The document discusses challenges and opportunities for libraries in the digital age. It suggests that libraries promote experiences and stories over statistics to appeal to funders. It also recommends libraries leverage various social media tools, develop engaging content, and compete in areas like ebooks, mobile access, and user experience to remain relevant. The future of libraries depends on embracing new technologies and visions rather than longing for the past.

1. Leah Krevit Rice University The Rest of Us Stephen Abram, MLS, Gale Cengage Learning ALA Public Relations Forum ALA in DC - June 27, 2010 PR Forum: Next Practices in Communication @ your library

2. These slides will also be available at Stephen’s Lighthouse blog Change and Challenges

5. Is Your Library an Event? What experiences are you promoting? What’s the benefit?

16. ALA PR June 24, 2007

18. 18 PR Tools for Libraries YouTube  Second Life  MySpace  Facebook  Flickr  Podcasts / iTunes  Wikipedia  Ning  WebEx / LiveMeeting  Twitter  Mozes  NowPublic  MyBlogLog  Blogging  Tagging, Scanning, RSS  SEO  LinkedIn / Plaxo  SurveyMonkey / Zoomerang  A

22. Social Glue and Libraries

23. ASK YOURSELF What is more important for value-based funding? What tugs at the heartstrings? 6% annual increases in circulation? 100% increases in ILL? 500% increases in website hits? 1000% increases in database results? 50% increases in customer satisfaction?

24. Or Stories?

25. 7 Tricks You Can Do Right Away Number One: What are your top reference questions?

26. 7 Tricks You Can Do Right Away Number Two: Promote your staff – FB, Tweets, web pages, photos

27. 7 Tricks You Can Do Right Away Number Three: Do a Signage Audit and a walkthrough (physical and virtual with a newbie)

29. 7 Tricks You Can Do Right Away Number Four: Get Some Widgets (Hint: API)

30. 7 Tricks You Can Do Right Away Number Five: Get Jiggy with GIS.

32. 7 Tricks You Can Do Right Away Number Six: Go Beyond Statistics Google Analytics Foresee

33. What We Never Knew Before 27% of our users are under 18. 59% are female. 29% are college students. 5% are professors and 6% are teachers. On any given day, 35% of our users are there for the first time. 29% found our products via the library website. 59% found what they were looking for on their first search. 72% trusted the content more than what they found on Google. But, 81% still use Google.

34. Driving User to the Library Encyclopedia.com HighBeam WorldCat iPhone App Questia Geo-IP measures Etc. Watch for more . . .?

35. 7 Tricks You Can Do Right Away Number Seven: Develop a STORY collection strategy

36. The thing about success, is that it’s not about things. Or 2.0 Technology

37. Are we going to a totally build it yourself world? Imagine IKEA merging with GM...

40. Yes, this is ancient wisdom: clients aren't buying your hammer, they are buying the deck of their dreams. Help them build it.

41. OK – What is happening that will change everything?

42. “ The Internet has now progressed to its infancy”

43. Google Books Settlement LIBRARIES COMPETE

44. Google Editions: Bookstore LIBRARIES COMPETE

46. SEO: Search Engine Optimization SMO: Social Media Optimization LIBRARIES COMPETE

47. I  my customers

48. Geo-IP LIBRARIES COMPETE

49. Top 10 Ways to Drive People to the Library Using Social Media Find the Influencers Connect with the Influencers Motivate the Influencers Build Buzz and Interest Kodak Moments Flip Camera Crazy Tweet and be Tweeted E-mails – yep – they still work Survey Measure and refine (rinse and repeat) Bonus: Testimonials!

50. Transmogrifying Containers LIBRARIES COMPETE

51. Broadband LIBRARIES COMPETE

52. The Cloud …printing …software …storage LIBRARIES COMPETE

53. The Article Economy++ Format Agnosticism LIBRARIES COMPETE

54. The Yahoo!/Bing iPhone, Facebook Migration LIBRARIES COMPETE

55. Devices like iPads, Kobo, Kindles, eDGe, and Mobile LIBRARIES COMPETE

56. eBook Growth

57. Supporting the 21 st Century book experience?

58. Kobo, iPad, Amazon, Apple, iPDF, etc. . . .

60. Mobile LIBRARIES COMPETE

63. The Experience LIBRARIES COMPETE

64. A Third Path

68. Context is King , not Content. Curation and Contact Rule

69. Community Stories

70. Conversations Stories

71. Relationships Stories

72. Community Networks The Social Life of Information Stories

73. Life Stories

74. Connection Stories

75. Personalization Stories

76. Comfort

77. Simplicity

78. Learning

79. Trans-Literacy Move beyond reading & PC skills Reading literacy Numeracy Critical literacy Social literacy Computer literacy Web literacy Content literacy Written literacy News literacy Technology literacy Information literacy Media literacy Adaptive literacy Research literacy Academic literacy Reputation, Etc.

81. These are exciting times. Choose between achieving a dynamic and exciting future vision or longing for a nostalgic past.

83. The power of libraries

84. Speak Out!

85. Surprise Them!

86. Trust Experiments!

88. Join us on the Hill!

89. Stephen Abram, MLS, FSLA VP strategic partnerships and markets Gale Cengage Learning Cel: 416-669-4855 [email_address] Stephen’s Lighthouse Blog http://stephenslighthouse.com Twitter: sabram