![For immediate release: July 23, 2010 Contact: Janet Griffing 330-335-2604 [email_address] Wadsworth Library seeks trustee candidates Press release should be on letterhead Always include a date for release Include contact information so reporter can reach you for further clarification “ Headline” or title intended to convey topic of release quickly. Reporters/editors see many releases, so don't make them read the lead paragraph to know what the release is about.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/slideshow-100804182840-phpapp02/75/Practical-Public-Relations-Communication-Tools-for-Public-Librarians-7-2048.jpg)
![http://www.ehow.com/how_4489124_write-radio-public-service-announcement.html Writing a Public Service Announcement (PSA) PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT To air: July 23-31, 2010 Contact: Janet Griffing 330-335-2604 [email_address] WADSWORTH LIBRARY TO HOST FIRST BLOOD DRIVE (:10 sec.) Announcer: The Wadsworth Public Library will host its first American Red Cross blood drive on September 1 from 2 to 6 pm. The Library is located at 132 Broad Street in Wadsworth, Ohio. For further information, call the library at 330-334-5761.](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/slideshow-100804182840-phpapp02/75/Practical-Public-Relations-Communication-Tools-for-Public-Librarians-8-2048.jpg)
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Practical Public Relations & Communication Tools for Public Librarians
- 1. Practical Public Relations and Communication Tools for Public Librarians Kent State University SLIS Workshop July 23 & 24, 2010
- 2. Marketing and publicrelations work in tandem to position a company. Marketing does the research to determine what the position of the company is and should be. Public relations promotes the image and position of the company through events and news. Janet Krenn Blogpost in prnewpros July 10, 2009
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- 4. Here are myTen Commandments for writing a great lead paragraph. A good lead paragraph must: 1. Summarize The Whole Story. This is the sharp end of your message and the reader must understand what the whole story is about just by reading the first paragraph. The most important and critical information must come first. 2. Answer The Five W's. It must answer the who, what, when, where, and why of the story. 3. Grab Your Attention. Like a good headline, the lead paragraph must grab and hold the attention of the reader. Writing a Lead Paragraph (Thomas Murrell/ezinearticles.com)
- 5. 4. Make EveryWord Count. Aim for brevity and word economy. Less is more. Edit out words to increase impact. 5. Make Sense. Write for meaning. 6. Be Accurate. Always stick to the facts and be truthful, no matter how bad the news. Avoid fluff and hype. Remember it has to be newsworthy. 7. Keep To One Sentence. Simplicity is the key to great lead paragraphs. 8. Provide Context. If you are introducing an organization or person for the first time, put this in context by providing descriptive, detailed and meaningful words immediately prior to the company or individual name. For example:Thomas Murrell - poor, no one knows who he is! International business speaker and co-author of Understanding Influence For Leaders At All Levels, Thomas Murrell - better and puts person in context. Different descriptions can be used, depending on your objectives and the context of the release.
- 6. 9. Be Precise.Precision is vital. Out of all the information you could get across what is the most important? This must be communicated in a precise way. 10. Edit, Check and Proofread A Minimum of Three Times. Nothing will shoot your credibility down like a typo or error in the lead paragraph. First impressions count no matter how good the story is. Professionalism is essential. Get someone else to check and read your release. Thomas Murrell MBA CSP is an international business speaker, consultant and award-winning broadcaster. Media Motivators is his regular electronic magazine read by 7,000 professionals in 15 different countries. Accessed June 28, 2010 http://ezinearticles.com/?How-To-Write-A-Press-Release:-The-10-Commandments-Of-A-Great-Lead-Paragraph&id=30883
- 7. For immediate release:July 23, 2010 Contact: Janet Griffing 330-335-2604 [email_address] Wadsworth Library seeks trustee candidates Press release should be on letterhead Always include a date for release Include contact information so reporter can reach you for further clarification “ Headline” or title intended to convey topic of release quickly. Reporters/editors see many releases, so don't make them read the lead paragraph to know what the release is about.
- 8. http://www.ehow.com/how_4489124_write-radio-public-service-announcement.html Writing aPublic Service Announcement (PSA) PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT To air: July 23-31, 2010 Contact: Janet Griffing 330-335-2604 [email_address] WADSWORTH LIBRARY TO HOST FIRST BLOOD DRIVE (:10 sec.) Announcer: The Wadsworth Public Library will host its first American Red Cross blood drive on September 1 from 2 to 6 pm. The Library is located at 132 Broad Street in Wadsworth, Ohio. For further information, call the library at 330-334-5761.
