by Dennie Heye, Europe Chapter, Petroleum & Energy Resources Division

Information professionals usually don’t think of marketing themselves as a big issue. We know we are the key to accessing information; we are service- and customer-oriented; we know our business – so, customers will just come to us, right?

To become future ready, we need to market ourselves – not just to be known, but also to let our customers know who we are and what we can do to help them. Here, I share my experiences with marketing myself successfully as an information professional, both inside and outside my organization.

Promoting my services portfolio

I work in a large, multinational company, so a lot of my clients are not in the same building – or even on the same continent. To be noticed, I have set up a short, informative web page about my services on our intranet.

I spend time every day browsing and reading internal discussion forums, and try to participate in discussions by providing references, pointing to online and offline sources, or suggesting that I set up a literature search for participants. At the bottom of each of my replies is a pointer to my services web site.

Participate in Client Meetings

Besides participating in virtual discussions and collaboration areas, I block time in my calendar every week to attend team meetings and stay up to date with my clients’ work. I try to be proactive in supplying information, or to suggest training for relevant online and offline sources.

When possible, I scan and browse relevant industry journals related to my clients’ business. This way I pick up trends, pointers to relevant publications, plus, I learn their jargon. By being able to speak my clients’ language, or at least show that I am interested in their world, I am taken seriously.

Clear Message

During all my communications, whether through a PowerPoint presentation, a web site or a face-to-face meeting with a new client, I always try to be clear on the services I provide. I emphasize my key advantages as a literature searcher: I have access to a variety of quality information; a wide network; professional knowledge of interviewing, searching and dissemination; and last, but not least, I can provide better information faster and cheaper. Honesty is also something I emphasize – I do not promise what I cannot deliver, even though there sometimes is pressure to do so. On an annual basis, via an anonymous feedback form, I ask my clients to provide comments on my services. This provides me with new ideas for improvement. To get more feedback on my professional performance, I ask trusted colleagues (from different departments) to tell me honestly what they think of my services or approach.

One book which I consider to be very clear and helpful on this topic is Selling the Invisible by Harry Beckwith (New York: Warner Books, 1997), which will help you think about marketing both your services and yourself.

Dennie Heye is a global knowledge manager at a global energy firm in the Netherlands, working on knowledge management and enterprise social media. That said, he is still able to dress himself and carry out simple tasks.

A longer version of this article was originally published in Info Career Trends.

by April Kessler, Texas Chapter, Business & Finance and Academic Divisions

It is easy for us to get bogged down in the day-to-day activities and not really plan for the future. That takes time and energy that most of don’t have the luxury of these days. The SLA Annual Conference gives me the opportunity and incentive to make that time. It’s a time for me to re-energize and to make plans for new services and new approaches.

This conference was even more special to me because I was honored to receive the Achievement in Academic Business Librarianship Award for 2011 from the Business & Finance Division and College & University Business Section. The award recognizes the accomplishments of librarians who are new to the field of academic business librarianship with 3-7 years experience in an academic library position.

I have the privilege of working with the research faculty, staff, and 6,000 students at the highly ranked McCombs School of Business at The University of Texas at Austin. Serving this large group of users as the only business librarian can be challenging. We have a huge number of undergraduate students and our executive MBA students are in evening, weekend, and Dallas and Houston programs. To improve services I’ve been creating popular online tutorials that demonstrate how to best utilize the library’s business resources. The videos are available for the public on the UTBusinessLibrarian’s YouTube Channel. I also worked closely with the instruction librarians here at UT to create an interactive business research tutorial to help the undergraduates get a better understanding of the research basics for their Business Communication writing class.

I’m looking forward to implementing some of the new things I learned in Philadelphia at SLA 2011. This year I saw creative ideas for instruction, resources for looking into emerging markets, and innovative ways to collaborate with faculty. I also did a little primary research of my own on the best Philly Cheesesteaks. Although, 2 sandwich shops does not a scientific study make, my vote for best cheesesteak goes to Jim’s wiz wit.

Thank you B&F and SLA for this amazing award and for another great conference!

April is the Business Librarian for the University of Texas Libraries. As a solo librarian she supports the research needs of 193 faculty members, 4,300 undergraduates, and over 1600 graduate students at the McCombs School of Business. April has introduced many innovative ways to provide instruction and research help to her user population including very popular and useful online tutorials. April was chosen to participate in ACRL’s highly selective Immersion Program for instruction librarians in 2010 and is currently the president-elect for SLA’s Texas Chapter.

by Libby Trudell and Liz Blankson-Hemans

Future Ready Toolkit

This post is from SLA’s new Future Ready Toolkit. The Toolkit was constructed by SLA members who have drawn upon substantial professional experience and alignment research to help you hone your skills in a way that is relevant and global. The toolkit is collaboration, alignment, adaptation, and community put into action.

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Definitions
• Key Elements and Ideas
• Models and Templates
• Resources

Overview

Every interaction with clients and potential clients (your “customers”) is an opportunity to market your services and build a positive impression.  As an information professional, you and the services you provide to your organization or client should be packaged to reinforce a clear identity and to build awareness of the services being provided. Successful marketing involves seeing the “products” and services you offer through the eyes of the customers and articulating clients’ needs in their terms – the main objective of marketing is always to understand customer needs.  Can you state the benefits you offer in a way that is meaningful to customers and communicate why you provide the best solution compared to other options?

