Tips for Getting Public Service Announcements Aired

The Banned Books Week public service announcements (PSAs) are great vehicles for reminding the community about the importance of celebrating the freedom to read. You and your library can play an important role in ensuring that stations choose to air these PSAs. Here’s how:

• Contact the Public Affairs/Community Relations Manager/Public Service Director at your local radio stations. Identify yourself as a representative from the local library community.  Inform the director of these PSAs.
• Libraries are encouraged to upload these PSAs to their Web sites or link to the Banned Books Week Public Service Announcements.
• Talk with colleagues—including trustees, members of your Friends group and business leaders—from your local community to see whether anyone has any relationships with management officials at your local radio stations. If so, ask that person to place a call to the station on behalf of the local library community to encourage the airing of the PSAs about Banned Books Week.
• Please follow-up with a note thanking your contact for his or her support of your library. Extend an invitation to tour your library. Offer information on your upcoming BBW events and other special programs and services.
• Include the radio station on your library’s mailing list to ensure producers have the latest newsletter updates on what is happening @ your library.