Handout:ALAAnnual2010,“PublicLibraryattheHeartoftheCommunity:NewServiceModelsforaChangingEra”KingCountyLibrarySystem:LooktoYourLibrary,EspeciallyNow

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Summary:LooktoYourLibrary,EspeciallyNow(LTYL)

Nearly89,000KingCountyresidentsbecameunemployedbetweenSeptember2008andApril2009,reachingan8%localunemploymentrate.KCLSconductedanintensiveoutreachefforttoguideresidentstofreeresourcesthatcouldhelpthemadapttounexpectedchangesintheirlives.TheLTYLeffortincludedaddedservicehours,hands‐ondemonstrations,andaspecialWebsectionaspartofacomprehensivestrategiccommunicationplan.TheLTYLWebpagespresentedinformationinuser‐basedcategories,showcasinglibraryandcommunityresources,anddemonstratingourvalueduringthecrisis.Mediaoutreachgarneredpositiveresponsesandunprecedentedvisibilitywithinandbeyondourservicearea.

StepOne—NeedsAssessment

Nearly89,000KingCountyresidentsbecameunemployedbetweenSeptember2008andApril2009becauseoftheglobaleconomiccollapse.InApril2009,theWashingtonStateEmploymentSecurityDepartmentreportedanoverall8%unemploymentrateforthecommunitiesservedbytheKingCountyLibrarySystem(KCLS).Jobs,investments,andretirementaccountsdisappeared.Businessesclosed,marketscollapsed,andanunprecedentednumberofresponsiblehomeownerssuddenlyfacedunemploymentandmortgageforeclosures.

Ourneighborswereoverwhelmed,frightened,anddidn'tknowwheretoturn.KCLSlibrariesheldtheinformation,skill‐buildingopportunities,andjobsearchtoolspeopledesperatelyneeded,butmanyresidentsdidn’tknowtheseresourceswereavailabletothematnocharge.Wefacedacommunity‐widecrisiscreatedbytheglobaleconomicmeltdown,intensifyingthechallengetoeffectivelypublicizethewealthofinformationandresourcesourlibrariesoffered.

CommunityNeedsAssessment:Researchwassimple,andthescopeoftheproblemwasobvious:

1. Newsandanalysisatlocal,state,andnationallevelstoldendlessaccountsofeconomicbreakdownsinaglobalchainreactionthathitourregionhard.Ouroldestremaininglocalbankwasoneofthefirsttocollapse,leavingmortgage‐holdersandemployeesindirestraits.

2. Librarystaffnoticedachangeinpatronbehavior,anincreaseindaytimeusebyprofessionals,andasurgeinreferencequestions.Temperswereshort,patienceinscarcersupply,andcompetitionforcomputertimegrewmoreintense.Ourpatronswereclearlyaffected.

Wecouldmakeasubstantialdifferencetopeopleinneed,butevenregularpatronshadnoideaoftheresourcesandservicesweoffered,despiteourbesteffortstopromotethesefeaturesovertheyears.Weneededamoreeffectivecommunicationandoutreachstrategytoconnectpeoplewiththetoolstheyneededtocopewiththecrisis.

StrategicCommunicationNeeds:Continuinganalysisandevaluationofourstrategiccommunicationsandmediarelationseffortsprovidedbaselineinformationonmediacoverage,marketreach,andthesubstantialchallengesingettingmediainterestinlibrary“goodnews.”

Handout:ALAAnnual2010,“PublicLibraryattheHeartoftheCommunity:NewServiceModelsforaChangingEra”KingCountyLibrarySystem:LooktoYourLibrary,EspeciallyNow

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Wewerecaughtinchangingtimes:fewermediavenues;growingcompetitionfromtheWeb;newaudiencesbothunfamiliarwithlibrariesanduncomfortableaskingforassistance.Whilewewerelookingtothemediatohelpustellthepublicaboutthelibraryservicestheyneeded,newsmediawerehavingacrisistoo.Twoofthethreesurvivingregionaldailynewspaperswereundersevereeconomicpressure,andthedailywhosecirculationmostcloselymatchedourserviceareahadalreadyfailed.Whilewewerepreparingtolaunchourcampaign,theoldestdailyintheregionceasedprintededitionsaltogether,andretreatedtoaWeb‐basedremnantwithlittleroomforlocalnews.Thelargestregionaldailyannounceddrasticstaffcutsandfurloughs,andmanyjournalistswithwhomwehaddevelopedsolidworkingrelationshipswereintheunemploymentlinesalongwiththeirreaders.

