Help With Stock Photography

The below item is edited from information by Kathy Dempsey distributed through the American Library Association's PR Talk email list:

Many of you need stock photos for your brochures, websites, posters, etc. I recently did a little research and created a list of various sites that provide stock images. You can find it on the Resources section of my website.

Some of the sites offer free photos, but many require subscriptions. Still, those organizations let you choose from various levels of subscriptions, from just a few photos a year to thousands. My list includes a few details about each site to help you choose which ones to click on. Also included is a link to one other blog post about stock sites and one extensive article of 25 sites.

Kathy Dempsey is the editor of Marketing Library Services and author of The Accidental Library Marketer.

LACONI Program on Using Social Media for Marketing

Colleagues from DLS and other library systems learned a wealth of new information at the October 16 LACONI (Library Administrators Conference of Northern Illinois) program Using Social Media to Market Your Library at the Orland Park Public Library. 

Attendees heard social media expert Jeff Willinger, Director of Business Development and Marketing at RightPoint Consulting and Rachel Lindberg Miller, Communications Specialist at the Rotary Foundation.

Willinger encouraged library staff to set up Google Alerts to advise them when their library is mentioned in newspapers or blogs. He also stressed that it takes time to get results and followers; as libraries continue to experiment with social media, the results aren't always immediately evident. It also takes time to establish and maintain an online presence. Willinger stressed that librarians are "building community" and also discussed what he called "management pushback" regarding the use of social networking at corporations.
 
Willinger shared numerous videos and examples with the audience and included a demonstration of his favorite online services including Twhirl, Tweetdeck, SeesmicDesktop, Retweetist, and Twitalyzer.

A Day in the Life: Roselle Public Library District

Roselle Public Library District was one of the participating libraries in the DLS Snapshot: One Day in the Life of Your Public Library project. Public libraries were asked to relate statistics to DLS about the day's numbers and activities. Not only did the library compile the requested statistics, but library staff documented the day with photos and posted them to their Flickr photostream and Ning page. 

Staff at the library documented how the library serves all age groups, and included some behind the scenes photos. The library sent a message to its Ning users that explained the project and provided a link to the photos: 

"Did you drop by the Library last Wednesday? We were documenting 'A Day in the Life of Roselle Public Library' to demonstrate the value of libraries to their communities. We received many, many wonderful and helpful comments from visitors and we snapped photos all day. The photos have been uploaded to the Network. Enjoy!"

The Day in the Life project was featured at Monday's DLS Legislative Breakfast.

DLS Members Participate in "Snapshot: Day in the Life of Your Public Library"

At Monday's DLS Legislative Breakfast, DLS members, legislators, and their aides spoke about libraries and legislative issues, including the need for increased funding for libraries and library systems. An overview of the event, 7th Annual Legislative Breakfast: Stressing Funding for Libraries was written for the DLS Here & Now blog.

DLS and the Library Advocacy Committee debuted the testimonials and statistics gathered from a special project entitled: Snapshot: One Day in the Life of a Public Library. On October 21, 2009, DLS public libraries were asked to capture the impact that they have on their communities in a typical day. Librarians compiled five statistics by tracking visits, Internet use, reference questions, participation by children, and circulation figures. Those statistics were compiled and presented to legislators, aides, and the attendees of the breakfast.  

Denise Zielinski, DLS Director of Informational Services, presented the statistics and testimonials with a "sports fan" theme in this handout entitled Sporting News Extra. In addition to the handout, a PowerPoint presentation was developed to share the heartfelt testimonials that library patrons ("fans") had to say about the value of their libraries, the services they need and utilize, and how grateful they are for their public library. These testimonials were conveyed to the breakfast's audience in this slide presentation (see below).

"I saw a write-up on this idea in American Libraries Direct, the weekly email distributed by American Libraries," Zielinski said after the breakfast. "My first thought was how great it was and my second was that we have to do this here! I presented the idea to the public library administrators and they immediately saw the value. By the next day, I had developed the forms for capturing the information and sent out an email to all of the public library administrators. Nineteen of the libraries were able to participate with their own statistics and comments from the day. For the other nine, I used their annual report information and pared it down to one day statistics."

"This project exceeded my expectations!" Zielinski continued. "I want to do this again, only with all of the system members. Hopefully we'll be able to do that and compile the information in time for Illinois Library Day next spring."

Zielinski and the Library Advocacy Committee thank the libraries and patrons for their participation in this project and hope that the information and testimonials gleaned from the Day in the Life project can be used by the participating libraries as information for their boards, staff, library newsletters, and for other projects that demonstrate the value of libraries.

