Peer Guides Deliver Popcorn and More at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln
Joan Barnes describes the Peer Guide Program she runs in her university library. She hires and trains college students to work in five areas: recruitment outreach, user surveys, promotional outreach, events, and social media. Since they’re able to relate to other students, the peer guides can get opinions, encourage sign-ups, and share information in ways that librarians cannot.

How-to

NC State’s ‘Library Stories’ Publicize Librarians’ Innovative Collaborations
Chris Vitiello explains how North Carolina State University Libraries built a cooperative program that shows off librarians’ skills and everyday work to the rest of the school and beyond. As librarians work on interesting projects with other faculty or staff members, they keep notes and capture photos so they can publish brief “Library Stories” that demonstrate their value and impact on academic scholarship.

How-to

Ten Ways U.S. Librarians Can Inform the American Electorate
Marketing consultant Kathy Dempsey lists and explains 10 things you can do in any type of library to help Americans sort fact from fiction so they can make well-informed decisions during this contentious presidential election year. In addition to sharing vetted information, the list includes holding voter registration drives and organizing Human Library events.

Chris Olson Advises From Corporate Experience
In this interview, author Judith Gibbons learns about the woman who combined her M.L.S. and M.B.A. back in the 1980s to found Chris Olson & Associates, a strategic marketing consulting practice. Chris shares many tips from her decades of working with global clients and corporate information services.

Tools You Can Use

Social Media Management and Scheduling Tools
Techie and tool lover Jennifer Burke has taken over this department, and in her first installment, she points to both free and paid tools to make social media posting less cumbersome.

The Power of the People
Ruth Kneale studies how librarians and libraries appear in pop culture. In this issue, she covers a negative article in The Wall Street Journal, a student protest in Chicago Public Schools, and a U.K. campaign to halt library closures.

Start a Revolution: Stop Acting Like a Library
by Ben Bizzle with Maria Flora
Kathy Dempsey reviews this 2015 title from ALA Editions. She notes how Ben Bizzle, a former IT guy, entered the library field and formed a team to brainstorm promotional ideas that weren’t very library-like. The resulting campaigns won national attention and awards, giving Bizzle a platform to tell others why and how the unconventional publicity worked, along with why and how others should try it.

A tribal library wins the 2016 ALSC/Candlewick Press “Light the Way” Grant, SLA articles to help special librarians prove their value, the Canadian Library Association will be replaced by a national advocacy organization, and an “Opportunity for All?” report on technology and Wi-Fi usage by low-income Americans.