[Michlib-l] National Library Card Sign Up Month Questions

[Katie Rothley]

Hi Grace,

This is a difficult thing to generalize so please let me unpack this in a long, drawn-out email with the disclaimer that this is all from my own experience professionally and there could be other ways to look at it:

1. Changes in foot traffic - I think everyone has experienced some variation in having fewer people visit the library due to COVID but this is reversing. Thankfully. For National Library Card Sign Up Month, people visiting the library don't take this into consideration. It's just another month for them. Where this really makes an impact is how the library gets connected with the community, including the schools, whether there are focused campaign efforts and consistent messages on repeat or not.

2. Times of day and community makeup are dramatically different for some libraries. Geographically speaking, Shelby is further away from the hustle and bustle of most of the metropolis, super close to a Metropark and cider mills, and more woodsy. I'm going to make some "assumptions" and say the bulk of your community is aged or aging, maybe retired or in a second career nearing retirement, and the second majority is families. You may want to do some demographic research by visiting SEMCOG online or using Demographics Now database through MeL.org to take a look at what your community looks like. Based on that data, you can draw some conclusions regarding their attitude and motivations concerning the library and how to best move forward with communication methods and what their priorities are with their investment of time, energy, and interests. And how you can best use that to your advantage when you relate library items they can benefit from when using a library card. 

On a side note, you could craft a one-off email to send to everyone whether they want to receive your emails or not, but as an invitation to get a library card and use all of the cool things they're missing out on. Like a: "hey, it's me, your neighborhood library, just wanting to say hi and show you what's happening here," kind of message.

3. Goodies as incentives are *always* a good idea. People love freebies: Stickers. Books. Gift cards. Food. Utilitarian items to make their lives easier or to use as they would normally. It honestly doesn't matter what it is as long as it's free and they know about it. Free always draws people in.

4. NDL does paper applications and an online form. Personally and professionally, I think all libraries should be offering an online application just because that's where we are now but that requires extra steps for staff and maybe it isn't feasible right now. Everything is online and if you don't offer that option, you're missing out on some people getting a library card. There are caveats to online library card signups, however. You have to make sure it explicitly states that they need to come in person with ID to receive the physical card. But beyond that, online applications make the whole thing easier and more convenient for that potential cardholder.

5. Words of wisdom for noobs in a marketing and communications role: we can no longer sit in the building and wait for people to come (build it they will come - nope). This is actually very hard for us because of small budgets and small staff who can't devote all of their time to this. BUT We have to figure out how to connect with our community where they are. For library card signup month this may mean community centers, daycares, medical buildings, sports venues, coffee places, restaurants, local businesses that give permission, takeout places, chamber and DDA events in person, online event submission websites (like local news, MLIVE, Patch, Oakland 115, Facebook events that are boosted, Pure Michigan, Macaroni Kid, School emails, city emails, etc...). This may also mean an investment in a one-time print mailer/postcard to all of your residents. It could mean talking in person to schools, colleges, preschools, senior assisted living centers, etc. It could mean asking your municipality if you can hang banners or those cool flaggy things around town to catch eyes. It could mean a printed book walk in a local park with library branding and an invitation to the library on the first or last sign. It could also mean an article in a local publication or advertisements in City, Township or district-wide mailings.
This may mean asking the Friends group to help with passing out things, dropping off marketing materials, and going out into the community. It may mean asking library volunteers to pound the pavement and door those door knob things. I've seen some libraries do some really cool things like Clarkston has some kind of rewards program for people who put a library sign in their yard then Clarkston patrons the area and rewards people they catch with the sign in their yard.

The thing is, it's different for every library because every library has its own budget, strategic plan, and the community has its own personality. We aren't all equipped with the amazing and awe-inspiring resources that CADL has, nor do we all serve as many people as they do. But they get on the radio, do spots with the local news, and have guest artists and influencers promoting library things. It's incredible and awe-inspiring and I want to do it too.

Figure out what your priority is, make a plan, and focus on what you can reasonably accomplish, especially if you are the sole person: SMART goals. Maybe for this year, it looks like increasing your online presence by boosting ads on social media and your website on Google and just a 5% increase in library card signups. You have to get very specific on the language that is meant to entice people to get a card that their taxes are already paying for because nothing is actually free. Ask yourself and your colleagues, how does the library impact the people who use it? And then how do I convey that in a relational way to people who are not using the library? Why should they care? What do they think they can get out of it? We all know how awesome libraries are but to everyone else, it's not so obvious.

I sincerely hope this was helpful! :)

Katie Rothley, MLIS 
Marketing & Public Relations Librarian 
Northville District Library 
212 West Cady Street 
Northville, MI 48167 
(248) 349-3020 ext. 221 
[ https://northvillelibrary.org/ | https://northvillelibrary.org/ ]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Grace via Michlib-l" <michlib-l at mcls.org>
To: "michlib-l" <Michlib-l at mcls.org>
Sent: Monday, July 10, 2023 11:00:55 AM
Subject: [Michlib-l] National Library Card Sign Up Month Questions

Hi all,
I am the new User Experience Librarian at Shelby Township Library. One 
of my first projects as the UX Librarian is to have a large event for 
National Library Card Sign Up Month in September. I was told in the past 
NLCSM has not been promoted that much in the library or by the township. 
My reasons for doing a bigger event are we were closed because of Covid, 
then closed for construction of a new building, then we reclosed due to 
a burst ceiling pipe. We are finally completely open, with our gorgeous 
new building. As a result, many of our patrons do not know we have a new 
address or that we are open to the public again.
My questions are:
What kind of changes in foot traffic did your library see during NLSCM? 
Times of day when it was the busiest, depending on location and 
community makeup? What kind of goodies did you use to promote the sign 
up month? How does your library do library card creation; paper 
applications, patron facing computer, online cards?
As a librarian new to this role, what nuggets of wisdom to people have 
to share for Library Card Sign Up Month.

Thanks!

-- 
Grace Galvan (she/her)

User Experience Librarian - Shelby Township Library
52610 Van Dyke Ave.
Shelby Township, MI 48316
Phone: 586-726-2341
MLIS- University of Denver

"A library outranks any other one thing a community can do to benefit 
its people. It is a never failing spring in the desert." Andrew Carnegie




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