MASL President Nancy Grant opened the meeting with a welcome and introduction of all participants.  MLA President Jay Scherma recorded the brainstorming session on wall charts.  The purpose of the meeting was to discuss what public relations focus will work for all Maine Libraries (academic, public, school, special)

Present:  Nancy Grant, Jay Scherma, Anne Davis, John Clark, Sandy Broomfield, Melissa Orth, Kevin Davis, Carolyn Hughes, Rich Boulet, Peggi Loveless, Pam Goucher, Sylvia Norton, Steve Norman, Melora Ranney, Lyn Smith, Debbie Lozito, Betsy Paradis, Donna Chale, Edna Comstock, Teri Caouette, Suzan Nelson, Margaret McNamee. 

1.       What are Maine Libraries doing now in PR?

ALA Campaign for America"s Libraries: "Your Library

Materials available from
SMLD, CMLD, and NMLD consultants’ grant

Newsletters

               Enclose donation envelops

Word of mouth

Children's programming

Submit articles and photographs.

EBSCO instructional handouts

Urge legislative support.

Advertise content beyond books.

               Instruct patrons in use of technology.

Court local reporters to establish relationships

               Send constant news releases.

              Offer free library cards.

               Educate about libraries.

               E-mail articles in their format for cutting and pasting.

Write a regular column for local papers.

               Run "Meat and potatoes" articles: new books, programming, used bookstore.

               Cover legislative lobbying and issues.

Testify at legislative hearings.

Partnerships

               Coordinate with your counterparts – academic, public, school, special -- with businesses, other non-profit organizations.

Special services

               Offer something different like AV editing.

Video promotions/ads

               Work with local TV/Radio stations.

               Video tape reading for both seniors and children.

               Use bottom of screen message scrolls.

Internet Community Bulletin Boards and Chat Boards

Library Webpages

Have display tables/booths at

Portland Flower Show

Maine Educators Conference

Hospital Health Fairs

Common Ground Fair

Maine Journalism Award

School Boards

               Attend meetings regularly - make your presence visible.

               Have one-on-one conversations.

               Offer meeting space.

               Do educational workshops - example EBSCO training.

Town meetings

               Offer meeting space/facilitation of candidates nights.

Elections

               Take voter surveys.

               Have displays at the polls.

Liaison to Maine Department of Education

Say "YES!" to every request from the Press (No fear allowed!).

               Be prepared to respond before they ask. 

Prepare answers.

               Try to change the nature of questions and attitudes in positive ways.

Remember that although the current issue may be important, the relationship between the library and the reporter may be even more important in the long term.

Church and community events

               Reach out to community members, identify yourself as a librarian.

               Network

Parent Teacher Conferences

               Offer food.

               Arrange music (school or community orchestra) or events to invite visitors.

Local Business Associations

               Offer meeting space.

House Calls

               Offer computer support to elderly. (Be safe.)

2.       What works best?

EBSCO

*Divergent Conversation: Difference between PR and Continuing Education*

State Library Road Show

MASL and MLA support-visits to small libraries

               Mentor/Nurture small libraries

               Show resources in non-threatening ways

               Offer piggyback rides on larger PR events

Statewide news releases

               Use ALA or other model public service announcements.

Local news releases

               Contact Time Warner or other local providers to do PSAs for local non-profits

               Create intriguing ideas to interest cable/TV/radio partners.

               Involve college interns.

               Solicit local celebrities.

Community partnerships – example MBNA and island libraries

               Spread news of this example to encourage new players.

Summer reading programs

               Highlight business support in flyers.

3.  How can we improve/add/change what we are doing in PR?

First Priority: What is our message? What do we have in common?

Structure of Associations, Districts, State Library

               How can we work together better?

Dovetail action plan with ALA " your library"

Services

               Examine traditional and unusual services/programming.

               Keep a log of questions asked, problems solved.

Slogans

               Brainstorm examples:

               "love my library"

                              "questions asked, problems solved"

Grant support

               Lobby Bill and Melinda Gates for continued support.

               Seek other Foundation grants.

Be aware of 501C3 tax exempt status restrictions.

               Write grants by pitching to the grantor’s goals.

