraries News 79, no. 7/8 (July/August 2018): 383–86.

Chapter Thirteen

Case Study Partnering with Public Libraries in Rural and Underserved Areas of North Carolina: Providing Community Outreach Terri Ottosen, Nandita S. Mani, Megan Fratta, and Michelle Cawley

BACKGROUND Many public library staff field health-related questions but often are not trained to be able to provide this information confidently or consistently. Health sciences library staff can partner with public libraries to enable staff to provide consumer health information services at their library. For this project, a team of health sciences librarians delivered workshops in four North Carolina counties with approximately sixty participants from twelve public libraries (figure 13.1). Our goals for this project were to (1) empower public library staff to answer health reference questions, (2) provide a program to support community members in improving health literacy, and (3) increase awareness of trustworthy sources of health information. Public libraries serve a diverse variety of communities throughout the state of North Carolina in one hundred counties, many of them rural. With expertise in their own community’s needs, and with their unique position within their communities, public library staff can deliver assistance to those seeking health information; point to credible and authoritative resources; or have brochures, pamphlets, or simply bookmarks with MedlinePlus.gov information to give to the public. Public libraries are trusted institutions and are often seen as “neutral” parties that are highly accessible. Given that a multitude of people access health information online, there is an opportunity for public library 127

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staff to share authoritative resources for numerous types of health questions as well as criteria and tips for evaluating health information. Community engagement and outreach by libraries can and should be tailored to the needs within each unique community. For example, if a needs assessment finds high rates of diabetes in the community, relevant health programming could include healthy cooking classes, an invited speaker with expertise around managing diabetes, or diabetes screenings provided directly at the library. There are many examples of successful outreach programs including those that help people address health concerns and information needs. A team of four librarians at the Health Sciences Library (HSL) at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) explored the possibility of providing outreach to the rural and underserved parts of the state. We set out to raise awareness of the library’s role in serving the citizens of North Carolina, which is part of the UNC-CH mission to “extend knowledge-based services and other resources of the University to the citizens of North Carolina and their institutions to enhance the quality of life for all people in the State.” 1 The HSL builds on this mission through its commitment to providing services and information in support of the development of health infor-

Figure 13.1. North Carolina map of counties where workshops were held. Courtesy of Terri Ottosen, Nandita S. Mani, Megan Fratta, and Michelle Cawley .

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mation literacy skills for the public, patients, and their families. Specifically, the HSL supports efforts that improve health outcomes and individual wellbeing by engaging with community partners around increased health literacy and collaborating with the North Carolina Area Health Education Centers (AHEC) program. FUNDING PROPOSAL The HSL team applied for funding from the Network of the National Library of Medicine (formerly known as the National Network of Libraries of Medicine), Southeastern Atlantic Region (NNLM) to conduct this project. NNLM is a network “comprised of academic health sciences libraries, hospital, pharmaceutical and other special biomedical libraries, public libraries, information centers and community-based organizations.” 2 As of this writing, there are eight regional medical libraries that coordinate this network and provide outreach to its members on National Library of Medicine resources, which aligned with our goal to support public libraries staff in North Carolina’s rural and underserved communities. One of NNLM’s main goals is to work through libraries to improve health literacy, reduce health disparities, and increase health equity by improving access to reliable, authoritative health information. 3 The network is a helpful resource for any library or community organization seeking to do health information outreach to their communities. Funding is typically offered once per year, but some opportunities are offered year-round, depending on the regional office. The funding application is relatively uncomplicated, and staff assistance is available. Funding received enabled us to purchase a laptop, projector, and project supplies and help support salary and travel-related expenses. SELECTING THE PUBLIC LIBRARIES The 2003 landmark study the National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL) is considered the country’s most comprehensive measure of adult literacy and is one of only two studies that included a component pertaining to health literacy specifically. The Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies was the other large-scale assessment of adult skills, and it was administered in 2011–2012. 4 By using NAAL data, researchers developed an online map that uses a predictive model to estimate the percentage of people in each census block group who are likely to have lower health literacy. 5 This percentage is shown when you click on any census block group in the map. These data help to identify geographic areas of the state that may be most affected by limited health literacy and hence may have greater needs in terms of health care services and improvements. To select

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specific public libraries with whom we could partner, the team sought the recommendations of librarians working in three Area Health Education Centers across the state in areas determined to have estimated higher percentages of people with lower health literacy rates: the Mountain AHEC, the Southern Regional AHEC, and the Eastern AHEC. Each librarian suggested specific public libraries that may be interested in participating in the project. The library directors at proposed sites were contacted, and each agreed to host a workshop at their site. The HSL team progressed with designing and developing content. In addition, participants were notified that by taking this training, they could earn continuing education credits that could be applied toward the Consumer Health Information Specialization provided by the Medical Library Association. 6 CURRICULA DEVELOPMENT To facilitate content design and development, the team modified content from three NNLM consumer health classes: • Beyond an Apple a Day: Providing Consumer Health Information at Your Library 7 • Health and Wellness @ the Library: The Essentials of Providing Consumer Health Services 8 • Engage for Health (developed by the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania and its Pennsylvania Hospital Engagement Network) 9 Beyond an Apple a Day covers the health information–seeking behavior of consumers and the role of the librarian in the provision of health information for the public. Objectives include how to address the challenges of providing consumer health information; plan a consumer health service; conduct a reference interview; and consider ethics, outreach, and project development and marketing of services. 10 The Health and Wellness class is centered on eight core competencies for providing consumer health services. It introduces tools used for locating demographic and health status data for specific communities. It also examines issues of literacy, health literacy, and health information needs of various population groups. These curricular elements serve to introduce public librarians to the full range of consumer health resources and services and build confidence in providing health information for their community. 11 The Engage for Health program is intended to be presented to community members to encourage them to engage in conversations with their health care providers. It covers the importance of asking questions, includes a role-play

