April 24th, 2003 - VALL LuncheonSpeaker: Janis Clark

Changing Perceptions: The Art of Shelf-Promotion

Term, holidays, term, holidays,

till we leave school, and then

work, work, work till we die. C.S. Lewis

True or False?

You Need to Create a Rewarding Professional Experience for Yourself

Changing Perceptions

How you view your job

How you see your position

within the structure of

your firm

How your role is perceived by others in your

firm

How you would like your position to be viewed by

others

How others become aware of your value to the

firm

How you develop a respected voice

within your firm

How your library department

presents itself

How your law library is more

than “just books”

Why your library should be your

clients’ first point of contact

Definitions Marketing: the process of planning and

implementing a strategy for facilitating the awareness, acceptance, promotion, and/or distribution of your library’s resources, services and products

Clients / In-house clients: all users of your library including lawyers, staff, students, practice groups, committees, etc.

The Product: the complete range of resources and services offered within your library

…

Definitions (cont’d)

Your Business = your library. Adopt a self-employed, owner mentality. View your library as your business. Take ownership of this library company - promote it!

Library: “a room or building where a collection of books, periodicals, tapes, etc. is kept to be used, rented, or borrowed.”

need to create an accurate definition for your library which will become a marketing tool for attracting new clients

Non-Marketing vs. Marketing(Passive vs. Active Approaches)

What we can we will be,Honest Englishmen.Do the work that’s nearest,Though it’s dull at whiles,Helping, when we meet them,Lame dogs over stiles.

Charles Kingsley

You Are Non-Marketing If…

you provide only response-based service, that is, you never initiate project work

you frequently perform the same service over and over and over again for clients

clients don’t know what resources/services you provide

clients can’t benefit from the library’s resources without your direct assistance

you are not stimulated or challenged in your work and you are not typically expanding your skills or knowledge

vs. Marketing: An Active Approach

Everyone lives by selling something. Robert Louis Stevenson

Marketing Is… selling yourself, your skills, and the library’s resources

being proactive, initiating interesting projects, engaging in non-traditional library skills

changing your mindset; adopting a self-employed, owner mentality

viewing all visitors to your library as your clients

building support for and interest in your product by sharing the results of your work

becoming your own cheering section

Effective marketing strategies are self-serving and they bring great value to your library and the firm.

Position Yourself as the CKO: Chief Knowledge Officer

You (the Library) should actively position yourself as the centre of communication for the firm

You (the Librarian & Library Staff) are seekers & keepers of knowledge; your role is to share this knowledge with your clients

You are best-equipped to lead your firm’s KM initiative

You must be “in the know”

Position Yourself as a Professional Colleague

Equal in contributions to the firm’s growth and success

A respected, involved, active, contributing member of the professional team

If you left the firm suddenly or if your position was “cut”, what would the impact be on your clients?

Does Every Client Within Your Organization Know What Services, Resources and Support Your Library Is Capable of Providing?

How To Get Your Message Out to Your Prospective Clients (passive)

Dedicate space on your firm’s Intranet to the Library and post your services and resources

Send out an informative email: “This is what we can do for you”

Produce a basic 8.5”x11” sheet with bulleted info points and distribute to everyone

…

How To Get Your Message Out to Your Prospective Clients (active)

Make yourself known: attend their meetings

Host a series of information sessions set up a schedule and invite your clients to attend

one of the posted sessions

Invite clients to an “Open House” send e-invitation which includes a schedule of

events; request an RSVP limit duration of this event have each Library staff member make a brief

presentation about a specific service, resource, system, program, publication, etc.

Beyond the Traditional Library: Creating an Invaluable Resource

1. Distribute daily news headlines

2. Create industry news page(s) 3. Support business development initiatives and

search out BD opportunities

4. Round-up of Professional and Business Periodicals

5. Professional Development Calendar …

…Creating an Invaluable Resource6. “Competitors’ Corner”

7. Create and use precedents/templates

8. Responsible for firm archives

9. Forge relationships with other departments, groups or non-library colleagues and work on joint initiatives

10.Monthly internal newsletter

11.What’s New at the Library?

Where am I supposed to find all this extra time in order to do all these things you’ve suggested we do?

----------------

I’m already stretched to the limit; I haven’t got one free minute in my

day to even start thinking about making more work for myself!

Small opportunities are often the beginning of great enterprises. Demosthenes

Reassess Your Workload to Determine: What work/projects/tasks/routine procedures are you

personally responsible for at present?

Are you the best person (are you the only capable person) to perform each of these tasks?

Are you making the best use of your skills and time by working on each of these tasks?

What tasks are absolutely essential?

Which projects are least used or never used by your clients?

How frequently does each task realistically need to be updated/posted/organized/ filed/tended to?

Then… Reassign, share, delegate, or maintain the required

workload

Assess the current and projected needs of your clients

Determine what is of most interest to you; what would you enjoy doing or doing more of?

Determine what new, additional or non-traditional library services to provide

And finally…

Create a realistic, manageable plan to assist you in accomplishing these changes

Determine workable, comfortable timelines

Create silent launch dates, then assess, refine

Notify clients of these new offerings

A Few Remarks Regarding Your Library’s

Financial and Human Resources

Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else.

James M. Barrie

For further information, contact:

Janis Clark, PrincipalCapella Creative Company Inc.

West Vancouver

Phone: 604.925.0159Email: janis@capellacreative.com

April 24th, 2003 - VALL LuncheonSpeaker: Janis Clark

Changing Perceptions: The Art of Shelf-Promotion