Madison
Avenue in Oberlin: Marketing Library Resources & Services
Mentor(s): Megan Mitchell & Jessica Grim
Department: Main Library Reference Department
Aspects of librarianship related to the project: User
services, Public relations
Number of openings: 2 (collaborative project)
Estimated length of project: Minimum of 6 weeks
Hours/day: 2-3 hours per day, Mon-Fri
Dates available: June 3 - December 15
Ideally this project will involve a planning/strategizing period
over the summer, and be "implemented" over the course of fall
semester
Preferred skills/knowledge: Experience in public relations
would be great; but even if no direct experience, a strong interest
in public relations/publicity is essential; also, an active imagination
and strong self-motivation are a plus, as are strong communication
and writing skills.
Additional comments: While we would accept one Fellow
to work on this project, we felt that two or three would be ideal,
in that the Fellows could work closely together to develop a plan,
bounce ideas off of one another, actually implement the plan (!),
etc.
Description: The idea for this project came out of many
discussions we have had over time in the reference department,
as well as conversations with students and other staff: in a nutshell,
there is the strong perception that the Library could do a lot
more to "advertise" its services and resources to its main "clientele",
the students of Oberlin College. The "public services" offered
by the Library are extensive, and include the "obvious" (walk-in
assistance at the reference and service desks for example), and
the less well-known (our Individual Research Appointment program,
the Request a Book for purchase option on our homepage, etc.).
As far as resources, it is the rare student who has a solid understanding
of the vast array of databases and indexes we make available on
the Web, let alone a good understanding of just how much is available
in terms of full text journal literature, primary resource collections,
etc.
The public relations "campaign" geared for students might take
any number of approaches, and include a real variety of components.
Some of the ideas which have come up are: posters/flyers, articles
in student publications, outreach "sessions" for specific student
groups, radio spots on WOBC, "get to know the Library" parties…
the list could be endless. What we really envision is the Fellows
doing a fair amount of brainstorming about what might work, work
with the mentors to come up with a reasonable list of activities/components,
and work to make those things happen.
The specific steps involved in this project would likely include
the following:
- identify which services will be the focus of the pr campaign
- determine media/methods/locations used to promote the services
- estimate financial resources that may be needed
- develop a time frame and a budget for implementing the campaign
- implement the campaign
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