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script to practice asking questions, and then introduces several trustworthy health information resources, including MedlinePlus. This “program in a box” curriculum is available to download from NNLM’s website and includes a tool kit with presentation slides, speaker notes, role-play exercises, pre- and post-evaluation forms, and a promotional poster and logo. 12 Our team drew on these curricula to develop the workshops delivered to public library staff that included two parts. 13 We began with a session designed to increase capacity and knowledge around health literacy generally. This session also included two consumer health information resources: MedlinePlus.gov and NCHealthInfo.org, both of which are excellent starting points for health information searches. MedlinePlus is considered the primary portal for patients, consumers, caregivers, and families, and NCHealthInfo.org, developed by the HSL, is dedicated to empowering health care decisions through information on health care topics intended for the public and of interest to North Carolinians. All links on NCHealthInfo.org are reviewed and selected by volunteer librarians across North Carolina, including several HSL librarians. In part two of the workshop, we delivered the Engage for Health session to demonstrate how it can be taught. Public library staff may use Engage for Health materials directly or draw on them for future programming offered to their patrons. WORKSHOPS The team employed a “train-the-trainer” approach for this outreach project to build capacity among library staff in the targeted public libraries. This approach allows library staff to tailor class content to their community’s needs and deepen their community outreach while continuing to build capacity of their staff, now and in the future. Staff were encouraged to integrate health topics and/or health resources covered in the training into their programming. Our team modified both the public library staff training and the Engage for Health program materials for our targeted participants by adding information on NCHealthInfo.org. To support library staff, we provided tool kits that included presentation slides, speaker notes, role-play exercises, pre- and post-evaluation forms, and a promotional poster and logo. Given that all class materials, handouts, and resources can be used as is by participants or modified, we focused on building the skill base of library staff and empowering them to tailor the materials to support the needs of their community. For example, one portion of the training discussed how to do a needs assessment of their community for that purpose.

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EVALUATIONS We used the standard Medical Library Association training evaluation form to gather feedback from public library staff who participated in the workshops. The training we provided for public library staff and the Engage for Health sessions conducted by public library staff for their community members were well received. All library staff who participated in a workshop indicated that they were introduced to one or more health information resources, and more than 90 percent of respondents indicated they learned one or more skills in the session. Where applicable, more than 90 percent of workshop participants reported that they “improved their ability to apply a resource they already use.” Finally, nearly all workshop participants agreed (strongly agree or somewhat agree) with the following statements: • The training improved my ability to find useful online health information. • I plan to start using at least one resource or tool that I learned about in this training. • I plan to tell others about at least one resource or tool that I learned about in this training. Comments from public library staff were equally positive and indicated that following the workshop they felt more confident recommending resources to patrons and are more likely to pass on information about the resources. One participant commented, “I can’t wait to share these resources with my patrons and help my community with its health needs.” Another participant commented, “I will be able to assist patrons by telling them about specific sites instead of sending them to someone else,” providing evidence that the sessions served to increase capacity for answering patrons’ health-related queries. REFLECTIONS The team greatly enjoyed working with our colleagues throughout the state. Based on our experience, to encourage community participation, it is vital to schedule curricula such as the Engage for Health or other health programming in conjunction with another related activity. For example, one public library provides navigation assistance during the health insurance open enrollment period of the health care marketplace. The Engage for Health program would pair well with this existing programming around open enrollment. Generally, pairing content with other health-related programming or services such as health-related book discussions, speaker series on healthrelated topics, or health screenings offered by the library (e.g., blood pres-

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sure, diabetes) should increase turnout and engagement by community members. Health sciences libraries are natural partners with public libraries and other community and faith-based organizations. With expertise in health information resources, health sciences librarians can help prepare public librarians to meet health-related challenges and information needs experienced by community members. Many communities throughout our country experience continuing challenges related to public health, particularly with regard to misinformation. It is also difficult for public libraries to collect medical “hardcopy” materials due to their broad scope of services and lack of budget, so enabling consumer health information services using free resources can serve to empower library staff and thereby empower individuals to improve knowledge and use of health and information services. Partnership opportunities between health sciences libraries and public libraries or community and faith organizations should be fully explored, particularly as health-related information and misinformation is underscored during times of health crisis. Connecting with public libraries or other organizations in your community is a great way to spark collaborations. The team encouraged library staff to consider us as their “personal health sciences librarians” and to call on us for complex health reference questions or health-related inquiries. These relationships can be cultivated and strengthened, benefiting all parties involved. The more libraries work together, regardless of library type, the better we will be able to serve our communities at large. Communities are living things, constantly growing and changing, as are the needs of the people in the community; therefore, libraries must continually evolve and reassess programming to stay relevant. Collaborative relationships will support existing programming and generate ideas to develop new programming with the aim of meeting the community’s unique needs. NOTES 1. “Mission and Values,” The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, accessed November 11, 2020, https://www.unc.edu/about/mission/. 2. “About NNLM,” Network of the National Library of Medicine, accessed August 19, 2020, https://nnlm.gov/about. 3. “Network of the National Library of Medicine,” Network of the National Library of Medicine, accessed August 20, 2020, https://nnlm.gov/. 4. “National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL)—What Is NAAL?” Institute of Education Sciences—National Center for Education Statistics, accessed August 18, 2020, https:// nces.ed.gov/naal. 5. “Health Literacy Data Map,” The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2014, http://healthliteracymap.unc.edu/. 6. “Consumer Health Information Specialization,” Medical Library Association, accessed August 21, 2020, https://www.mlanet.org/page/chis.

