Marketing, PR, and
Outreach are well-known strategies utilized by most organizations including
libraries who are trying to communicate the value of their particular product,
service, or mission to the community they serve. While each of these strategies or “tools” may
oftentimes be used in conjunction with the other and have similar end goals, the
implementation of marketing, public relations and outreach plans do in fact differ. Marketing focuses on the promotion of
particular programs, services and resources to the community, where PR broadens
this focus to communicating the library’s unique mission and goals while
simultaneously shaping their image to positively affect how the community views
the library’s role in their community. (Ohio Library Council, 2008) The library’s
value within a community may further be reinforced through outreach programs.
Copyright 2013 Dane County Library Service
Outreach refers to library programs and services which take place outside of the physical library to meet the community where they are at. There are a number of people who for whatever reason are unable to physically get to the library in order to access available resources. Whether it be children in daycare centers, the homebound elderly or disabled, incarcerated populations, or those who simply do not have access to transportation, outreach programs aim to achieve the mission of the library through bringing services and materials to any and all potential users. (Johnson, 2011)
We invite you to follow our conversation and thoughts on these ideas as our blog aims to explore these concepts and relate them to the modern day librarian.
Sarah
References
Johnson, Abby. (November
18, 2011) Reach Out through Outreach. American
Libraries. November/December 2011. Retrieved from
Ohio Library Council.
(2008) Public Relations. Retrieved
from
