Selling Your Library – Who’s Your Partner?

What does having a partner have to do with marketing your library?  A lot.  The more partnerships you involve yourself with, the more you become known in your community.  Partners can also provide resources that you would not be able to have on your own.  Partners can even do your promotion for you, depending on who your partner is.

What defines a partnership?  It’s two parties working together with a common goal by combining resources.  A partnership should work two ways.  If you are providing service, information or space, what is your partner providing you in return?  It may be as simple as you providing space for a community group to meet, which in turn leads to the members of the group setting foot in the library, maybe for the first time.

A good example of a great partnership is the one established to bring about the video conferencing unit at the Bon Accord Public Library.  Library manager, Gayle Boyd, and the library board, chaired by Dyvonna Inkster worked with Sturgeon Adult Learning Council Coordinator, Susan Evans and ICAN to implement the unit and get it up and running.  They celebrated the Grand Opening of the unit on March 1^st.   See the ICAN Backgrounder paper attached for more information.

So how does one go about getting partners?  The sad truth is that they will rarely come to you, or just fall in your lap.  You need to think of who could help you and who you could help in return.  Community needs that the library is suited to meet, but are met by another group is a good place to start forming partnerships.    Take a look at what those community groups are involved in.  Rather than asking for help, time or money, try to find ways the library can assist them, in terms of space, information and resources.  Find out if some groups are interested in the same things you are.  For example, a local business group may be interested in having videoconferencing but may not have the space, while your library may have the space but not the funds for such an endeavor.

Why would these groups want to partner with you?  Well, in addition to having the privilege of basking in your presence, there are several other benefits.  For some, it builds their public image to be seen giving to community agencies, like the library.  Others may feel a sincere desire to promote literacy, while still others can recognize the financial benefits they can get out of the partnership.  By allowing them to use your meeting room, their costs are reduced.  By providing them with reference service, internet, and resources, you may also be reducing their costs.

Think of how libraries within a system benefit from the resources of others.  Your costs are reduced,  your patrons have greater access to materials and you have access to colleagues whom you can call upon for advice.  It’s a win-win situation.  Scratch someone’s back and they’ll scratch yours.  Partner up and reap the benefits.

Here’s something that APLEN is looking into:  Nevada Cards (http://www.nlearnseries.com/).  Take a look and tell me what you think.  If enough libraries are interested, the cost per unit goes down (benefits of partnership!).  Pros are that they are great for your patrons who are a little unsure of their computer skills and they are a great promotional tool for your resources.  Cons are that they tend to walk away (which can be expensive).