Theregionhadacollectiveheadache,andour"product"couldeasetheirpain.Becausethecrisiswascatastrophicatboththeglobalandlocallevels,mediainterestreachedanewhigh.Wehopedtobeabletoworkcloselywiththesurvivingjournalistsintheregiontospreadthewordeffectively.

Asthecrisisgrew,werecognizedour"teachablemoment:"theglobalfinancialmeltdownprovidedtheperfectopportunitytotieintoaglobalnewscycleandconnectourworriedpublicwithessentialresourcesinthelibrariestheyhavefaithfullysupportedthroughpropertytaxleviesandbondmeasuresformorethan67years.Visibleandeffectiveoutreachduringthecrisiswasessentialtomeetingourpatrons’needs,cultivatingcontinuingsupport,andpromotingthevalueoflibrariesnationwide.

StepTwo—StrategicCommunicationPlanningToday'slibrariesarecomplexinformationcenterswithsuchextensiveresourcesthatmostpatronsaren'tfamiliarwiththefullrangeoftoolsandservicesavailabletothemorhowtofindthem.KCLSwasacutelyawareofthepainfulpersonalcomplicationsforindividualsandfamiliesfacingsuddenlayoffs,drasticlossofincome,andpossiblehomeforeclosures.Wewantedtohelp,yetrealizedtheneedtoclarifyandstaywithinourroleasinformationproviders,notserviceproviders.Wecouldnotguaranteerelief,butwecouldprovidelinkstojob‐searchtools,skill‐buildingresources,businessandfinancialinformation,andsocialserviceagencies.Weneededtorespectprivacyandensurefirst‐timeusersuccess:thenewlyjoblessdidn’twanttodiscusstheirfinancialstate,andalreadyfeltdefeated.Toreachandretainnewvisitorsandbetterservelong‐timepatrons,weneededtomakeitquickandeasytofindqualityinformation.

MeasurableObjectives:Oursuccesswouldbegaugedbymeasurableincreasesof:• Trafficinthelibrariesandonline;• Circulationofrelatedcollection

materialsandonlineresources;

• Positivemediacoverage;and• Feedbackfrompatrons,staff,and

communityleaders.

TargetAudiences:Theneedwasnearlyuniversal,andsowasourmarket.Toreachnon‐usersweneededtosaturatetheregionwithinformationtailoredtoindividuals’needs.Weidentifiedsixspecifictargetaudiences,anticipatedtheirneeds,andassessedtheirpotentialrolesinachievingourobjectives:

• Librarystaff,forsupportandcontinuityofservice;

• Regularlibrarypatrons,toensuretheywereawareofjobsupportresources;

• Non‐users,tobringthemtothelibrarysotheycoulduseourservices;

• Communityorganizations,tocombineoutreachandservicepromotions;

• Opinionleaders,toraiseawarenessofKCLS’effortsinandbeyondourarea;

• Newsmedia,toengagesupportandtellthepublichowwecouldhelp.

Find details at your library,

www.kcls.org or 425.369.3275.*Skykomish, Tukwila and Kirkland Library at ParkPlace Books will open at regular hours.

Across King County people are feeling the economic pinch: layo!s, reduced hours,

decreased bene"ts and mounting bills. To help our neighbors cope and get back on their feet, KCLS is hosting special how-to demonstrations

of the latest job-search and "nancial tools.

May 1–8, 2009: 41 KCLS libraries* will open one hour early all week, giving

you more time to explore the library’s information resources. During the !rst two hours each day that week, librarians will

demonstrate the latest tools and how to use them.

Look to your library…

Just laid off?

Discover resources to help you explore your options.

Searching for

a job?Find tips on résumés, job searching

and online employment sites.

Struggling small

business? Find available resources, tips on writing a business plan and sources for advice.

Bills piling up?

Learn what resources are available to help you cope.

Handout:ALAAnnual2010,“PublicLibraryattheHeartoftheCommunity:NewServiceModelsforaChangingEra”KingCountyLibrarySystem:LooktoYourLibrary,EspeciallyNow

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StrategiesTheirfirstlibraryexperiencehadtoproviderelevantinformationimmediately,orwe’dfailinpatron’seyes.Ratherthanremainapassivearchiveforinformationthatuserscouldfind,wewouldusethefullpoweroflibraryskillstodevelopacomprehensivejobinformationandresourcecenter,bringingtogetherlibrarymaterials,onlineresources,andcommunitygroupsprovidingessentialandcrisisservices.

