Minutes of the Marketing & Programs Advisory Committee

September 16, 2005, MHLS Auditorium, 10:00am-1:00pm

Present: R. Smith Aldrich, M. Keefe, A, Jordan, K. Lustiber, M. Pfisterer, M. Quick

Guests: M. Advocate, J. Cohen, B. Haymann-Diaz

Minutes of March meeting

Motion: 1^st: M. Quick, 2^nd: A. Jordan
Discussion: none

Vote: passed

Old Business:

• Don’t Know What to Read? Slips: R. Smith Aldrich reported that a flyer template was developed and disseminated: printable template available on the Marketing & PR web site [http://midhudson.org/funding/marketing/main.htm]; customized slips were given to each member library with a web page hosted by MHLS.
• Print Services Update
• R. Smith Aldrich reported that the sign to promote new titles as available through Request-a-Title is in the print services department queue.
• R. Smith Aldrich disseminated revised wording for the three proposed HomeACCESS signs, ACTION: Committee members should review the proposed text and send suggestions/revisions to Rebekkah.

New Business:

• Getting to Yes LSTA Grant Update/Focus Group Report: The committee reviewed a report from GTY grant coordinator, Kirstin Litwin, that describes the project and summarized the recently held focus groups around the system. Committee attention was drawn to the need for libraries to target yes voters and the role they might play in the coming year to assist member libraries target segments of their service population.
• Library web pages and fundraising
• R. Smith Aldrich reported that a survey of MHLS member library web sites revealed that very few member libraries have an online donation component; none have credit card processing capabilities.
• R. Smith Aldrich reported on online donation options found on library web sites outside of MHLS (i.e. PayPal, Shop for the Library, Amazon Associates, VeriSign, eTapestry web services).
• The committee discussed how to inform directors of these options. ACTION: At the November DA meeting Rebekkah will provide a demonstration of online donation options – a menu of all options explained should be distributed as well as a mock up of a default donation page with the options integrated.
• Small Library Roundtable Discussion re: Programming
• Committee reviewed the tips that came out of this meeting in June 2005 and some of the trends as they apply to smaller libraries.
• Discussion of how to disseminate info that comes out of the SLRT: offer notes/handouts on the director’s list to all that are interested; MHLS staff proactively calling and offering to come and speak; libraries that participate calling a neighboring small library and promoting a visit from MHLS staff on the topic.
• Book Discussion Groups
• How to use book groups to reach out to segments of the community that don’t usually come to the library:
• M.Quick reported on a program she has been planning – book discussion in a bag to help people run book programs in their own homes as this has become a popular activity across the country that is in a format that bypasses the local library.
• K. Lustiber/M. Quick: could their be a system-wide collaboration of many libraries developing “book group to go kit” that could be shared:
• What would be included in the kit?
• Uniform bag, zipped
• X number of books; questions; recipes; tips fro running a book group
• Duplicate/master list of handouts
• Policies of use: which libraries are participating? Can patrons from libraries that don’t participate borrow them?; what would happen if a book was lost?; borrowing policy; length of loan period; how to book them, how far in advance
• How to fund this initiative: Pay into a fund and MHLS develops; each library develops their own and they are centrally held at MHLS; Built from what libraries already have.
• ACTION: Committee recommends that this idea be brought to the DA to find out how many libraries would be interested and to decide next steps based on the level of interest.
• Future of the Committee
• A. Jordan reported to the committee on a meeting held to discuss the future advisory committee structure after the September DA meeting. Anne shared that she feels the committee does not accomplish much and that the mission is unclear.
• Committee members felt it was unclear they were charged with communicating between the advisory committee and their county groups.
• The committee discussed the relationship between themselves and their county groups and agreed that they should ask that reports to/from the committees be permanent agenda items at the county meetings.
• J. Cohen made the point that in order for the committee to be more effective, more action items need to be generated from the committee to the DA to remain viable and useful. Also discussed the need for the committee to address standards in marketing and programming for member libraries to measure themselves against.

o The Committee reviewed:

§ committee mission (http://midhudson.org/MHLS/committee/program/mission.htm)

§ committee member responsibilities (http://midhudson.org/MHLS/committee/responsibilities.htm)

o To move forward next year the committee will work toward gathering county input to bring to the committee; to report back to the DA more effectively and to focus our efforts on helping members target more specific segments of their populations to go hand-in-hand with the Getting to Yes grant.

o The committee asked to stay at 4 meeting per year with the option to cancel up to 2 if there is not enough to warrant an in-person meeting.

o ACTION: For next meeting – committee members will brainstorm with their county groups to identify target groups for the committee to focus on next year.

o Possible end-product for next year will include step-by-step ideas to address outreach to identified target groups so that it is easier for libraries to integrate outreach to these groups into their day-to-day efforts.

Tasks for MHLS Staff:

· R. Smith Aldrich will prepare a demo for the November Director’s Association of online donation options, including a handout that describes each option.

· R. Smith Aldrich will offer copies of notes from the Small Libraries Roundtable on the Director’s listserv.

Tasks for Committee Members:

· Committee members will seek to get on the agenda of their county meetings on a regular basis to promote communication between the county groups and MHLS advisory committees.

· Committee members will attend their next county meetings and ask the group to identify target groups within their communities for the committee to focus on next year. Committee members will report back at the December 15^th meeting.

· Review the revised HomeACCESS signage wording and send responses to Rebekkah.

Report to DA:

1) In light of the trend of book discussion groups that are being held in our communities outside of libraries, the Committee discussed the potential for “Book Discussion Group To-Go” kits that some libraries are already putting together, to be centrally held by MHLS, bookable by member libraries on behalf on their patrons to maximize the outreach potential of this service. The Committee would like to know how many libraries would be interested in this.

2) The Committee reviewed online donation options for member library web sites. A demonstration of the options is proposed for the November Director’s Association meeting.

3) Committee members will be attending each county director’s meeting or contacting their counties by email to create a list of segmented target groups with member library service populations. This information will be used in the coming year for the committee to discuss outreach strategies for different target groups.

Handouts:

· Don’t Know What to Read? Slips

· Text for the HomeACCESS signage

· Getting to Yes Grant summary/focus group summary

· Small Libraries Roundtable: June Notes

· Committee Mission

· Committee Member Responsibilities

Next Meeting: December 15, 2005

Submitted by Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, September 23, 2005