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7. “Beyond an Apple a Day: Providing Consumer Health Information at Your Library,” Network of National Libraries of Medicine, accessed August 20, 2020, https://nnlm.gov/ classes/apple. 8. “Health and Wellness @ the Library: The Essentials of Providing Consumer Health Services,” Network of National Libraries of Medicine, accessed August 21, 2020, https:// nnlm.gov/classes/healthwellness. 9. “Engage for Health,” Network of National Libraries of Medicine, accessed August 21, 2020, https://nnlm.gov/mar/guides/programming-class/engageforhealth. 10. “Beyond an Apple a Day.” 11. “Health and Wellness @ the Library.” 12. “Engage for Health.” 13. Mani S. Nandita et al., “Engaging for Health: Providing Consumer Health Information at Your Library,” September 25, 2019, https://cdr.lib.unc.edu/concern/scholarly_works/ n583z1628?locale=en.

BIBLIOGRAPHY Institute of Education Sciences—National Center for Education Statistics. “National Assessment of Adult Literacy (NAAL)—What Is NAAL?” Accessed August 18, 2020. https:// nces.ed.gov/naal. Mani, Nandita S., Terri Ottosen, Megan Fratta, and Michelle Cawley. “Engaging for Health: Providing Consumer Health Information at Your Library.” Last modified August 24, 2020. https://cdr.lib.unc.edu/concern/scholarly_works/n583z1628?locale=en. Medical Library Association. “Consumer Health Information Specialization.” Accessed August 21, 2020. https://www.mlanet.org/page/chis. Network of the National Library of Medicine. “About NNLM.” Accessed August 19, 2020. https://nnlm.gov/about. Network of the National Library of Medicine. “Beyond an Apple a Day: Providing Consumer Health Information at Your Library.” Accessed August 20, 2020. https://nnlm.gov/classes/ apple. Network of the National Library of Medicine. “Engage for Health.” Accessed August 21, 2020. https://nnlm.gov/mar/guides/programming-class/engageforhealth. Network of the National Library of Medicine. “Health and Wellness @ the Library: The Essentials of Providing Consumer Health Services.” Accessed August 21, 2020. https:// nnlm.gov/classes/healthwellness. Network of the National Library of Medicine. “Mission and Values.” Accessed November 11, 2020. https://www.unc.edu/about/mission/. Network of the National Library of Medicine. “Network of the National Library of Medicine.” Accessed August 20, 2020. https://nnlm.gov/. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. “Health Literacy Data Map.” 2014. http:// healthliteracymap.unc.edu/.

Chapter Fourteen

Case Study Easy but Effective Virtual Programming: HSL Podcast Club Carly Lambert and Shalu Gillum

Not all programming has to occur in person in order to be successful. Libraries can create opportunities to engage with their users virtually. Often this can be a faster, easier, and cheaper way to provide programming. Our library team found this out when our library, like so many others in 2020, was forced to close due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Harriet F. Ginsburg Health Sciences Library at the University of Central Florida is a born-digital library with a collection that is 98 percent virtual. Having operated as a virtual library for so long, we were lucky to have little to no interruption in our resources or services when the pandemic forced the library doors to close. However, the library has a long history of in-person programming, with regular events—both fun and informational—occurring for faculty, staff, and students. With the university closed, and all employees working remotely from home, the library’s programming plans for the spring suddenly came to a halt. The hallmark of the library’s programming is its weekly “Popcorn Day” promotion, where the library pops popcorn every Thursday afternoon and serves it inside the library space. That event provided the library team a way to engage with users on a regular basis in an informal setting. Popcorn Day is especially popular with the students, faculty, and staff, and those who have attended have commented on many occasions that they appreciated Popcorn Day because it provided them with a consistent break in their week along with an opportunity to engage with other College of Medicine colleagues they might not otherwise interact with. Understanding the importance of this 135

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event to our faculty and staff and needing a way to stay connected to these user groups in lieu of our weekly in-person Popcorn Day activity, the library’s public services editorial team brainstormed ideas for virtual programming. It was decided not to include students as they were already stressed and busy with the move to remote learning and preparing for their end-ofyear exams. Ultimately, the team decided on a weekly podcast club to be hosted on Zoom every Thursday at 3:00 p.m., which would be the same day and time as our Popcorn Day event. Zoom was selected as it was provided for free by the university and allowed attendees to meet face to face online, something that was much needed during a time of isolation. Podcasts were chosen over books because most podcast episodes are relatively short— under an hour in length—and would allow participants to finish listening to the podcast in time for each weekly meeting. CREATING THE HSL PODCAST CLUB The club would be used to discuss the featured podcast of the week, and participants would be required to listen to the podcast before the meeting. Our initial goal was to hold the podcast club for eight weeks; this was the timeframe the library initially planned to remain closed during the pandemic. The team chose eight different podcasts based on those the public services editorial team had already listened to and also by searching “best podcasts” on Google. From this list, podcasts were selected from a variety of genres, avoiding those that contained themes that could be considered too controversial to discuss in order to keep the club lighthearted during this stressful time. The initial podcast club e-mail was sent to all College of Medicine faculty and staff using the library’s free MailChimp account and contained information about the first meeting along with a link to RSVP for the event via a simple Google form. The library team created a logo for the HSL Podcast Club using free Canva software, and this was also included in the e-mail. Those who signed up then received an e-mail from a member of the library’s public services editorial team with a calendar invite, the name of the podcast episode to be discussed, and the Zoom meeting link. Following the first meeting of the HSL Podcast Club, weekly e-mails were only sent to those who had signed up to participate in the club. After the first meeting, information for the week’s podcast was sent to participants on Monday, giving HSL Podcast Club members four days to listen to the episode before the Thursday meeting. The Monday e-mails contain an Outlook calendar invite and a link to the weekly Zoom meeting along with information about the week’s podcast. This consists of a link to the specific podcast episode and a brief description of the episode taken from the podcast’s website.