*Lengthy Debate*

Clarify focus:      Libraries v. Librarians

Place v. function

Libraries remain; People in the positions change.

                              Sense of place establishes a home base.

                              Symbolic connection to place is hollow w/o the activities within

                              Marry the person and the place.

Librarians

Improve image of Librarians

 Promote ourselves to gain respect? To up salaries?              

               Consider differences among MLS v Non-MLS,

Reading rooms v. "full service libraries."

                              Resist alienation within the profession.

                              Do in-house PR: Value all staff.

Change stereotypes

                              Create a Librarian Calendar (like the

Firefighters' and Lobstermen and Lobsterwomen Calendars).

               Libraries

                              Emphasize resources and services.

                              Provide equitable access, level the playing field.

                              Instruct, help patrons.

Educate patrons on range of services: to expect more, how to get more.

                              Find out what does the patron want?

               Mission statements

                              What do we do?

                                             Counteract the new theme song: laptops replace libraries and librarians.

3.       What is the purpose of the MLA/MASL joint meeting ? 

Brainstorm a focus and/or slogan?

Pass on our discussion points to District Consultants?

Prepare for/Volunteer for small group meetings with District Consultants?

District Consultants will have a committee with liaisons to MASL and MLA .

They will also hire a PR consultant.

Thoughts:

               We can not separate librarians from libraries.

               The instructional component is important.

               We need to promote even those services that patrons take for granted.

               Our focus can not be just a shopping list of services.

Circulation is the nuts and bolts of public libraries, especially circulation of recreational reading materials.

The important connection is between public need and library material and services.

               It's not what you have, but what you can connect to.

               The best kept secrets are MASL, MLA, and libraries.

Public libraries and school libraries have different publics.

Focus words:

               Access

               Equitable access

               Partnership

               Socialization

               Recreation

               More

               Knowledge, fun, power

               Circulation

               Connection

               Electronic connection

Slogans

               "Questions asked, problems solved"

               "We can get it for you!"

               "Life-long learning @ your library"

               "Service @ your library"

               "Exercise your mind @ your library"

               "The gym for your mind"

               "People helping people @ your library"

               "Escape @ your library"

               "Making connections @ your library"

               "Get it free (or cheap) @ your library"

               "Better than cheap: it's free @ your library"

               "You need it; we've got it @ your library"

               "When you need it, we'll get it @ your library"

               "The best value for your money @ your library"

              

4.       What kind of actions do we want to see? 

MLA/MASL making connections with District Consultants and District Board members.

MASL/MLA designate one person who will be liaisons.

Send MLA/MASL representatives to contact libraries in the field.

Consult with District Consultants to avoid duplication of efforts.

Create a phone chain.

Establish a mentoring program.

Network.  Make one-on-one connections.

Ask for input from Spring Conference attendees informally, in workshops, in conversations.

Solicit memberships about their PR needs.

Create an up-to-date database of media contacts.

Check to see if MMA already has a database, even if it is old.

Identify target audience for PR.

Consider an Uncle Henry's PR campaign.

For PR action, use the model of grassroots MSLN lobbying.  It worked.

Use the Listserv and library webpages.

Find out what the grant specifications say.

Identify the threats to libraries.  The "power public" superintendents, school boards, selectmen, town councils, budget boards.

Reeducate our enemies.

Advocate for our counterparts.  (PLs for school libraries and vice versa).

Wrap up:  Each person was asked to make a commitment to do one thing personally in the next six months towards improving PR to libraries in this state.  Writing down and voicing our commitments increases the power of the commitment.

Samples:

               Contact local newspaper.

               State Library develop PR tools to share – how to write a press release.

               Develop a file of what worked in other libraries to address budget cuts.

               Look for online news listings.

               Write news columns for free newspapers.

               Have a school library open house for staff and community.

Try to get a freelance reporter to do a story for Down East about the changing face of our profession statewide.

Utilize public display space.

Highlight faculty authors.

Promote community use of university library.

Closing:  Each person was asked to sum up feelings from the meeting:

Samples:

More - Energy - Power - Confused - Hopeful - Action - New - Unclear - Happy - Done - Start - Cacaphonic

Respectfully submitted,

Margaret McNamee

MASL Secretary