WebJunction

Guide to Public Relations Resources

It's a fine line between Community Relations and PR. The former is the broader effort of forming ties with the community in a variety of ways; the latter is more about how you tell your story and how you use available media to enhance your visibility.

PR Spotlight: The Storied Library

Read Walt Crawford's series of articles on how to develop, communicate, and celebrate your library's story.

• The Storied Library—Introduction to the concept.
• The Storied Library: Filling In the Story—An expansion, with resources, of the "Storied Library."
• What's Your Story? —Walt talks to small libraries about story, brand, and figuring out what's special about the stories they have.
• The Storied Library: Developing Your Story—This installment sends librarians on a "fishing trip" to help put their library's story into perspective.
• Expanding Your Story, Finding Their Stories—Understand your library's place in your community, both as a physical space and as an influence in people's lives.
• Telling Your Story — Once the story is crafted, it is ready for its audience.
• Your Community's Stories —Tips on how to publish your library's story.

Guide to Public Relations Resources

Speak up for the library

• Be prepared to talk about your library (or yourself): anywhere, any time
• Communication: from WebJunction parnter Illinois, this pdf offers tips and guidelines for a variety of communication channels
• Demonstrating Impact: Making Your Case: marshal your arguments and deliver them to your audience
  
• Sharing the Message: get the whole community--and yourself--involved in telling your library's story
• Talking to Power: a checklist to prepare for making your case to your community's leaders
• Value Propositions for Libraries: a guide to help clarify your library's value

Online tools for PR

• Designing the Digital Experience: What is Community?: build a website that customers love (David Lee King)
• Twitter and the Missouri River Regional Library: an easy-to-use social networking tool to stay in touch with its community
• 31 Flavors - Things to Do With Flickr in Libraries

Examples of effective PR

• Dear Mayor: A Demonstrating Impact Letter: making the case for the library in practical terms
• Demonstrating a Local Library's Global Impact: The Wayne County (PA) Public Library puts its patrons on the map
• Who Needs the Public Library? (video file): the Central Rappahannock Regional Library uses video to communicate their worth

Visit the Documents and Discussions tabs for the full selection of resources on this topic.