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Building Your Base
"In a climate where libraries face numerous challenges to their financial stability, this initiative will work to expand the support base
for area public libraries to ensure their economic vitality."
-LSTA Grant Application

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Project-in-Action: Targeting Tools

Target Group Ways to Reach Them
Firefighters Remember to tailor all your materials to their needs and interests.

Resource: WEBPAGE: Guide to Targeting Firefighters

Gardeners
Health enthusiasts
Hobby clubs
Law Enforcement
Sports Enthusiasts
Sportsmen
Males

Some websites/ads that do it well:

  • Men's Health: notice the logo, "tons of useful stuff" and the use of strong words like gear, expert, tools used for category headings.
  • Eastern Mountain Sports: notice features like "Quick Pick-up" and language like expert advice and extreme deals.
  • Honda Motorcycles and ATV's: notice the reference to being "battle ready" and the straightforward language used on the navigation bar: The Goods, The Ride, The Story.
Inactive Patrons
  • Market
    • Postcard promoting a more modern & convenient library. (LaGrange Library)
Tech Savvy Patrons

About the Project
This project will help you to gain greater influence in your community by learning how to use targeted outreach methods to build connections with selected groups. By offering a program or service to identified groups based upon their needs, interests, and lifestyle preferences, or by more effectively communicating what the library already has to offer them, this project will help you build new and stronger connections within your community.

Reasons for this Project:
1. The climate for funding has become more competitive, making the need for increased public support crucial for your library.
2. Building your overall base of support in the community is pivotal to the long-term financial success and strength of your library.
3. Focus groups held with nonusers during the Getting to Yes project revealed openness toward the library, but a need for proactive marketing from the library in order to reach them.
4. As suggested in Malcolm Gladwell's book The Tipping Point, these groups contain influential persons, who if converted, would likely bring along others who are currently non-supporters. Gladwell explains this concept by saying that "social epidemics depend upon the actions of a few exceptional people." Essentially, this project will prompt "individuals of influence" to have a "conversion experience" with regard to the library, and as a result, use their personal connections and influence in favor of the library.
5. Proactive outreach, such as that outlined in this proposal, creates new opportunities for libraries, which is essential to their evolution and advancement.

This Project will Benefit Your Library with the Opportunity to:
 1. Garner more support for your library.
2. Learn how to use targeted marketing approaches to increase your influence and effectiveness.
3. Develop a more strategic and effective marketing approach for your library.
4. Gather and share ideas with other knowledgeable librarians committed to this project.
5. Help Mid-Hudson create a streamlined marketing and outreach process for libraries.

Project Timeline:

Project Objectives:

Getting to Yes is funded by Federal Library Services and Technology Act funds, awarded to the New York State Library by the
Federal Institute of Museum and Library Services.

 

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