I’m writing this introduction on Earth Day, and the cover story of this May/June 2022 issue of Marketing Library Services is perfect for the occasion. In fact, the whole issue is packed with goodness. After you glean ideas from that “green” cover article, you can learn how to make your signage more effective. You’ll find lots of interesting tidbits in ICYMI too. But what’s perhaps most exciting is the debut of a new column! See below for the description of AdTech Tools With Trent to get details.

Examples to Emulate

Calgary PL Demonstrates How ‘Green’ Libraries Are
By Grant Kaiser
This is a special reprint of a favorite MLS article that’s evergreen in more ways than one. I originally published it in the November/December 2008 issue and have always remembered it for the clever way that Calgary Public Library (in Alberta, Canada) measured, then conveyed, how library usage has a positive effect on the environment. Now that sustainability and environmental concerns are top of mind again for many, I wanted to share this widely in the hopes that other libraries will try similar initiatives. And this “Green Before Green Was Cool” campaign won a John Cotton Dana Award, so it’s definitely an example worth emulating.

Feature

Five Things You Should Know About Library Signage
By Kathy Dempsey
This feature is the product of an in-depth interview I conducted with Mark Aaron Polger, an associate professor and the coordinator of library outreach at the College of Staten Island. Polger has been researching, auditing, and writing about signage for more than a decade and recently published a book about it. So I wanted to question him about what’s most important to know and do. As it turns out, there’s a lot of strategy and psychology that goes into creating effective signs.

AdTech Tools With Trent

Tools to Tap Into the Power of Digital Audio
By Trenton Smiley
I’m so happy that Trenton Smiley accepted my invitation to write a new column for MLS. Smiley, director of marketing and communications at Capital Area District Libraries in Michigan, has long used advanced technologies to advertise and promote CADL. Now, in every other issue, he’ll share his experiences with adopting these tools. He begins by discussing advertising via digital audio, mentioning numerous platforms and detailing the one he chose. After using AudioGO for nearly a year, Smiley offers insights and statistics to show its impact. He’s even arranged a special money-saving offer for other librarians who want to try the service.

The MLS issues that do not have the AdTech Tools column will instead have the long-running Interviews With Marketing Masters column from Judith Gibbons. So every issue will have a column, and they’ll alternate between stories about people and stories about technology.

ICMYI

Tidbits From Ukraine, Afghanistan, Scotland, England, Wales, and Even the U.S.
By Kathy Dempsey
These pages of ICYMI bring a variety of tidbits from around the world. They include stories about the fate of libraries in Ukraine and Afghanistan, as well as links to articles about library controversy in the U.S. There are several new reports to inform library promoters and new marketing modules added to the Vega software platform. There’s fascinating information about the official sale of books from the library of recently deceased Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg. You’ll read about a smart Scottish promotional campaign dubbed #LibrariesAreEssential, and you can watch TV news video coverage of the PLA Conference from March. Finally, we end with a few heartwarming stories.