CLC members, you and your libraries are the focus of our work. We talk to you a lot about what we're doing. Now it's time for you to join the conversation. We have multiple ways for you to ensure that your voice is heard as CLC plans for the immediate future.

MEMBER SURVEY

We’ve put together a 10 minute survey. It will help us know what we’re doing right, what we could be doing better, and how to best help you in the future. CLC is a membership organization and we work best when we work for you. Take the survey today.

COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS

CLC is holding six online Community Conversations in late February. Some sessions are organized according to your work so the groups will be speaking the same language: academic, public, school. Others are general sessions that any member from any type of library is welcome to attend. Why not sign up right now?

• Scott Rogers - Amazon Business
• Travis Kelley and Criona Coyle - Baker and Taylor
• Patricia Tierney - Barnes and Noble
• Paul Davis - Rosen, Scholastic, Cavendish Square, and Greenhaven Publishing
• Ted Fons - Patron Point
• Rob Romay and Linda Bianchi - Robert H. Lord Co.

After nominations were in, CLC asked members to vote. The winners and honor recipients were announced at the CLC Vendor Expo on November 14, 2023.

WINNERS:
Travis Kelley and Criona Coyle
Baker and Taylor

In her nomination for Travis Kelley, Alessandra Casiello from the Danbury Library wrote: "At every library I have worked at, Travis has shown the utmost respect to everyone ... and has gone above and beyond to make sure the service we were getting from B and T was not only what we needed, but what we wanted. Over the years he has become a wonderful colleague, a great friend, and an exemplary representative of customer service."

Sam Bolton from the East Hampton Public Library wrote of Criona Coyle: “Criona is on top of any issues that arise. She promptly replies to questions. Criona always informs me when she forwards my email to another department so I will know to expect an email from someone else at Baker & Taylor. Simply put, Criona makes interactions with Baker & Taylor easy.”

CLC's relationship with Baker and Taylor goes back more than 20 years, and so many libraries across Connecticut depend on them for their books and other materials. CLC Executive Director Ellen Paul and staff were thrilled to honor these two deserving staff with this award.

FIRST RUNNERS UP:
Rob Romay and Linda Bianchi
Robert H. Lord Co.

"I've enjoyed working with Rob for many years, but recently he went 200% above and beyond. When a paperwork snafu resulted in only half of our furniture arriving, Rob actually went to the warehouse, put the rest of the furniture in his own vehicle, and drove it down to our library himself so that we could receive it the very next day! From expert advice, quick follow-up regarding changes, and top notch customer service like this, he's one of my absolute favorite vendors to work with - he's the best!" --Sunnie Scarpa, E.C. Scranton Library (now Wallingford Public Library)

"Linda went above and beyond to provide immediate help and services in our time of need. She led the way with exceptional kindness, patience and guidance in our unplanned renovation due to extensive water damage. She has been onsite numerous times to assist with design, ordering and then again to insure proper installation of products ordered. The whole team at RH Lord has been invaluable to me during this stressful time - not to mention the amazing discount we received!" --Audra MacLaren, Gunn Memorial Library

SECOND RUNNER UP:
Paul Davis
Rosen, Scholastic, Cavendish Square, and Greenhaven Publishing

"I have known Paul for a long time and have had numerous meetings with him over two school districts and two states. He has always been the most attentive, organized, and knowledgeable vendor rep I have been around. No one I have ever seen has done it as well as him. I always look forward to that day each year when Paul visits my school." --Anonymous

For more information about the CLC Customer Service Award, contact Ellen Paul or Amanda Stern at CLC.

About the Connecticut Library Consortium

The Connecticut Library Consortium leverages the collective power of its members to initiate cost effective, value-added services to strengthen libraries. With over 975 library members of all types and over 100 publicly bid contracts, CLC saves Connecticut libraries millions of dollars each year. A robust member-driven roundtable program and a suite of essential support services and learning opportunities ensure that CLC is Connecticut libraries’ partner for purchasing, collaboration, and connection.

Ellen Paul, most recently the Director of the East Hampton (CT) Public Library, has accepted the position of Executive Director of the Connecticut Library Consortium.