TacticsCatalogsearchesthatseemsimpletostaffandregularlibrarypatronsrequirealeveloffamiliaritybeyondafirst‐timeuser'sskills.Stressedvisitors—andjournalists—hadnopatienceforatrial‐and‐errorapproach.WewouldusespecialWebpages,extraopenhours,on‐sitedemonstrationsandclasses,PR,marketing,advertising,socialandmassmediainacomprehensivestrategiccampaigntoinformallpotentialpatronsaboutouremploymentresources,jobskillstraining,smallbusinesssupport,crisisservicesresources,andinnovativewaystouselibrarymaterialsandprogramstoenhancetheirqualityoflifeinhardtimes.StrategicMesssagesOurcampaigntitleLooktoYourLibrary…EspeciallyNow,invitedthepublictoturntousforhelp.Theunwrittenmessageswouldbeprovedthroughouractions:we’rehereforyou;wemakeiteasytofindwhatyouneedtosurviveandthrive.

BudgetOurcommunicationsbudgetwas$34,500forPSAsandairtime.Wereceivedin‐kindsupportfrommediapartnersvaluedat$61,000,andtheKCLSFoundationprovided$5,000forstaffT‐shirtstohelppromotetheoutreacheffortandencouragepeopletoaskforassistance.

StepThree—ImplementationWehadtheinformation,thepublichadtheneed,andtheeconomiccrisisgaveusaremarkablyhigh‐profileplatformforanunprecedentedcrash‐courseonlibrariesandhowtousethem.Totakeadvantageofthisopportunity,theLooktoYourLibrary(LTYL)campaigncombinedthefullrangeoflibraryresources,staffskills,andstrategiccommunicationstoolsinacohesive,community‐wideoutreachtoserveourneighborsduringacrisis.Wealsoseizedtheopportunitytodemonstrateourvaluetothepublicandnewsmediabydoingwhatgoodlibrariesdo:provideessential,reliableandrelevantinformation.

CommunicationsToolkit:OurcomprehensivestrategiccommunicationscampaignusedthefullrangeoftoolswithourLooktoYourLibrarymessageandvisualbranding:internalcommunication,staffinvolvement,mediaandpublicrelations,marketingandadvertisingontheWeb,radioandTV.

PublicRelationstoolsfeaturedindividualfeatureofferstokeylocaljournalists;calendarreleasesandfeatureoutreachtocommunityweeklypapersandmediacalendarsections;generalinterestpressreleasesdistributedthroughanationalmediaservice;theKCLSonlineNewsRoom;socialmediatoolsonTwitter,FaceBook,YouTube,LinkedIn,NING,listserves,staffandorganizationblogs;andnoticestolibraryprofessionalpublications.

WealsoincorporatedthreeatypicalresourcesdevelopedthroughcollaborationbetweenCommunityRelations,PublicServices,andWebServicesstaff:

• AdedicatedWebsectiontodirectuserstospecificcrisis‐relatedresources.Tomeetusers’immediateneedsquicklyandeasily,wepresentedtheinformationincategoriestomatchtheirspecific

Handout:ALAAnnual2010,“PublicLibraryattheHeartoftheCommunity:NewServiceModelsforaChangingEra”KingCountyLibrarySystem:LooktoYourLibrary,EspeciallyNow

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circumstances.Weofferedinformation,skill‐buildingtools,andlinkstooutsideresources,organizedinfiveuser‐focusedactioncategories:

o Justlaidoff?Focusedonunemploymentbenefits

o Searchingforajob?Detailedjob‐findingresourcesandskills

o Strugglingsmallbusiness?ListedSBAresourcesandotherguides

o Billspilingup?Providedemergencyreferralinformation

o Moreresourcesbecameaguidetobroaderlibraryresourcestoenhancequalityoflifeinhardtimes:homeworkhelpforstudents,career‐buildingopportunities,cost‐cuttingtips

• Enhancedservicethroughaddedhours,specialprograms,andindividualcoaching.Throughvoluntaryscheduleshiftsweprovided246additionalhoursofoperationwith528hoursofhands‐onpublictrainingonkeyjobandbusinessresearchtools,withoutadditionalcosts.

• PartnershipswithcommunityagenciesincludedWeblinks,andon‐siterepresentativesinthelibrariesfromgroupsprovidingunemploymentbenefitinformation,emergencyassistance,temporaryinsurancecoverage,foodandshelterforfamiliesinneed.

