The Responsive Public Library: How to Develop and Market a Winning Collection, Second Edition

Contents......Page 6
List of Figures and Tables......Page 14
Preface......Page 16
Acknowledgments......Page 18
1 Overture......Page 20
Marketing: A Brief Rationale......Page 22
Overcoming Potential Barriers to Marketing......Page 23
The Benefits of Marketing......Page 24
Conclusion......Page 26
References......Page 27
Frequency of Use: Core Markets, Fringe Markets, and Hard-Core Nonusers......Page 30
Characteristics of Library Users......Page 31
A General Desire to Explore the World around Them......Page 32
A Desire to Explore the World Via Books and Other Media......Page 33
Motivation and Incentives to use the Library......Page 34
It's the Match That Counts......Page 39
Embrace Serenity......Page 40
Key Into the Community......Page 43
Notes......Page 44
References......Page 45
3 Creating Your Master Plan......Page 52
Setting the Stage: Participants, Resources, and Deadlines......Page 58
External Environmental Forces......Page 62
Internal Environmental Forces......Page 64
Focus: Service Responses and Mission Statement......Page 67
The Composition Itself: Identification of Goals, Objectives, and Strategies......Page 68
Market Segmentation......Page 69
The Marketing Mix: A Four-Part Harmony......Page 71
Conclusion......Page 75
References......Page 76
4 Collection Choices......Page 80
What Elements Influence User Selections?......Page 81
Subject......Page 82
Genre......Page 85
Format......Page 87
Quality or Excellence......Page 88
Style and Appeal......Page 90
Reading, Listening, and Other Levels of Sophistication......Page 92
Language......Page 93
Packaging......Page 94
Awareness of the Author and/or Title......Page 95
Other Factors......Page 97
Identifying Products Not Used by Patrons......Page 98
How Does the Life Cycle of a Particular Product Affect the Level of Demand for It?......Page 99
Notes......Page 101
References......Page 102
5 Cost of Collections and Use......Page 110
Maximizing Use......Page 111
Setting Prices......Page 112
Price Increases and Reductions......Page 114
Fees and Fines......Page 115
Obtaining a Borrower's Card......Page 122
Locating and Gathering Desired Items......Page 123
Standing in Line to Check Out Items......Page 125
Returning Borrowed Items to the Library......Page 126
Filing Reserve Requests......Page 127
Filing Interlibrary Loan Requests......Page 129
Psychological Costs......Page 131
Notes......Page 132
References......Page 133
6 Creating Access......Page 140
Main Libraries......Page 141
Full-Service Branch Libraries......Page 142
Mini-Branches......Page 146
Bookmobiles......Page 148
Deposit Collections......Page 151
Personal Delivery Services......Page 153
Materials-by-Mail Services......Page 154
The Problem of Two-Way Distribution Channels......Page 155
Are Librarians Making Effective Choices About Their Collection Distribution Options?......Page 156
How Will the Library Distribute Items Among Its Outlets?......Page 157
How Will Staff Distribute Items Among Collections in a Single Facility?......Page 158
Do Patrons Have Special Needs That an Integrated Collection Might Hinder?......Page 159
Will Patrons Need Special Help Using a Collection Due to the Complexity of Accessing Information in It?......Page 160
Do Librarians Need Ready Access to a Subset of the Collection So They Can Help Patrons?......Page 161
Final Comments on Integration......Page 162
How Can the Interior Be Designed for Maximum Distribution Effectiveness?......Page 163
To What Extent Does Placement of Collections Influence Their Use?......Page 164
How Might the Library's Collections Be Arranged to Minimize Patron Costs of Locating Items?......Page 165
Notes......Page 169
References......Page 170
7 Creating Recognition of Collection-Use Benefits......Page 180
Communication Model......Page 181
How Consumers Process Promotional Information......Page 182
Determining Whom to Woo......Page 184
Promoting a Specific Product Line......Page 185
Promoting a Collection-Related Event......Page 186
Promoting a Change in the Cost of Using the Collection......Page 187
When Can Promotion Occur?......Page 188
Getting to Know You: Relationship Marketing......Page 190
