Community

Community & Public Relations

The public library board is a major conduit of information between the library and its community. For this reason, the board has two separate but related functions in relationship to its community:

• It represents the needs and desires of the community to the library staff; and
• It represents the needs of the library to the community.

These functions are illustrated by the following diagram.

If the board fails to pass information in either direction, then it is failing to perform this part of its job.

Representing the Library
One side of the library board’s responsibility in community relations is to represent the library to the community. In order to do this, board members need to be thoroughly familiar with the library. When the board is doing its job, no one in the community, except for the library’s staff, knows the library better than its board members.

With that being said, it is important for each trustee to remember that the individual has no power to act for the library in any way, unless authorized by the board itself.

Some tips on how the trustee can get to know the library:

• By using the library! There is no better way for a board member to get to know the library than to make use its services.
• By asking questions. Even a small library is a complex organization. It is not easy to understand everything that goes on in it. The trustee who does not ask questions will never get the real reasons behind how things are done.
• By reading board meeting minutes. A new board member would be wise to read the board minutes for the past five years. These will tell you the major issues that have been discussed, as well as provide a picture of the budget and other important fiscal information.
• By attending continuing education activities. Activities for both board members and for library staff can be useful, as they can give new perspectives and ideas for the library, and they will help trustees see the “big picture” of librarianship and how the local library fits into it. The library’s ICfL public library consultant can provide training and training opportunities for library boards as well as for staff.
• By visiting other libraries. Cooperation between libraries is an important part of library services. A trustee’s understanding of how other libraries operate will help him or her to develop programs for cooperation for the library.

Representing the Community

Just as the library board represents the entire community, its membership needs to be representative of the entire community. Ideally, the membership of the board includes both men and women, young and old, and all of the community’s socioeconomic groups. If there is a significant minority population in the community, they need to be represented. If the library board has input on who will be appointed to it, these factors need to be considered. However, for a number of reasons, ideal library board representation is rarely achieved. When this occurs, it is up to the board members to seek out the needs and opinions of those who are not represented. How can this be done?

Here are a few suggestions:

• Visiting with individual members of the unrepresented group(s). If there are no men on the board, for example, board members need to talk to their husbands, sons, and male friends about library services and reading, what they like to read, and what kind of information they need to carry out their vocational and recreational activities.
• Visiting groups that are made up of the unrepresented. For example, if the board does not have any members who are parents of school age children, board members may wish to accompany the library director on a visit with the PTA or other parent group to see how the library might more adequately serve these community members.
• Visiting with professionals who work with the unrepresented group. The typical library board demographic does not often include people living in poverty, for example. The needs of this population can be determined, however, if someone from the county welfare department, the local food bank, or the ministerial association is asked to address the board. These are people who deal with the problems of people living in poverty on a day-to-day basis, and who might have some ideas about how the library could better serve them.
• Taking a walk around the community for the express purpose of looking at the community. Frequently, we are so involved in our own lives and concerns that we fail to see important things right in front of our eyes. A good project for the library board could be to walk around the town as a group to see what is going on. When groups do this, they are often surprised not only by how much they do not know about their community, but also by the different perspectives that other board members bring to the same observations.
• If the board has the time or money, they may also carry out a more formal study of the community. This involves gathering statistical information, visiting with a wide variety of community agencies and opinion leaders, and writing a formal document that gives community information. Such studies can be very useful, but should not be taken on lightly, as they are a lot of work.

The Importance of Objectivity

Gathering community information is not enough, however. It is also important to put this information to use. This requires that board members look beyond their own interests and opinions to consider the interests and opinions of others.

Here are some hints on how this can be done:

• By listening, listening, and listening some more.
• By never going into a board discussion with one’s mind made up. When having strong feelings about a particular issue, it is important to make sure to spend more time listening than talking when the issue is discussed.
• By reviewing all policies annually and more often if the need arises. Policies are not written in stone and need to change as the needs of the community change.
• By considering every decision the board makes from the perspective of those who are not represented on the board. For example, if the library decides not to buy paperbacks, how will this affect young adults, who typically do not like hardcover books, and who are excluded from serving on the board by their age?²³
• By being willing to change. It is important to look for ways to make the library more appealing to those who are not currently using it, while at the same time remembering the needs of its more traditional customers.

