Academic and research library campaign to launch during ACRL National Conference, April 2003

Contact: Deborah Davis or Mary Ellen Davis

312-280-2148/3248

For Immediate Release

November 19, 2002

Academic and research library campaign to launch during ACRL National Conference, April 2003

@ your library™, The Campaign for America's Libraries, will launch the academic and research library component of its national initiative during the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) National Conference in Charlotte, N.C., April 10-13, 2003.

Developed in collaboration with ACRL, the campaign has several key external goals. These include promoting an understanding of the value of academic and research libraries and librarians in the 21st century; promoting awareness of the unique role of academic libraries and their contributions to society; increasing visibility and support for academic and research libraries and librarians; helping librarians better market their services on-site and online; positioning academic and research librarianship as a desirable career opportunity; and fostering a greater connection with other types of libraries. The campaign also will position academic and research libraries and librarians more prominently in the American Library Association (ALA) national public awareness efforts.

The campaign will target undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, administrators and staff as primary audiences. Secondary audiences to be addressed include alumni, individual donors, institutional funders, trustees, policymakers, parents, the general community and media.

"This campaign is a terrific opportunity to generate a better understanding of the role of academic and research libraries and the contributions they make. I also hope it will foster a sense of pride among our members and the greater academic and research library community for the important work we do everyday," says ACRL President Helen Spalding, Associate Director of University Libraries at University of Kansas City-Missouri. "Academic and research librarians will gain tools through the campaign that will help give voice to their stories. The national public relations effort can have a major impact on their key constituencies."

As part of the planning process, approximately 40 academic and research librarians were invited to participate in a strategic planning and marketing retreat hosted by 3M Library Systems this fall. Participants discussed key issues concerning library marketing and publicity efforts on campus, including how to identify key users or "customers," how to develop appropriate messages, what vehicles of communication should be used to promote academic and research libraries, and how to prepare long-term marketing plans. 3M is a founding partner of The Campaign for America's Libraries.

Attendees also had the opportunity to critique a marketing manual developed by 3M that will be used during a full-day preconference on Thursday, April 10, during ACRL's National Conference. The preconference is entitled "Strategic Marketing for Academic and Research Libraries: Train the Trainer." Academic and research librarians interested in attending that preconference can register on the ACRL Web site at
http://www.ala.org/acrl/charlotte/registration/registration.html. Attendance is on a first-come, first-served basis.

"One of our goals with this campaign is to provide academic and research libraries with the tools and resources they need to promote their programs, services and staff both on and off campus," says Ken Marks, chair of the ACRL @ your library taskforce and Dean of Libraries at University of Nevada-Las Vegas. "This preconference is specifically designed to help academic and research librarians train their colleagues in how to develop effective marketing plans for their library."

During the ACRL National Conference, new Web pages dedicated to the academic and research library campaign also will be unveiled. That site will be part of The Campaign for America's Libraries Web site at
www.ala.org/@yourlibrary. The site will include a free downloadable version of the 3M Marketing Manual, as well as a new toolkit of materials, including programming and publicity ideas, artwork, customizable ads, sample press materials, librarian profiles, case studies of successful academic marketing efforts, tips on story collection, how to conduct media relations and more.

In addition, there will be a half-day workshop in June during the ALA Annual Conference in Toronto called "Survival in Academe: Marketing @ your library," which will be open to all academic and research librarians. That session will include an overview of the academic and research library campaign, how academic and research librarians can become advocates and what tools and resources are available through ALA and ACRL to help promote academic and research libraries and librarians on their campuses.

Participants in the 3M retreat included: Camila A. Alire, Dean of Library Services, University of New Mexico; Susan M. Allen, Chief Librarian, Getty Research Institute; Brad Baker, University Librarian, Northeastern Illinois University; Susan Gilbert Beck, Consultant, Emanda, Inc.; John W. Berry, Executive Director, NIRLC; Theresa Byrd, Director of Libraries, Ohio Wesleyan University; Alice Calabrese, Executive Director, Chicago Library System; Tyrone Cannon, Dean, University of San Francisco; Constantia Constantinou, Library Director; State University of New York - Maritime College; Deborah Dancik, Library Director, University of Alberta; Paul E. Dumont, Director, Educational Resources, Dallas County Community College; Kristine Hammerstrand, Director, Illinois Library Computer Systems Office; Willie Hardin, Academic Dean, University of Central Arkansas; Lee Hisle, Vice President - Information Services, Connecticut College; Patricia Kreitz, Director, Technical Information, Stanford University; Catherine Lee, Library Director, Wesleyan College; Richard Leiter, Library Director, Professor of Law, University of Nebraska; Susan Maltese, Department Chair of Library Services, Oakton Community College; Leslie Manning, Dean, University of Colorado; Ken Marks, Dean of Libraries, University of Nevada -Las Vegas; William Miller, Director of Libraries, Florida Atlantic University; Aubrey Mitchell, Associate Dean for Public Service, University of Tennessee Libraries; James Mullins, Associate Director, MIT Libraries; Emma Bradford Perry, Dean of Libraries, Southern University and A&M Colleges; Lance Query, Dean, Tulane University; Luis Rodriguez, Associate Dean of Library Services, Montclair State University; Elizabeth Salzer, University Librarian, Santa Clara University; Tom Sanville, Executive Director, OHIOLink; Louise Sherby, Associate Dean and Chief Librarian, Hunter College; Linda Slusar, Reference Librarian, College of DuPage; Helen Spalding, Associate Director, University Libraries, University of Missouri-Kansas City; Sue Stroyan, University Librarian, Illinois Wesleyan University; David Voros, Dean of Learning Resource Center, Lehigh Carbon Community College; Karen Williams, Team Leader for Digital Library Initiatives and Special Collections, University of Arizona; and Betsy Wilson, Dean of University Libraries, University of Washington.

ACRL is the only individual membership organization in North America that develops programs, products and services to meet the unique needs of academic librarians. ACRL's 11,000 members are comprised of individuals from a wide range of academic institutions, publishers and vendors who sell in the academic marketplace. ACRL enhances the effectiveness of academic and research librarians to advance learning, teaching and research in higher education. More information about ACRL's programs and services can be located on the Web at
www.ala.org/acrl.html. ACRL is a division of the ALA.

For more information on The Campaign for America's Libraries, please see
www.ala.org/@yourlibrary.