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SELECTING THE PODCASTS The first podcast discussed was “Sawbones,” a series hosted by a husband and wife discussing the history of medicine in a comical and lighthearted style. The episode selected was called “Masks,” which discussed how the use of masks changed medicine and what happens when there is a shortage. This seemed like an appropriate episode for the pandemic we suddenly found ourselves in, and the subject matter allowed for attendees to share their stresses, fears, and experiences. After the first meeting, additional podcasts were scheduled for the following weeks. Subject matter included true crime, education, history, philosophy, and pop culture. Attendees also began e-mailing the library team their own personal recommendations, and some of these were included in the list of future podcasts. RUNNING PODCAST CLUB The first HSL Podcast Club session had ten attendees and was moderated by the library’s public services team members. The intention of the club was to have informal meetings and to foster a place for attendees to connect with one another and to socialize despite working from home. For this reason, the moderator had general conversation starters prepared based on the podcast but allowed the conversation to diverge naturally among attendees. This allowed for the conversation to occasionally go off topic and at the same time provided an opportunity for colleagues to freely share what was on their mind. The moderator also did additional research into both the podcast episode and the general subject matter in order to include more information and talking points for the meeting. Each meeting now generally begins with attendees’ initial reaction to the podcast itself, including the format, hosts, and tone. This feedback is helpful in evaluating podcasts to determine whether additional episodes from a particular podcast should be discussed in the future. We also responded to feedback from attendees on the subject matter of the week’s podcast. For example, some participants informed the library team that the subject matter of the true crime podcasts were too intense for them. In response, fewer of those types of podcasts were chosen, but they were not eliminated, as other attendees responded that those were their favorite podcasts. To find a balance, a podcast with lighter subject matter was scheduled for the week after a podcast with more serious content. While the HSL Podcast Club has had steady membership since the first meeting, the number of attendees continues to fluctuate from week to week depending on either the subject matter or scheduling conflicts. Another call

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for HSL Podcast Club members was sent out eight weeks after the initial call to attract more attendees, and new staff members signed up during the summer. Changing the genre of the podcast each week allowed for a variety of attendees who could appear when the subject matter was something that excited them. The library team saw different faces from time to time, and this provided a way to update coworkers on each other as remote work continued. BENEFITS OF HOSTING A VIRTUAL PODCAST CLUB The HSL Podcast Club has taught the team several lessons about the benefits of virtual programming. The club is much easier to manage than a previous attempt of ours to host a book club since every podcast is free and available online, which is especially important during the pandemic, as not all public libraries are open. Lack of access to the book was a barrier to participation for some book club members in the past. Podcasts are also far more easily digested due to their episodic design, and they require less of a time commitment than an entire book. This also allowed the club to meet more frequently and thus have more engagement with our users, something that was much needed during a time when everyone was working from home and not interacting with one another. Not having to reserve a room to host an in-person meeting also made running HSL Podcast Club virtually much easier. Once the Zoom meeting was scheduled for the first instance of HSL Podcast Club, it was simple to make this into a recurring weekly meeting. Sending the weekly e-mails to club members was also not a large time commitment. In addition, hosting the meeting online allowed participants to easily dive deeper and research content immediately by searching on Google and finding images and content related to the week’s podcast. The most obvious benefit of hosting the club virtually was the ability for the library team to engage with club members and for members to see each other. POSITIVE IMPACTS HSL Podcast Club had an initial goal to run for eight weeks, and as of the time of this writing we are on week twenty-two. Feedback from attendees indicates that the club has been a source of weekly positivity for them as well as a way to gain both knowledge on a variety of topics and new perspectives from the discussions with other members. Both club members and the library team feel that the weekly virtual meetings have helped overcome feelings of isolation that came not only from working remotely but also from the societal isolation that resulted from the pandemic. Hosting a weekly virtual podcast club for so many weeks has showed us that virtual programming can be as effective for user engagement as in-person programs. The library team plans

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to continue hosting HSL Podcast Club virtually even after the library reopens and employees return to work. The ease and speed with which we were able to create a long-lasting program by going virtual has made the library team consider adding more virtual programming in the new academic year.

Index

academic libraries. See programming, academic libraries accessibility, 51 adult learning: upskilling, 88 assessment : attendance, 4, 62; communicating results, 67; engagement, social media, 74–75, 77; evaluation plan, 55; library programming, 4; over-assessment, 66; Planning and Promoting Library Events Life Cycle, 11, 19; prior programming, 12; scheduling, 65; user perception, 47. See also assessment, methods assessment, methods : attendance data, 62; forms for library programming, 62–65; free response board, 64. See also focus groups; micro-assessments; suggestion box; surveys best practices: accessibility, 51; consistency, 6, 77; content creation, 50–51; contests, 77–78; engagement, 7; event planning, 85; flexibility, 8; fun, 7, 8; Fun Labs, 121–123; inclusivity, 6–7, 43; pairing content with other healthrelated programming, 132; partnering with other departments, 85; partnership opportunities, 133; program names, 7, 122; promotion, 104; repetition, 54; simplicity, 6; timing, 85

brainstorming: benefits, 35, 43; definition, 35; establishing code words, 36; five whys technique, 42, 45; flowcharts, 40–41; ground rules, 14, 36; ground rules for conversation, 37; methodologies, 38–42; Planning and Promoting Library Events Life Cycle, 14. See also gap analysis; mind mapping; starbursting; SWOT analysis branding: articulating your brand, 16; creating a cohesive brand, 16–17; identifying your, 15–16; integrating into your promotion, 15–17; organizational, 16, 52; policy, 16; standards, 52; using consistent, 52, 102; voice and imagery, 52 budget: creating a proposal, 23–24; example of a, 26; for marketing, 77; for programming, 24; paid advertisements, 53; Planning and Promoting Library Events Life Cycle, 14; procurement, 25; preparing the budget, 24; restricted funds, 25; university guidelines, adhering to, 25–27; unrestricted funds, 25 buy-in: finding support, 15; from hospital administrators, 91, 93 Canva, 73, 136 committee: Communications, 100–101; Facebook, 116; Public Relations, 116; 141