Ellen is uniquely qualified to lead Connecticut's state-mandated, non-profit library membership organization. She brings deep knowledge of libraries of all sizes both within and outside of Connecticut, strong connections to CLC, political acumen and experience, and a track record of outstanding success in all of her professional endeavors. Before becoming the director at East Hampton in 2017, she held management positions at the Santa Clara (CA) City Library, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, and Public Library of New London. She has experience as a CLC staff member, serving as Member Relations Manager in 2016-17; and as a CLC board member and chair of the strategic planning committee. Prior to graduating from Southern Connecticut State University with a Masters in Information and Library Science, Ellen worked as a congressional aide to U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney (CT-2). Her strengths in data-driven decision-making, building and nurturing relationships, and fiscal management, along with her political and media savvy, will be strong assets at the top of our membership organization. We are thrilled to welcome her!

Ellen has already begun working at CLC. She and outgoing Executive Director Jennifer Keohane will transition the role together through the end of December, and Ellen will be fully in place as of January 3, 2022. Contact Ellen at epaul@ctlibrarians.org. For more about CLC, visit ctlibrarians.org.

Ideas provided by Mary Hogan, Cora J. Belden Library, Rocky Hill 

   based on ideas from  Cynthia Velasco, Digital Media Specialist, Orange County (FL) Library System 

In order to prepare to serve our customers via digital platforms during our closure, we are relying on the help of staff to help us create video content that helps us stay in touch with our library audience. We would like to provide educational, informative, entertaining content that is representative of the kind of programming they are accustomed to experiencing at in-person library events. To that end, we have created some guidelines to keep our content easily sharable, digestible and consistent.

• Talk to the Director first. We have a small group who are already working on creating content. We don’t want to duplicate content, and we want to maximize our resources.

• Short videos are preferable for social media sharing. Unless you are working on a special project, such as a livestream or a specific program-based video that we are prepared to share as longer content, please keep your videos to five minutes or less, which is about the norm for social media.

• Shoot in horizontal mode. This format is better for YouTube and Facebook and can also be used for IGTV (Instagram TV). Vertical videos are not formatted well for posting on YouTube or Facebook, so they are not as versatile.

• Be mindful of background noise. Turn off fans, TVs, devices, and try to avoid places where you might be interrupted by ambient noise, like traffic, outdoor yard work, barking dogs, etc.

• If you are reading a book, be close to the camera. It’s important for viewers to get the full context of the book. Also, make sure you have permission to use that book in an online story time or program. Check with the Director if you have questions about this.

• If you are singing a song or using music, make sure you have rights. Make sure you have permission to use the music in an online story time or program. Check with the Director if you have questions about this.

• Make sure everything you want in your video is in the frame. Do a test shot to make sure.

• Test your lighting. Before you film, make sure you do a test shot to ensure that you aren’t getting washed out by too much light, or that you aren’t capturing glare on glasses or on windows, etc. It’s generally preferred to film during the day with natural light.

• Don’t worry about a backdrop. So long as there is not a mess around you, or inappropriate artwork on your walls, you should be OK to film in your own environment.

• Dress like you’re going to work. You don’t have to wear anything special, but try to look neat, clean and professional, just like you would if you were doing a program in person.

• Begin with an introduction. Example: “Hi, I’m [Insert Name], [Insert Title] Librarian for the Cora J. Belden Library, and today we’ll be reading/doing x, y, z.”

• End with an outro. Example: “Thanks for watching! You can ask questions in the comments below and follow us on Facebook or subscribe to our YouTube channel to see the latest videos from the library. Stay safe and be well!”

• Share among the staff. Share to get feedback before posting. Your video must be in MP4 format.

• If in doubt, please reach out. If you have questions are aren’t sure about something, the Director will be available to provide guidance.

By Amanda Stern

Published in the January 2019 CLC newsletter.

Full article starts below - or jump to the section that wasn't included in our newsletter!

Every January as we gear up for the excitement of the new year – new goals to set, new programs to start, new initiatives to implement – we embrace the mantra Out with the old, in with the new. But what do we do with the old? In the library world, we don’t discard everything old just because there’s something new. We have existing collections, databases, and other materials that still hold so much value, but are often overlooked by patrons. It’s easy to market new offerings; showcasing existing resources is so much trickier.

