Public Relations Advisory Committee Meeting Minutes 

November 8, 2006, 10:00 am - 1:00 pm

Offices of Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, Boston

Committee Members

Present: John Arnold, Melissa Campbell, Liz Doucett, Susan Flannery, David Gray, Em Claire Knowles, Kathy Lowe, Rob Maier, Pat McLeod, Alex Merceron, Greg Pronevitz, Emily Salaun, Frank Sestokas, Stephanie St. Laurence.
Absent: Janet Eckert, Elizabeth Fox, Charlotte Rabbit, Laurie Risler
Others Present: Facilitators: Liz Isherwood and Pam Cleveland
Marketing Consultant: Zamawa Arenas

Dates for the next Advisory Committee meetings:

November 30, 2006, 10 am - 1 pm, Sargent Memorial Library, 427 Massachusetts Ave., Boxborough
January 25, 2007, 10 am - 3 pm, location to-be-determined
January 26, 2007 - Snow Date

Proceedings

Meeting called to order at 10: 00 am

David Gray, MBLC Director of Communications & Public Information:

Highlights from Massachusetts demographic information:

  • Massachusetts has a relatively stable population

  • Highly educated

  • 45 years and older; and parents with kids under 18 are largest demographic groups

  • Many non-users of libraries will remain non-users (27% of population never use libraries)

Other research highlights:

  • Gen Y (20-somethings) have not fully separated from parents

  • Gen Y group favors collaboration as well as customization

  • Libraries not top of mind for research resources

Committee members considered the following facts pertinent:

  • People think of libraries as books

  • As a research source, libraries are not top of mind for most people

  • Young people do not think of libraries as a good "lifestyle fit" for them

  • Kids (teens) tend to overestimate their skills at evaluating the value of information they find by researching the internet

  • People aren't aware of the existence of technology at libraries

  • e-library concept presents the greatest opportunity for growth

  • Hours of operation are inconvenient

  • People like libraries

  • Libraries should be judged by the services offered

  • Non-English speaking markets must "stay on the table" in marketing efforts

  • Quality vs. Convenience - If libraries can match online search engines for convenience, the quality of results will persuade non-users to try library resources

  • Library marketing must move beyond "bricks and mortar"

  • Find ways to "bundle" library services

  • 24/7 Virtual library is necessary to reach markets

Liz Isherwood, Principal, Moore & Isherwood, Inc., summarized target audiences & marketing plan objective as determined Oct. 18.

College-educated 20-somethings

Aging Baby Boomers

Parents

Marketing Plan Objective

Create a three-year marketing campaign that:

  • Increases library usage in Massachusetts

  • Promotes technological resources of Massachusetts libraries

  • Introduces a fresh image of the dynamic fabric of Massachusetts libraries

  • Creates excitement among target audiences

  • Builds demand and a sense of value for Massachusetts libraries

Committee members agreed that "Parents" must be further defined as a target audience.

The majority voted to break the "Parents" into two groups:

  • Parents of Grade School Children

  • Parents of Preschool Children

"College-educated 20-somethings" remains a target audience. The majority voted to eliminate Aging Baby Boomers as a target market.

Breakout Sessions

Committee members broke into three working groups to develop marketing message points for each target audience.

Results reported as follows:

Parents - Preschool Children

  • Welcoming community - a welcoming environment/place to meet

  • Fun and good for kids

  • Best start - early readers make better students

  • Free stacks & stacks of developmental materials (i.e. puppets, books, videos, etc.)

  • Cozy feeling of reading on laps

  • Cherish the age of your child

  • Progression of programs through the ages of your child

  • Give the gift of the library

Parents of Grade School Children

  • The library is a portal to resources/reliable information/research

  • Massanswers.org

  • Reliable access to information

  • First resource for research/writing fundamentals

  • 24/7 access

  • Connecting parents to resources

  • Librarians as teachers

  • Homework help for both parents & students

  • Credible - more credible than Google

  • More than a space - a collective wealth of information from a huge array of sources

  • The library is wired - multi-media resource of information, not just books

  • The library is free - no profit motivated agenda.

  • Not selling something.

  • We have no subliminal agenda

  • Parent and child have a voice in making the library "theirs"

  • Library world is today's information - current, up-to-date virtual presence

  • Library is your guide - your connection to success

College-educated 20-Somethings

  • Convenience - 24/7

  • Accessible content

  • Speedy/quick

  • Current technology

  • Virtual community - a self-directed virtual community

  • See SEMLS Web site myowncafe.org

  • Library web sites must be easy to understand, i.e. no library/vendor speak

Goals of the November 30th meeting

  • Determine the priority of the audiences over the three-year timeframe of the Marketing Plan

  • Deliverability of the messages developed for the Marketing Plan

  • Tools for evaluation of the effectiveness of the Marketing Plan

  • Review outline of the Marketing Plan

 

 

 

 
 
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