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social media, 72; student advisory, 117, 119 communication: archive, 55; channels, 48; crafting messages, 102–103; effective, 99; evaluation plan, 55; high-touch, 53; micro-publishing, 54; plan, 50; policy, 16; strategy, 47–50, 56; strategic checklist for, 56–57; template, 49. See also content creation; social media community outreach, 127 consumer health: curriculum, 130–131 content : boosting, 53; creating, 11, 17, 50–52, 57; high-touch, 53; reusing, 102–103; sharing, 52–55, 57 continuing education courses, 38, 130 digital literacy, 89 editorial calendar : creating a calendar, 53; managing library promotion, 18 eliminating bias, 43 email: disadvantages of soliciting feedback via, 63; timing of, 17 email platforms: MailChimp, 136 engagement : as communication-related measure, 55; with librarians, 110; with library personnel and services, 7, 119. See also content: boosting evaluation. See assessment; communication: evaluation plan exhibits, 103 Facebook: committee, 116; engaging with students on, 17; library Facebook page, 71; metrics, 74, 77. See also social media: contests focus groups, 64 funding sources : for academic libraries, 25, 28; crowdfunding, 31; grants, 25–29; Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), 28; monetizing services, 29–31. See also National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NNLM) funding, strategies, 25–31 games: bean bag toss, 18; prize wheel, 106, 107, 112; raffle, 107; scavenger hunt, 113

gap analysis, 40–41, 45 gap filling. See gap analysis goal setting : marketing goals, 47; Planning and Promoting Library Events Life Cycle, 17; programming goals, 47; resource, 20 grants. See funding sources HappyOrNot Smiley Terminal, 63–64. See also micro-assessments hospital libraries. See programming, hospital libraries hosting the event: checklists, 19; decor, 19; food, 19; games, 18; music, 18; Planning and Promoting Library Events Life Cycle, 11; signage, 18; staying organized, 19; tracking attendance, 19 inclusivity, 6–7, 43 inspiration, finding: continuing education courses, 38; library conferences, 3, 38; library stakeholders, 38; professional publications, 37; sources of inspiration, 37–38; websites, 3; websites, nonlibrary industries, 37; webinars, 38 Instagram, 17 lessons learned, 4–5, 8, 76–78, 85, 95–96, 112–113 library anxiety, 119 library space: renovating, 115–116; capitalizing on, 120 marketing. See promotion marketing, best practices: micropublishing, 54. See also accessibility; branding; communications marketing, strategies, 91–93 messaging, 50–51 micro-assessments, 63–64 mind mapping, 41, 42, 44 National Library of Medicine: traveling exhibition, 18 National Network of Libraries of Medicine (NNLM) : funding opportunities, 14, 28, 29; received funding from, 129 needs assessment, 38, 127, 131 newsletters, 101

Index outreach. See programming, academic libraries; programming, benefits; programming, delivery methods; programming, hospital libraries; programming, ideas; programming, inspiration; programming, types overpromotion, 17 planning: Planning and Promoting Library Events Life Cycle, 11, 15–17 Planning and Promoting Library Events, life cycle, 11, 12 post-assessment, 66 programming, academic libraries : Harriet F. Ginsburg Health Sciences Library, 135; Hirsh Health Sciences Library, 115; Louis Calder Memorial Library, 71; Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC), 28, 30; Stony Brook Health Sciences Center, 81; University of Maryland Baltimore, 103–104; University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill (UNC-CH), 127 programming, benefits, 119 programming, delivery methods: Zoom, 135, 136, 138 programming, hospital libraries : Medical Library at Tampa General Hospital, 105; Orlando Health, 87 programming, ideas : book talk, 116; campus-wide, 103–104, 119; craft projects, 116; diversity, equity, and inclusion, 81–85; exhibit reception, 18; filling service gaps, 30–31; flu clinic, 103–104; Fun Labs, 116–119; Halloween, 105–113; health literacy, 127; low-cost, 116; National Medical Librarians Month, 105–113; Podcast Club, 135–138; Popcorn Day, 135; social media contest, 71; therapy animals, 119; train-the-trainer, 131; Valentine’s Day contest, 72; Welcome Week, 24; women’s history month, 81–85; women of color in medicine, 81–85 programming, inspiration : event themes, 8, 30; program names, 7 programming, types: book talk, 116; craft projects, 115; exhibit reception, 18;

