Albany Public Library Partners With Transportation Authority
By Scott C. Jarzombek and Stephanie T. Simon
Public librarians may not think about transportation organizations when they look for community partners, but Albany Public Library in New York sets a great example. Here, APL’s executive director and public information officer join to tell their story. Numerous joint initiatives have led to greater recognition by city officials, new and improved services for patrons, and even new revenue streams for the library.

How-To

Creating a Crisis Communication Plan to Handle a Scandal or Escape a Scrape
By Tamara King
A car accident at one of Richland Library’s buildings drove home the need for a crisis communication plan, and a brush with a massive hurricane nearly a year later provided the opportunity to test that new plan. Tamara King explains what happened in between: Her department worked with others throughout the 12-branch system to create a far-reaching plan and to train all staff members in its usage. Her four rules for effective crisis communication management will guide you in doing the same.

Special Report

Thoughts From Toronto’s Think Tank Conference
By Mark Aaron Polger
New York City librarian Mark Aaron Polger took a day trip to his homeland in August to attend the 2018 Marketing Libraries Think Tank conference in Toronto. This small, provincial event featured some local librarians as well as some speakers from outside the field. His highlights include info on Instagram, the Ladder of Engagement, and personal branding.

Jessica Madison Lobbies Legislators, Restores Funding
By Judith Gibbons
Interviewer Judith Gibbons connected with Jessica Madison from INFOhio, a consortium that serves school libraries across the state of Ohio. Madison details the #INFOhioWorks campaign, which employed advocates statewide to educate legislators about the vital databases and services it provides to classrooms. After officials understood INFOhio, they voted to restore more than $1 million in funding they had taken away. This initiative won a John Cotton Dana Library Public Relations Award this year.

My Go-To Tools and Very Best Tips
For her final column in MLS, Jennifer E. Burke compiled her favorite tools and reiterated her most important tips. They run the gamut, covering design, feed tracking, advice sites, and more. You’ll want to keep this list handy.

New Data to Inform Marketing and PR
By Kathy Dempsey
Instead of publishing a Book Review in this issue, MLS editor Kathy Dempsey covers four reports and one white paper that came out in 2018. They reveal the results of studies, stats, and trends that library marketers should understand in order to do better planning and promotion. The white paper is geared toward enabling email marketing specifically. These documents, most of them free to download, come from ACRL, IMLS, NoveList, and OCLC.

This issue carries news about a two-volume set of case studies from ACRL that will help academic librarians articulate their value, about the winner of the Marketer of the Year Award, and about a new director of communications and marketing at ALA.