Author Archives: 658.8

OMG! We got a JCD!

Posted on May 7, 2013

Recently, I received two great phone calls within a few weeks of each other.  The first was from Chapel Hill, NC, offering me the position of director at the Chapel Hill Public Library. The second was from the John Cotton Dana … Continue reading →

Posted in Big Ideas | 1 Comment

From Tarheel to Jayhawk to Tarheel….

Posted on March 18, 2013

I am thrilled to announce that I will be the next director of the Chapel Hill Public Library in Chapel Hill, NC. Almost seven years ago, my family left Chapel Hill to come to Lawrence, KS and we are pleased … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 10 Comments

Better Book Displays

Posted on March 15, 2013

In my newest column for NoveList’s free newsletter, RA News, I update this older blog post about book displays. Hands down, this is *the* most popular article I’ve ever posted here – even beating out posts about social media and … Continue reading →

Posted in Merchandising | 2 Comments

Six Questions with Kathy Dempsey

Posted on February 19, 2013

For this edition of  the 658.8 Interview, I reached out to Kathy Dempsey, library marketing consultant and author of The Accidental Library Marketer.  I’m a longtime follower of The M Word, a blog co-written by Kathy and Nancy Dowd.  Kathy’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Marketing Masters | Leave a comment

Greetings from Seattle!

Posted on January 25, 2013

I’m in Seattle for the next few days, attending ALA Midwinter 2013.   There’s lots of good stuff for marketers on the schedule – I’ll live tweet from as many events as possible and post a roundup of the conference … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment

Social Media on the Move – Part 1

Posted on January 8, 2013

As a $19 million renovation and expansion project begins, my library – Lawrence Public Library – is in the process of moving into temporary headquarters.  We are closed for two weeks while we move our collections and offices into – … Continue reading →

Posted in Big Ideas, Social Media | Leave a comment

Six Questions with Ned Potter

Posted on December 11, 2012

For this installment of the 658.8 Interview, I went across the pond and reached out to Ned Potter.  Ned is the author of The Marketing Toolkit and he writes about library marketing at his blog of the same name.  His … Continue reading →

Posted in Marketing Masters | Leave a comment

Inform, Engage, Listen, Respond

Posted on December 7, 2012

At Lawrence Public Library, we have developed a social media presence that is engaging, responsive, locally-focused, and fun. While we post a lot of funny memes, share book-related photos (often cats are involved), and ask goofy questions, there is actually … Continue reading →

Posted in Social Media | 7 Comments

Read, Use, Join, Try, Do, Apply

Posted on December 3, 2012

Read this – This article should be required reading for librarians, especially those who doubt the need for marketing. Ned Potter, author of Library Marketing Toolkit, interviewed Terry Kendrick, strategic marketing guru and author of Developing Strategic Marketing Plans that … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Tips & Tools | Leave a comment

Six Partnerships for Public Libraries

Posted on November 23, 2012

Fred and Ginger. Batman and Robin. Starsky and Hutch. Your public library and ____________________ (insert community organization, local business, or local nonprofit here). Your library has the potential to join the list of great partnerships - all it takes is a little … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Marketing 101, Tips & Tools | Tagged | 7 Comments