"Initiating a Day in the Life study can also be of value to special, academic, and school libraries," said Renee Anderson, DLS Marketing Specialist. "Some of our special libraries have had great success in featuring testimonials on the library's home page, selecting a library 'patron of the month,' and utilizing the information they receive from the surveys to gauge the opinions of their patrons and to stress the value of their libraries."  

For more information on initiating a Day in the Life project, contact Denise Zielinski.

Watch the PowerPoint slide show from the Legislative Breakfast:

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Share Your Teen Read Week Photos

Don't miss this opportunity to share a special photo from Teen Read Week!

American Libraries is seeking quality photos from your most exciting Teen Read Week events. Please send shots, at 300 dpi, at least 3 to 5 inches, as jpgs or tifs, to AmericanLibrariesProduction@ala.org, by November 2, 2009. Please identify everyone in the photo and include background information.
 
Contact Pamela A. Goodes, Associate Editor, American Libraries Magazine at pgoodes@ala.org or 312/280-4218.

Market Your Events With Online Calendars

By Julie Blackwell, Assistant Director, Carol Stream Public Library

Are you publicizing your library events using any external online calendars? Here's a quick run-down on some websites that will let you post library events for free:

Alternatives for Seniors - Look in the middle of the page for a blue button that says "submit an event."

Chicago Parent - Look in the upper right corner of the page for a link that says "submit events."

LibraryThing - Create a free account and post your book clubs and literary events here.

My Suburban Life - Scroll down the page and there is a community calendar on the left hand side. Look for a link below the calendar that says "add event." You will have to register for a free account to submit events.

Oaklee's Guide - Scroll to the bottom of the page. Look for a blue box in the middle that says "post your event here." You will have to register for a free account to submit events.

Triblocal - Find your town and register for a free account to submit events, news, and photos. If your town is not listed, pick one that is close to you.

When.com - Event postings are included when someone does a Mapquest search for a location and chooses "see local events, movies, news and more" from a mapped location. Register for a free account first.

What external online calendars are you using? Let us know!

The above is for informational purposes only and does not constitute endorsement.

Email and Electronic Marketing Services Vendor Demo

Date: Thursday, November 5, 2009
Time: 9 a.m. to 12 noon
Location: MLS (Metropolitan Library System) Burr Ridge office.

Is your library interested in email and electronic marketing services? Attend this free demo and meet the following vendors to hear about their service (more vendors to join shortly):

• BookLetters
• DearReader

The event will run from 9 a.m. to 12 noon, with 30 minute presentations by each of the vendors rotating in the MLS meeting rooms. There are two ways to attend this event:

1. You can attend from the start to the end and simply move from room to room.
2. Pick a time slot and a room when you arrive, and hear just the vendor you want to visit.

Schedule:
Registration: 9:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m.
Session 1: 9:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
Session 2: 10:15 a.m. to 10:45 a.m.
Session 3: 11:00 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Questions and visit with vendors again: 11:30 a.m. to 12:00 noon.

Register and get more information at the Library Learning website.

Register for Marketing Roundtable

The next Marketing Roundtable meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, October 21, 2009 at the Sugar Grove Public Library District. (125 South Municipal Drive, Sugar Grove, IL 60554-6903 Phone: 630/466-4686) 9:00 a.m. coffee and social time. Meeting officially begins at 9:30 a.m.

Our special guest will be Jill Rodriguez, Director of the Bensenville Community Public Library District. She will share tips for obtaining grants and finding non-traditional sources of funds in tough economic times.

At the conclusion of the meeting, we will receive a guided tour of the new library.

Sign up on the L2 Library Learning calendar at: https://www.librarylearning.info/events/?eventID=8021.

There is Still Time to Sign Up for "Using Social Media to Market Your Library"

Date: Friday, October 16
Location: Orland Park Public Library, 14921 South Ravinia Avenue, Orland Park, IL 60462
Phone: 708/428-5100
See the LACONI-OPP program flier for more information.

DLS Promotes Libraries

DuPage Library System communicated valuable information about libraries at the September Make it Happen DuPage Women's Fair at Yorktown Shopping Center. Presented by the American Cancer Society and State Reps. Patricia Bellock and Sandy Pihos in September, DLS staffed a booth featuring a Power Point slide show, Libraries are UP in a DOWN Economy. The booth focused on how libraries are assisting people in an economic downturn. 

DLS thanks Helen M. Plum Memorial Library's Linda Schehl for help in staffing the booth and for providing printed resources on finding a job, medical information, and other community service information. With her warm enthusiasm, she also shared information about upcoming  programs at the Lombard library. 

Schehl also convinced a Wheaton resident to visit his library. He had never been to his home town library and Schehl promoted it as “one of the most beautiful libraries in the area.”