- 9. Media Relations Thepurpose of your pre-workshop assignment was to help you determine what media outlets cover your community, who to direct your communications to, and the format in which communications are to be submitted. Call reporter/editor to introduce yourself. Confirm the format for how news is to be submitted. Confirm lead times and deadlines. (Good practice is 2 weeks before event. Pay particular attention to deadlines for weekly papers.) Follow up press release with story pitch for important events.
- 10. When the MediaComes to Call If you don't know the answer to a reporter's question, offer to find out the answer from the appropriate staff member. Ask the reporter what his/her deadline is and assure them that you will get back to them in a timely manner. Be respectful of the reporter's need to make deadline. Be prepared to answer questions that might seem silly or indicative of someone who is not familiar with the workings of libraries. Be patient and polite. This can be the opportunity to educate and enlighten. Determine who is to be the official library spokesperson (Director/PR & Marketing/Someone else) Make certain that staff knows this so that reporter calls & visits are directed to the right person. Front line staff should not be answering media queries.
- 11. Crisis Communications Setground rules: Just because the reporter has stuck a microphone in your face doesn't mean you can't stop and take a moment to prepare a proper response. Determine what the reporter wants to know – even ask for a list of questions. Answer the questions you want to answer by rephrasing the reporter's question. Rephrasing can help diffuse a ticking bomb question. “ NO COMMENT” IS NEVER AN OPTION. The media and their readers/viewers will assume the worst. You should be schooled in the library's policies well enough that you can think on your feet. Again, rephrase the question if necessary. If you know ahead of time that you are to be interviewed, use that time to prepare. Anticipate what questions will be asked and frame answers to those questions. Set your own goals for the interview – what message do you want to convey? Write out several quotable sentences for each message
- 12. http://www.ahml.info/services/newsletters http://www.stmarys.lib.oh.us/newsletter http://www.curtislibrary.com/about-us/newsletter/http://www.santaclaracountylib.org/about/news/newsletter.html http://www.library.nashville.org/Info/gen_email.asp Sample Library Newsletters
- 13. Desktop Publishing forNewsletters Microsoft Word OpenOffice Writer http://www.serif.com/desktop-publishing-software/ http://www.scribus.net/index.php?name=Sections&req=viewarticle&artid=3 http://www.belightsoft.com/products/swiftpublisher/overview.php (free trial)
- 14. Friday Homework http://blip.tv/file/2276360/ The Bubble Room: This Branch May Close http://nonprofit.about.com/od/nonprofitpromotion/tp/localmedia.htm Top 10 Tips for Local Media Relations http://oedb.org/blogs/ilibrarian/2008/250-best-marketing-advertising-pr-and-media-blog-posts/ http://www.slideshare.net/davidleeking/emerging-trends-20-libraries-2635621 Emerging Trends, 2.0, and Libraries http://librarianinblack.typepad.com/librarianinblack/2008/04/computers-in-13.html Computers in Libraries 2008: Online Outreach for Libraries: Successful Digital Marketing http://www.slideshare.net/crr29061/social-media-libraries-and-web-20-how-american-libraries-are-using-new-tools-for-public-relations-and-to-attract-new-users?type=document Social Media, Libraries, and Web 2.0: How American Libraries are Using New Tools for Public Relations and to Attract New Users
- 15. Libraries on Facebookhttp://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8408315708#!/columbuslibrary?ref=search http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8408315708#!/BarbertonPublicLibrary?ref=search http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=8408315708#!/CincinnatiLibrary?ref=search http://www.facebook.com/search/?flt=1&q=library&o=65&s=30#!/pages/Akron-OH/Akron-Summit-County-Public-Library/115243921037?ref=search http://www.facebook.com/search/?flt=1&q=library&o=65&s=10#!/TopekaLibrary?ref=search http://www.facebook.com/search/?flt=1&q=library&o=65&s=10#!/pages/San-Francisco-CA/San-Francisco-Public-Library/25446770608?ref=search Recommendation: Brian Gray's SLIS Workshop on Web 2.0/Social Media: Using Web 2.0 Principles to Become Librarian and Educator 2.0
- 16. Libraries on Twitterhttp://twitter.com/Cleveland_PL http://twitter.com/WadsworthOHPL http://twitter.com/columbuslibrary http://twitter.com/nypl http://twitter.com/houstonlibrary http://twitter.com/cincylibrary http://acceleratedbachelordegree.org/100-ways-to-use-twitter-in-your-library/
