Libraries abroad: US libraries and public relations

One academic library, one state library, and four public libraries have been named winners of the John Cotton Dana Library Public Relations Award, which recognizes and honors outstanding achievement in library public relations and is sponsored by the H.W. Wilson Company, the H.W. Wilson Foundation, and the Library Leadership and Management Association (LLAMA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA).

With reduced budgets and staff, the winning libraries showed creative use of social media and web marketing to convey their messages. In these challenging economic times effective marketing techniques are essential to communicate the many valuable services and programs provided by libraries to meet the increasing needs of their customers.

Thus, an academic library at Barton College (North Carolina) was cited for the "Band Book Tour," a music festival that more than tripled the attendance at the library's annual open house. Partnerships with local businesses generated money in door prizes and additional publicity. Students still wear freebie tour-shirts and lanyards and wallets, leading to more publicity for the library.