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informational table, 107, 110; meet and greet, 110; panel discussion, 81; tabling event, 83; technology classes, 87–96 promotion: calendar, 18; digital, 17; flyers, 74, 106, 107, 108, 109; guidelines, 101–102; low-cost strategies, 92, 93; managing promotional efforts, 18; overpromotion, 17; person or department responsible for, 13, 99–104; Planning and Promoting Library Events Life Cycle, 17; social media contest, 72–78; strategies, 91–93, 122; tools, 73, 136; traditional, 17, 18, 71, 100 public libraries, 89, 127, 129, 131, 133 publicity, guidelines, 101–102 remote work, programming, 135 return on investment, 15. See also buy-in social media: contests, 71–78; digital brand management, 16; effective use of, 102; paid advertisements, 53. See also Facebook; Instagram; promotion: digital; YouTube Spotify, 18 stakeholders: collaboration and input from, 48 starbursting, 41, 43, 45 strategic partnerships : benefits of, 27; community and faith organizations, 133; forming, 27; multi-departmental collaboration, 87; public libraries, 127; student affairs, 27; Walgreens, 103 strengths and weaknesses : of team and institution, 13. See also SWOT analysis student programming, 115 suggestion box, 38, 65 surveys, 4, 19, 38, 62–63, 107, 112. See also assessment survey fatigue, 63, 65 SWOT analysis, 39, 40, 44 taking stock: of budget, 14; identifying resources, 48; Planning and Promoting Library Events Life Cycle, 11, 12–14; of resources, 13; user groups, 14; user groups, overlooked, 14; user groups, underserved, 14

144 templates: best practice, 17; for craft projects, 116; developing standard, 52; mind-mapping, 41 user groups : overlooked, 14, 43; underrepresented, 81, 95; underserved, 14, 88, 89, 90, 113, 127

Index virtual programming, 135 YouTube, 18

About the Editors and Contributors

Shalu Gillum, JD, MLS, AHIP, (she/her/hers), is head of public services for the Harriet F. Ginsburg Health Sciences Library at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine in Orlando, Florida. Shalu is responsible for managing library public services, including circulation, reference, instruction, programming, and promotion. Over the last ten years, she has coauthored numerous publications, presentations, and workshops on library programming. While receiving her master’s degree in library and information science, she was awarded the National Library of Medicine and Medical Library Association joint Spectrum Scholarship, which promotes diversity in the library and information science field. In 2017, she became an alumni of Florida’s Sunshine State Library Leadership Institute. Shalu was named the 2019–2020 Southern Chapter Medical Library Association Academic Librarian of the Year. Natasha Williams, (she/her/hers), is user services librarian at the Harriet F. Ginsburg Health Sciences Library at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine (UCF COM). She is responsible for creating various library promotional and informational materials and works closely with the head of public services to market, promote, and execute library events and services and assess the needs of the different groups of patrons that use the library space. During the ten years she has spent at the UCF COM, she has coauthored articles and copresented on topics related to library programming and events. Natasha holds both a bachelor’s degree in studio art and a master’s degree in library and information studies from the Florida State University. Professionally, she holds memberships in a number of library organizations, including the Medical Library Association, the Florida Library Association, and the American Library Association. 145

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*** Erinn E. Aspinall, MSI, is the associate director of program development and strategy at the University of Minnesota Health Sciences Libraries, where she has been communicating strategically since 2015. Erinn increases the visibility of the libraries’ innovative work by managing the content of their three websites, writing news articles, coordinating social media efforts, and preparing strategic marketing materials. She particularly enjoys sharing communications strategies that help others leverage their time and resources for greater impact and has presented widely on the topic. Kelsa Bartley is a librarian assistant professor and education and outreach librarian in the Learning, Research, and Clinical Information Services Department at the Louis Calder Memorial Library, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She transitioned into this role in September 2019 and has worked in the department since November 2013. Kelsa graduated with her master of science in information degree at Florida State University in December 2018 and received a bachelor of fine arts in photography from Barry University in 2010. She is a 2016–2017 American Library Association Spectrum Scholar and the recipient of the 2017 Medical Library Association Scholarship for Underrepresented Students. Kelsa’s role at Calder Library includes outreach and promotion of library services and resources. She manages the library’s social media platforms and blog and creates promotional material and digital content for the Calder Library website in addition to providing other library education and research services. Kelsa manages social media for the Florida Health Science Library Association and is the Florida representative on the Communications Committee of the Southern Chapter of the Medical Library Association. Kelsa is an active member of the Medical Library Association. Her involvement includes serving on the 2020 I Am MLA Promotional Campaign Committee and the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee and as chair of the African American Medical Librarians Alliance Caucus. She is also active in diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts at the University of Miami, working on initiatives at the Miller School of Medicine and the University of Miami Libraries. Kelsa’s written works include collaborative book chapter contributions in two upcoming publications: Borders and Belonging: Critical Examinations of LIS Approaches toward Immigrants and Implementing Excellence in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: A Handbook for Academic Libraries. Jaclyn Castek is the manager of library services at Tampa General Hospital (TGH) in Tampa, Florida. Jaclyn began her career at TGH as a medical librarian after graduating with her master’s in library and information sci-

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ences from the University of South Florida. Before she joined TGH, she worked in the Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative. Prior to moving into the field of libraries, Jaclyn earned a bachelor degree in journalism from University of South Florida and was a freelance writer. She has served as president of the Tampa Bay Medical Library Network and the Florida Health Science Library Association. Michelle Cawley, MLS, MA, is the head of the Clinical, Academic, and Research Engagement Unit in the Health Sciences Library at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. In this role, she leads a team of liaison librarians who engage and partner with the university’s schools of dentistry, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and public health as well as multiple clinical departments within UNC Medical Center. She supports innovation, outreach, and curriculum engagement with the five health affairs schools and the hospital and has deep experience in the application of machine learning solutions to improve the efficiency of completing scoping reviews, systematic reviews, and other large-scale literature reviews. CARE staff also partner with health affairs researchers around visualizing their research impact through bibliometric and other analyses. Ms. Cawley also partners with the Clinical and Statewide Engagement (CaSE) unit at HSL, which includes health literacy and community outreach librarians committed to engagement with communities across North Carolina. Further, Ms. Cawley is interested in how libraries can effectively support data science curricula and research on campus. In 2019, she led a committee tasked by the university librarian to develop a framework and recommendations around services to begin or grow, increasing data-related skills among librarians, and how to address infrastructure needs. Previously, Ms. Cawley was on the development team for a machine learning application for reducing the manual burden of reviewing literature search results. She has led or consulted on multiple projects that have successfully applied this technology and is the coauthor of several publications on the topic. Finally, she has presented on applications of machine learning technology at the annual meetings for the Society of Toxicology, American Public Health Association, Society for Risk Analysis, and Medical Libraries Association. Katherin R. DeFord is the reference assistant for the Hirsh Health Sciences Library at Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts. She has worked in Access Services in academic libraries for over seven years and has been at the Hirsh Library since 2018. Katie has presented on topics related to access services and circulation at many conferences, including North Atlantic Health Sciences Library, Association of College Research Libraries’ New England Chapter, and Access Services Interest Group.