In a nutshell, according to Michael Porter, a Harvard University professor, marketing is anything you do to get or keep a customer.

Definitions

The marketing 3Ps address how to Package your product and Promote your services in a way that is attractive to existing and potential clients and Persuade clients that your services are better than
those offered by competitors.

Packaging – originally, the word “packaging” referred to the container or wrapping for a product. Now, packaging is much more broadly understood as all the ways to present and convey the value of a product or service.  In order to build consistent packaging, you must be clear about who you are and what your services represent.

Promotion - starts with understanding and targeting customers. Find out who they are, what their special interests are, what their business backgrounds are, what they require to succeed in the organization, and, most importantly, how you can provide it to them in a way that makes it valuable to them.

Persuasion - is the process of helping the client discover whether there is a match between his/her needs and what you have to offer.  Successful persuasion is a very fulfilling activity when it results in finding the best solution to meet a customer’s needs.  Persuasive messages will motivate customers to take an action by promising a benefit – literally what’s in it for them to try your services.

Key Elements and Ideas

Models and Templates

1. 3Ps Checklist
2. Marketing Plan Template
3. Marketing Plan Sample
4. Maximized Target Marketing

Resources

General Marketing and Branding

• eBrief – Marketing Your Information Service
• Marketing Podcasts
• Top 10 Ways Not To Attract New Clients

Packaging

• Packaging Information: Dress it Up and You’ll Shine
• Packaging Information Services – Podcast

Promotion

• Staging an Open House or Promotional Event
• Marketing Promotion – Podcast
• 10-Step Guide to Promoting the Information Centre

Persuading

• 5 Tips for Getting Started
• Marketing Information Services Using Persuasion Techniques – Podcast

Libby Trudell is vice president of marketing at Dialog in Sunnyvale, California. She has been a member of SLA since 1996. She previously served on the SLA Board of Directors as chapter cabinet chair (2006-2008) and is currently chair of the 2011 SLA Annual Conference Advisory Council and a member of the Public Relations Advisory Committee.

Liz Blankson-Hemans is Director, Market Development for Dialog, with oversight for strategic planning and implementation of marketing outside North America. Liz has been a member of SLA since 1997. She has served in several capacities on the SLA Europe board, including Membership Secretary, Diversity Chair and Early Careers Committee, and was President of the Chapter in 2004-2005.

by Catherine Lavallée-Welch, Florida & Caribbean Chapter, Academic, IT and Sci-Tech Divisions

Could you describe the design of an academic library constructed in 2016? It’s easy to imagine following current trends: emphasis on the learning process and the creation of a learning community, more collaborative work, the increasing amount of electronic resources, the use of technology, increased interdisciplinarity, accountability and sustainability.

What about designing the building for 2031? Or 2061? Today’s librarian in charge of designing a new building must cope with a library evolving at a rate faster than any time since Gutenberg.

Faced with such an opportunity, I recently attended a conference on library space planning and revitalization. My main takeaway was to put the emphasis on the infrastructure, and not on fixtures or furniture. Key components are flexible, multi-use space, lots of natural light, extensive electrical wiring and the presence of quiet study zones. The types of services offered and the roles and functions of librarians and staff are evolving.

The new library is a place that is used simultaneously physically and virtually; a place that permits users to participate and collaborate in a learning, scholarly community.

Should we mention the “p” word? Yes, there will be “print” collections. Some new libraries opt for a digital-only collection through extensive storage and digitizing. Other lean toward the digital-heavy approach – see Helen Josephine’s excellent post on this blog on the new Engineering Library at Stanford University. I believe that libraries will utilize select print monographs until publishers use business models for e-books that meet all libraries’ and users’ needs. Don’t hide your print books; use the stacks as architectural elements to create zones. Libraries still have a huge symbolic value and book stacks are the clearest representation of such.

Conference attendees had the opportunity to visit the recently renovated Thompson Library at the Ohio State University. With large glass walls, the book tower is a prime visual focus. However, the building stays user-centered with a variety of seating areas for individual, communal and collaborative work.

I spoke to students about their library habits. A finance junior admitted to not checking out books and rarely using the electronic resources.  Still, he chooses the library to study over myriad options spread over the campus. He found when students go to the library, it’s to hunker down, get to work and study seriously. It’s the building – and the atmosphere within – that attracts him.

User studies offer one of the best ways to develop the library design. Users are usually thrilled to be a part of the process and the studies provide insights into unarticulated needs. Don’t limit recruitment to library staff, student workers or your regular users. Most important are the people who are not currently using your library.

What is keeping them away? What tools, spaces or services are you missing? What will convince them to utilize the facility? Don’t neglect to poll the school’s administration. What are the organizational strategic goals?

Gather input beyond surveys and focus groups. You can use design charrettes; usage observation; user diaries; photo surveys; usage mapping; interviews outside the library; late-night residence hall visits; reply cards left around the facility, etc.

Campus space is at a premium and financial resources are scarce. This situation may continue for a long time. Rest assured though that success in the short and long term will go to the flexible academic library closely aligned with user and organization culture and goals.

Catherine Lavallée-Welch is the Director of the University of South Florida Polytechnic Library. One of her current projects is planning and design of a library and learning commons  for her institution’s new campus. Catherine is a board member of the Florida and Caribbean Chapter and of the Academic Division. She’s a candidate for Division Cabinet Chair-Elect for the 2012 SLA Board of Directors.