Getting to Know All About You: Relational Databases......Page 193
Buyer Readiness Stages......Page 195
What Message(s) Will the Library Try to Convey to the Target Market?......Page 197
What Factors Influence the Optimum Frequency of Promotion?......Page 198
Promotional Medium Selection......Page 199
Budgeting......Page 205
How Will the Library Evaluate the Results of Its Promotional Efforts?......Page 206
Conclusion......Page 207
Notes......Page 208
References......Page 209
8 Collection Evaluation: A Product Analysis Approach......Page 216
Assumptions and Limitations of This Approach......Page 217
Identifying Heavily Used Currently Owned Items......Page 218
Regularly Examining Circulation Records of Individual Works......Page 219
Examining Circulation Totals by Class......Page 223
Screening Items in the Circulating Collection......Page 229
Screening Items in the Non-Circulating Collection......Page 230
Identifying Items Not in the Collection But Likely to Receive Use......Page 233
Soliciting Patron Suggestions for New Purchases......Page 234
Soliciting Recommendations from Community Interest Groups and Experts......Page 237
Surveying Patrons and Potential Patrons Using Questionnaires or Focus Group Interviews......Page 241
Identifying Other Barriers That Inhibit Use of the Collection......Page 247
Issues Involved in Planning Availability Studies......Page 248
Analyzing Availability Data......Page 249
Conclusion......Page 261
References......Page 262
9 Marketing-Based Selection Policies and Practices......Page 266
Writing a Detailed, Synthesized Collection Development Policy......Page 267
Monitoring and Stretching the Materials Budget to Further Library Goals......Page 269
Does Information Collected During the Product Analysis Stage Suggest a Need to Change Budget Allocations?......Page 270
How Will the Library's Duplication Policy Influence How Much Money Will Be Spent Within a Particular Budget Category?......Page 271
In What Ways Can the Library Increase the Pool to Be Divided?......Page 276
Establishing a Centralized Selection Unit to Do Formula-Based Purchasing......Page 279
Thoughtfully Assigning Selection Responsibilities and Creating a Thorough Continuing Education Program for All Selectors......Page 282
Marketing-Based Selection Principle 1......Page 285
Marketing-Based Selection Principle 3......Page 286
Notes......Page 287
References......Page 288
What Internal Promotional Practices Correlate with High Use or User Awareness of the Collection?......Page 294
Display Shelving......Page 296
Displays......Page 297
Book, CD, Video, and (Fill-in-the-Blank) Lists......Page 299
Fiction Categorization......Page 301
Reader (or Viewer or Listener) Interest Categorization......Page 305
Personalized Readers' Advisory and Reference Services......Page 311
Programming......Page 316
What External Promotional Practices Correlate with High Use or User Awareness of the Collection?......Page 318
External Programming......Page 319
Partnerships......Page 320
History of Outreach......Page 322
Booktalks (and Talks Promoting Other Types of Materials)......Page 323
Further Research on External Promotion......Page 324
Conclusion......Page 326
References......Page 327
11 Making Marketing Resonate Throughout the Library......Page 340
Choosing Concepts to Emphasize: From Scales to Bach......Page 342
What Medley of Techniques Will We Use?......Page 344
Obtaining the Proper Instruments......Page 345
Critique......Page 346
Practice Makes Perfect—Or At Least Darn Good......Page 347
Advanced Technical Training......Page 348
Setting the Tempo at Regular Meetings of the Library Staff and Board of Trustees......Page 349
Coaching and Recognition......Page 350
Paying Attention to Mood and Tempo......Page 352
Notes......Page 353
References......Page 354
Libraries in the United States, Subdivided by Size of Service Population, Then Region......Page 360
Libraries Outside of the United States, Subdivided by Country......Page 365
A......Page 366
C......Page 367
E......Page 370
F......Page 371
I......Page 372
M......Page 373
N......Page 375
P......Page 376
Q......Page 378
S......Page 379
T......Page 381
W......Page 382
Y......Page 383