In early 2016, University Libraries at The University of Alabama implemented a marketing program, which originated and continues to be maintained in the technical services unit, Resource Acquisition and Discovery. This presentation will discuss the initial goals and future directions of the program, which focus on improving return on investment, raising awareness and discoverability of collections, and taking advantage of value-added services provided by vendors. Currently, one full-time staff member and three undergraduate student workers (with majors in business, marketing, and public relations) develop digital signs, write product descriptions, create posters and flyers, and utilize social media as communication channels. The University Libraries are fortunate that the digital signs are part of the public relations efforts of the university and therefore have campus-wide distribution to monitors within prominent buildings. The images also display as a rotating carousel on the Libraries’ homepage.
In addition to these efforts, the marketing program hosts an annual Library Expo in the fall semester. This event is held at a centralized and heavily trafficked area, the campus student center. The expo hosts multiple library vendors and provides them opportunity to promote their services and resources. This event has furthered the libraries’ marketing efforts in that specific vendors want to assist our small team in broadening our reach with students by providing customized promotional materials.
Examples of marketing outputs, strategies for success, lessons learned, and future directions of the program will conclude the presentation.