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Katherine A. Morley Eramo is the administrative coordinator for the Hirsh Health Sciences Library at Tufts University and has served as the chair of its Public Relations Committee since 2014. She has coauthored several lightning talks and poster presentations about Hirsh Library’s student outreach and community-building efforts for both local and national organizations. She holds a bachelor of arts in anthropology and archaeology from Tufts University and a master of arts in anthropology from Brandeis University as well as a graduate certificate in museum studies from Tufts University. Megan Fratta, MLS, is the community outreach and global health librarian at the Health Sciences Library at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. In this role, she supports health literacy instruction and outreach throughout the state, working with health professionals, faculty, students, and members of the public. Megan leads instruction on topics such as clear health communication, consumer health information resources, and critically evaluating health information on the Internet. She also provides information and education services to students, faculty, and staff working on global health projects and collaborates with interdisciplinary research teams to provide health information access and research support at University of North Carolina’s global sites. Megan was an associate fellow at the National Library of Medicine from 2016 to 2017. Stephanie Harris is a research scientist and embedded librarian at the Center for Whole-Person Research at AdventHealth, where she conducts and assists with biobehavioral research. Previously, she worked as a clinical reference librarian at Orlando Health and as an animal programs librarian at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. She is a published author with recent papers appearing in the Journal of Hospital Librarianship and Health Psychology— Open. She currently serves as membership chair for the Florida Health Sciences Library Association. In her spare time, she runs a nonprofit animal rescue organization in Central Florida. Shannon D. Jones, (she/her/hers), is director of libraries and professor for the Medical University of South Carolina, where she has worked since 2014. Shannon is the coeditor of Diversity and Inclusion in Libraries: A Call to Action and Strategies. Her research interests include staff recruitment; retention and reward; diversity, equity, and inclusion in libraries; and leadership in academic health sciences libraries. She holds a master’s of library sciences from North Carolina Central University and a master’s of education in adult learning from Virginia Commonwealth University. She is currently pursuing a doctor of education degree in educational leadership at Charleston Southern University.

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Jessica A. Koos, MLS, MSEd, AHIP, is a health sciences librarian at Stony Brook University, where she serves as the liaison to the School of Medicine, Program in Public Health, and Department of Biomedical Informatics. Her core responsibilities consist of providing research consultations, instruction, and collection development and engaging in various types of service activities, including event planning. She is also an affiliated faculty member in the Program in Public Health and is a preceptor for master of public health students. She has served as a committee member for the Stony Brook Renaissance School of Medicine’s Annual Women in Medicine Research Day, which celebrates the accomplishments of Stony Brook students, faculty, and researchers. She is also a former member of Stony Brook University Libraries’ Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity Committee. Carly Lambert is a senior library technical assistant at the Harriet F. Ginsburg Health Sciences Library at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine. Carly works in the library’s Public Services Department and assists with programming and services, social media, and interlibrary loan. She has previous work experience in public libraries and is currently working on her master’s degree in library and information science at the University of South Florida. Carly holds a bachelor’s degree in anthropology with a minor in French from Florida Atlantic University. Amy E. LaVertu has served as a research and instruction librarian at the Hirsh Library for over twenty years. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland College of Library and Information Science. Amy is committed to the idea that it is only when libraries serve the “whole” student that they are truly seen as more than just a building! Nandita S. Mani, PhD, MLIS, is the associate university librarian for health sciences and director of the Health Sciences Library. As such, Mani oversees one of the nation’s leading health affairs libraries. The University of North Carolina (UNC) Health Sciences Library (HSL) is the primary library for the university’s schools of dentistry, medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and public health; the UNC Medical Center; and the North Carolina Area Health Education Centers, a statewide program for clinical education and health services. She provides leadership and general administration of the HSL and outreach to the five health affairs schools and the hospital. In this role, she has built new programs and partnerships in areas including community and global engagement, research informatics, and clinical engagement. She participates in university-wide programs and committees and represents the library system regionally, nationally, and internationally. Prior to coming to Carolina, she led projects related to health literacy and community engagement and worked on curricular transformation projects at the University of Michigan,