Marketingmaterialsincludedbrandednewsletterfeatures,flyers,posters,on‐sitesignage,andstaffT‐shirts.DuringthefirstweekofMay,41librariesopenedanhourearly,andall44librariesscheduledspecialon‐sitedemonstrations,withdesignatedstaff‘greeters’toinvitepatronstoparticipate.

Advertisingincludedbrandedspotsonradio,TVandcablechannelsinEnglishandSpanish,promotingservicesinfourkeyactioncategories,with$46,000ofin‐kindsupportfromLongTelevisionandComcast.

StepFour—Evaluation

ResultsoftheLTYLcampaignmetourobjectivesandexceededexpectationsforlibraryuseandvisibility.Thoughourcampaigncoincidedpreciselywiththecollapseofnewspapers,wetargetedabroad,internationalaudienceinprintandonline.Ourpressreleaseswerewrittentoberelevantwellbeyondourservicearea,andgarneredunprecedentedcoverageonnational,international,andprofessionalmediawithinandbeyondthelibraryfield.

Comprehensivebrandingunitedandreinforcedourefforts,offeringafull‐scalelearningexperienceforall,fromlong‐timeandnewpatrons,staffandthegeneralpublic.TrackingshowedsubstantialincreasesinuseofLTYLresources,continuinguseofthededicatedWebsection,increasedcirculationofrelatedcollectionitemsandonlineresources,unprecedentedmediacoverage,andpositivefeedbackfrompatrons,staff,andcommunityleaders.

Keylocalmediaranexclusivefeatures,andwewerementionedinmanynewsstoriesabouttheeconomicmeltdown.WeleveragedmediacoveragethroughlinksonourWebsite,onlineNewsRoom,PRNewsWire,Twitter,blogs,NING,FaceBook,LinkedIn,YouTube,listserves,andprofessionaljournals.

Handout:ALAAnnual2010,“PublicLibraryattheHeartoftheCommunity:NewServiceModelsforaChangingEra”KingCountyLibrarySystem:LooktoYourLibrary,EspeciallyNow

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Wereceivedunprecedentedcoverageontelevisionnewsbyprovidingdirectassistancetoreportersdoingfeaturesoncomputerskillstrainingforjob‐seekers.

MeasurableObjectives:Results• The25LTYLWebpageswereviewedatotalof29,571timesinthefirstfivemonths,and

continuestodrawuserswithatotalof34,617visitstodate.

• TurnoverfortheitemsintheLTYLsubjectsincreased89%duringtheLTYLperiodcomparedtoallof2008.InthesecallnumberrangesKCLShas1,139titles.Bymid‐Augusttherewere1,430holdson277LTYLitems.

• MediacoveragebeyondtheKCLSserviceareaincludedWebpostingson:CBS,AOLMoney,FoxBusiness,SmartMoney,InternationalBusinessTimes,NightlyBusinessReviewXChangeBlog,MarketWatch,LaborNews,andInternationalEmploymentNews.

• Awarenessandperceptionsofvalueofwerenotformallymeasured,butextentofmediacoveragebeyondourserviceareaindicatesrecordvisibilityforKCLS.

Drawnbyunavoidablemarketsaturation,theGatesFoundationaskedustoshareourstrategicplantoserveasamodelforlibrariesstatewide.Librarysystemsacrossthecountryalsoaskedpermissiontouseouruser‐focusedactioncategoriesintheirownpromotions.

Justastheeconomiccrisisrivetedpublicattentionglobally,librariesgarneredlong‐overduemediaattentionaspeopleturnedtotheirlibrariesingrowingnumbersforhelpinhardtimes.KCLSwasabletoleverageourconnectionwiththisnewstogainunprecedentedvisibilityfortheLooktoYourLibraryproject.Wehavereceivedstrongpositivecommentsfromnotonlythosewhotookadvantageoftheresourcesoffered,butalsofromnewandregularlibrarypatrons,thegeneralpublic,mediathroughouttheservicearea,thelibraryindustry,andastrongnationalWebpresence.

TheLTYLprojectwasafinalistandwonHonorableMentionintwocategories(webpagesandmediarelationscampaign)fortheNonProfitPRAward,sponsoredbyPRNewsandGeorgeWashingtonUniversity.TheeffortalsogarneredaJohnCottonDanaLibraryPublicRelationsAwardinJanuary2010andthePublicServiceAnnouncementswonaBronzeTellyAwardin2010.