Think of the materials in your library that are underutilized. Is there a section of your collection that has lower circulation statistics than you’d expect? Are valuable databases going unused because patrons don’t know how to access them – or even that they’re there? Do you find yourself frustrated because you have so many good materials you’d love to put into the hands of your patrons, but you just can’t find a new hook to grab their attention? Enter the Evergreen Marketing Campaign.

Consider creating a marketing campaign that you can use for an extended time period, one that can serve as an easily-fillable template, so you can continually update it with information or services you’d like to highlight. This will not only help you in promoting your library services and programs, but it can help spare you from the need to create a separate flyer for each event or product. One campaign with multiple uses, meeting multiple needs that can make your life easier – you’ll be wondering why you didn’t start sooner!

Let’s walk through what the process may look like.

1. Make a list of the products/services/resources in your library.

Think of all the collections – print, digital, maker, non-traditional. Get the information all in one place so you can look at the entirety of your collections. List out individual databases or electronic resources. Break out specific collections that are unique to your library. List the materials that patrons may not expect to ever look for at a library, such as board games or maker equipment. Don’t take for granted that “everyone knows libraries offer X resource” – they might not! You may be surprised to realize what your community doesn’t realize they can find in their library. And don’t forget, your staff is a resource too! Do your patrons know whom in your library they can approach for assistance?

2. Identify goals.

What do you want to see happen at your library? Do you want to increase the use of a specific database? See a rise in periodical downloads? Encourage patrons who have let their library cards expire to return to the library to renew their cards and their library usage? Attract larger audiences for your programs? Communicate to patrons that it’s the library staff and their customer service that can make the library the ultimate community resource?

3. Consult staff and users.

This truly is not a one-person job - perhaps there are barriers to accessing library materials that you haven’t considered. Are patrons frustrated because accessing electronic resources may require multiple logins or complicated steps? Would patrons prefer to use databases from home but are unsure of how to access the materials remotely? Are the under-circulated materials located in a corner of the library that is physically hard for patrons to access? Is the check-out process for non-traditional materials complicated? Are patrons afraid of renewing their expired library cards because of accumulated fines? Your staff in different departments may have insight that you don’t. Also ask for patron feedback. You know there are people in your community who are happy to tell you what they think!

4. Look at your list and goals and find the through-lines.

How do they relate to each other? Is there a theme that carries through the list? Make it your tagline! It doesn’t have to be complicated. Many libraries have found success with something as simple as We Are Your Library (highlighting library staff as a resource) or Did You Know (highlighting any or all of the library collections – this one is unlimited in scope!). It’s helpful to remember that libraries help patrons access literacy, opportunity, community, and the world!

5. Decide on your end goals and outputs.

With all this information in front of you, decide what your ultimate goals are. They might be like the ones you listed earlier in this process, but you’ve likely refined them at this point. Now you can decide what your end products are going to be and how they will help you meet your goals. Will a series of posters hung throughout the library help patrons to know their librarians’ areas of expertise? Will graphics for your electronic signage spur your teen patrons to participate in your library programs? Will social media posts help renew interest and usage from previously inactive library users? There’s no one product that will speak to everyone, so be sure to think about your target audience and what will capture their attention. And remember, the materials you produce in one format can be adapted for use in another (think of how you might transform a poster into a social media graphic).

6. Design a template.

There’s no need to recreate the wheel for each service you highlight. Make your life easier by creating a template; all you’ll have to do is drop in the new information as it’s needed. It’ll also help with keeping your library branding consistent. Once this part is done, creating future materials will be a breeze!

7. Get creative!

You know what your goals are. You have your messaging. Now you get to really have fun! Be clever. Be witty. Be interesting. Be you. Share your library’s voice.

Need some inspiration?

• Columbia University Libraries created a campaign called We Are Your Library that highlighted each librarian and their specialty, so students would know who to contact for their research needs. This video is part of that campaign.
  
• This American Library Association marketing campaign could be expanded to include services such as JobNow, Mango Languages, periodical subscriptions, or even programs in your library. Show your community the value of the library!
  
• Laurence McKinley Gould Library at Carlton College in Northfield Minnesota highlighted their staff in this campaign. Librarian trading cards were just one of the products created.
  
• The Free Library of Philadelphia created this campaign. The messaging was consistent across all platforms – bookmarks, Internet ads, billboards, even signs on buses! Think of how this could be expanded to include other resources the library offers.