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where she led the development of a four-year longitudinal multidisciplinary curricular thread for the School of Medicine, taught information synthesis and evidence-based techniques to graduate students in the health professions schools, served as faculty for the Masters of Health Professions Education program, and taught and worked closely with clinical departments, residency programs, and community partners during her tenure at Henry Ford Hospital. Mani served a ten-year term as managing editor for Advances in Chronic Kidney Disease and is currently an assistant editor for Consumer Health on the Internet. She has published in the areas of health literacy and global health, information science, and instructional design and technology. Her grants participation spans the areas of chronic kidney disease, technological innovation integration, and online learning. Rebecca A. Morin is the head of research and instruction at the Hirsh Health Sciences Library at Tufts University. She is a Massachusetts native and received a bachelor of arts in music from Wellesley College before heading west, where she attended the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, earning a master of library and information studies and a master of archival studies. Prior to joining the team at Tufts, she served as head librarian at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. She has served on the executive boards of numerous professional organizations, including the International Association of Aquatic and Marine Science Libraries and Information Centers and the North Atlantic Health Sciences Libraries, a regional chapter of the Medical Library Association. She was a recipient of the 2011 De Gruyter Saur/IFLA Research Paper Award, has served as principal investigator for multiple Institute of Museum and Library Services grant projects, and is a 2020 fellow of the Medical Library Association Research Training Institute. Tamara M. Nelson, MLIS, EdS, AHIP, currently serves as senior research and learning services librarian at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis. In this role, she manages the Information Desk and serves as liaison to the College of Medicine. She has also served in various capacities on committees throughout her career, planning and promoting events. Angie Novak has been a medical librarian at Tampa General Hospital in Florida since 2018. After graduating with an master of library and information sciences from Wayne State University, Angie served as the library and distance education coordinator at Medical Prep Institute of Tampa Bay. Angie also holds a bachelor of arts in history and master of education in instructional design and has a Level II Consumer Health Information Specialization from the Medical Library Association. Angie is currently the continuing

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education coordinator for the Tampa Bay Medical Library Network and serves on the nominating committee for the Southern Chapter of the Medical Library Association. Terri Ottosen has been a health sciences librarian for over twenty-five years and is a distinguished member of the Academy of Health Information Professionals. Currently, she is the community engagement and health literacy librarian at the Health Sciences Library, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She provides community outreach services and instruction on topics such as clear health communication, plain language, consumer health resources, and patient education. Terri has an extensive background and expertise in consumer health, patient advocacy, and health literacy. She has taught numerous classes, both in person and online, on a wide variety of topics pertaining to consumer health and making informed health care decisions. She is a passionate and experienced advocate for patient empowerment and engagement. Terri is dedicated to increasing awareness of health literacy and improving the health literacy skills of health consumers, librarians, students, and health professionals. Tom Quinn is the evening and weekend library coordinator for the Hirsh Health Sciences Library at Tufts University in Boston, Massachusetts. He has worked in academic libraries for over twelve years, has been at Hirsh Library since 2013, and received his master of library sciences in 2018. Tom is the chair of the Student Library Advisory Committee, where he is able to work directly with student representatives to better meet their needs, both academically and socially, within the library space. He has presented at the Access Services Conference three times, most recently in 2019 about the success of Hirsh Library’s Fun Labs. Mona Ramonetti, MSLIS, MSMNS, is the head of scholarly communication at Stony Brook University. She is also the Open Educational Resources campus lead for Stony Brook University. She is the liaison to the following departments: Undergraduate Biology, Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Ecology and Evolution, Graduate Genetics, Neurobiology, and Biomedical Engineering. Her research interests include open access, open educational resources, information literacy, instruction, public speaking, and diversity-related issues. She has served and currently serves on various campus and library committees, notably the Stony Brook University Libraries’ Equity, Inclusion, and Diversity Committee, which she chaired for two years. Siamak Samiean is a collections management assistant at the Hirsh Health Sciences Library (HHSL) at Tufts University, where he handles the library’s cataloging needs. His previous library experience includes a year in access

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services at the Harry Elkins Widener Memorial Library at Harvard University and over four years with the Internet Archive at the Boston Public Library, where he was part of a select team that digitized the John Adams Library collection. He has been a speaker at the Charleston Library Conference on two separate occasions, with presentations discussing the impact of the Eastern Academic Scholars’ Trust shared print-retention initiative on HHSL and the value of developing and promoting a graphic medicine collection. Siamak holds a bachelor of fine arts in illustration and painting and a master of library and information sciences from the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada. Mary Joan (M. J.) Tooey is associate vice president of academic affairs and executive director of the Health Sciences and Human Services Library at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. She is the director of the National Network of Libraries of Medicine’s Southeastern Atlantic Region and the National DOCLINE Coordination Office. Tooey has served as president of both the Medical Library Association (2005–2006) and the Association of Academic Health Sciences Libraries (2012–2013). She is a fellow of the Medical Library Association (MLA) and a distinguished member of the Academy of Health Information Professionals. She received the 1997 MLA Estelle Brodman Award, was the 2016 MLA Janet Doe Lecturer, and in 2019 received the Marcia C. Noyes Award, MLA’s highest honor. In 2011, she received the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Pittsburgh’s iSchool. She is the author or coauthor of over two hundred books, chapters, articles, or presentations. Aidybert Weeks is assistant professor, graduate medical education liaison librarian, and collections manager at the Health Sciences Library at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). She is currently the library liaison for the UNLV School of Medicine Graduate Medical Education program and manages library resources for the Health Sciences Library. Aidy began her career in medical librarianship as a hospital librarian with Orlando Health and has fifteen years of library experience in both public and medical libraries, including outreach, collections development, systems, and medical reference support. She is a member of the Medical Library Association and the Northern California and Nevada Medical Library Group. Lauren Wheeler is the information services librarian at the Health Sciences and Human Services Library (HS/HSL) at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. She graduated in 2016 with her master of library and information science from Wayne State University, where she was a member of the Beta Phi Mu International Honor Society. She became the information services librarian at the HS/HSL in 2018. Lauren is passionate about and works to

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promote effective communication in many aspects of her position, including committee work and her work in health literacy. She is a member of the Medical Library Association and the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the Medical Library Association, where she is an active member on the Communications Committee.