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- 21. Blogs Blogging Libraries http://www.blogwithoutalibrary.net/links/index.php?title=Public_libraries Blogging Librarians http://www.problogger.net/archives/2008/01/04/7-types-of-blog-posts-which-always-seem-to-get-links-and-traffic/ What is a blog? http://brandingworkshop.pbworks.com/Blogs
- 22. Wikis What's awiki? “ A wiki ( ) is a website that allows the easy creation and editing of any number of interlinked web pages via a web browser using a simplified markup language or a WYSIWYG text editor. ...” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiki “ ...a website that allows visitors, often after registering, to gain access, to edit – add to/remove or change – the content. Wikipedia is an example. It can also be used as a form of internal communication between teams in an organization. ” http://www.linguaconnections.eu/Info_Spreading_Word.htm
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- 24. http://booklovers.pbworks.com/Princeton%20Public%20Library http://www.library.ohiou.edu/subjects/bizwiki/index.php/Main_Page http://librarywikis.pbworks.com/Collaboration+between+Library+Staff+and+Patronshttp://www.libsuccess.org/index.php?title=Main_Page http://imlsupnext.wikispaces.com/ www.wadsworthlibrary.com/wplstaff Some library wikis...
- 25. Build Your OwnWiki http://pbworks.com/content/personal+overview?utm_campaign=nav-tracking&utm_source=Home%20navigation http://www.wetpaint.com/ http://www.zoho.com/wiki/ http://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/MediaWiki
- 26. Library Podcasts http://www.spl.org/default.asp?pageID=collection_podcastshttp://podcast.denverlibrary.org/ http://mountkiscolibrary.podomatic.com/ http://blogs.davenportlibrary.com/reference/category/podcasts/ Library Vodcasts http://www.novi.lib.mi.us/ http://wadsworthlibrary.com http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0khGVw7fl7U http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8dIcXMtlsGw
- 27. Libraries on Flickrhttp://www.flickr.com/photos/enochprattlibrary/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/lesterpubliclibrary/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/lesterpubliclibrary/
Editor's Notes
- #3 Recommend Wolfe, L.A. (2005). Library Public Relations, Promotions and Communications, Second Edition . New York, NY: Neal-Schuman Publisher.
- #10 Pitching the story: Some stories just need a little more selling than they get from your press release alone. For special events, guest speakers of note and other significant news at your library, follow up the release with a phone call to a reporter/news editor/photo editor. Briefly describe the event, sharing those elements that are likely to hook the reporter. Reel him in with your enthusiasm and willingness to work with him. (Lining up interviews/making guest speakers available for photographs.) Remember that if a major fire breaks out or a local politician is pulled over for DUI, your story may get bumped. Consider taking your own photographs and submitting them for publication. (More likely with smaller papers. to happen with smaller newspapers.)
- #11 Show class media relations policy on Wadsworth website.
- #14 If you are going to print out your newsletter in-house, then any desktop publishing program or word processing program will work. However, if you are working with an outside print house, you need to find out from them how they need files to be created and submitted. If they can work from a pdf file, that's much more straightforward than if they need separate files for text, images, fonts, etc.
- #16 Used search and then “pages” to identify library FB accounts. Can identify type of page from results (non-profit/government/library) and number of friends. It's interesting to take a look at library websites to see how they make the connection between their homepage and Twitter/Facebook. Some seem to hide their social media links while others put them front and center where users can hind them. Thoughts as to why?
- #24 Wikis can be useful, collaborative reference tools. Some libraries use them for listing resources or to serve as subject guides. Wikis can also be used by library staff as a knowledge base covering library policies/procedures (use WPL staff wiki as example) As a communication tool, wikis allow patrons to contribute to the knowledge base, depending on how much freedom the library allows. This community wiki created by Loudon County library helps the library position itself as the online hub of the community.