Public Relations

Relating to the Public

Public relations is much more than the flash, pizzazz, and hoopla typically associated with PR. Publicity and advertising alone are not sufficient to cultivate good relations between the public and the library. Public relations is the person-to-person effort to put libraries into the lives of the people.

Good service to the public is the foundation of good PR. It is everybody’s job! Its trustees, director, staff, and even its buildings and resources affect the public image of the library.

Trustees play a crucial role in public relations, as ambassadors of goodwill. Their involvement helps sustain the organization’s credibility in the public eye. As the official representatives of the community, trustees are vital to the PR program of the library and have a group responsibility and an individual role in relating to the public.

Do You Know Your Community?

Do you know?

• Which shelves in your library are always empty?
• Which journals are most used, or most often missing?
• Who is not coming into your library?
• Who the local authors, artists, musicians, dancers are?
• What products are made in your community?
• What and how people celebrate?
• Who the decision makers are?

Listening to friends, acquaintances, business associates can happen when

• Taking a different route home
• Stopping to see a friend who is overdue for a visit
• Joining a new organization
• Wearing the library trustee hat everywhere
• Having fund being a trustee
• Supporting the library director
• Talking and being noisy about the library. If there’s time to brag about the grandchildren, then there’s time to brag about the library! And besides, it isn’t bragging if it’s true.

Board Responsibility

• To establish public relations policy
• To develop a positive PR plan and schedule for the library
• To recognize PR as a total and continuous function of the library
• To assign members to participate in PR events
• To support staff training and involvement in the PR program
• To evaluate the PR program and public service
• To allocate funds for PR activities and/or volunteer specialists to offer help.

The Individual Trustee

• Is vocal and visible.
• Is well-informed, uses the library, and spreads the word.
• Listens to the community.
• Attends meetings of community organizations to speak and gain information.
• Asks the opinion-makers known by trustees if they will be library supporters.
• Spots gaps in the library’s information program and makes suggestions.
• Works closely with municipal and other officials.
• Tells people what trustees do, who they are, when they meet, and how they can be reached.
• Sells the philosophy and merits of quality library service.
• Learns about other libraries and services statewide and nationally.
• Supports the Friends of the Library and/or Library Foundation and helps recruit members.
• Knows that he or she has no power to act for the library in any way, unless authorized by the board itself.
• Does not voice her or his opposition or criticism, either publicly or privately, after a policy or rule is adopted by a majority vote of the board.
• Conveys the progress, plans, and policies of the library to individuals and groups, while being careful to keep confidential information confidential.
• Refrains from giving out information regarding future board actions or plans.

Public Relations Policy

A written public relations policy will preclude misunderstandings and prevent problems arising.

Among points which should be clarified:

• Respective public relations responsibilities of the library director and the library trustees. This sets out how they work cooperatively so the right hand, in effect, knows what the left hand is doing and the information each may be transmitting to the public is not at odds.
• Procedure for board approval before any major public relations campaign.
• Media contact procedures.
• Official spokesperson for the library board (generally the chairperson).
• Any clearance procedures prior to member speeches, statements representing board position, etc.
• For city libraries, the procedure for aler􀆟ng the city council about informa􀆟on to be made public by the board before publica􀆟on, radio or TV airing, or announcement to any community groups. (Courtesy and good working rela􀆟onships with the city council suggest this procedure.) Another reason: The media may well contact one or more members of the city council for comments, so there logically is a “need to know.”

Every trustee needs to have a copy of the public relations policy in his trustee binder. The library director also receives a copy. The policy is made available to the public at the library as well as on the library’s website.

Examples of Public Relations Policies

• The Pittsburg Public Library, Pittsburg, Kansas
• Sample Public Relations Policy, posted by the Small Library Committee of the Wisconsin association of Public Librarian
• The Claverack Free Library, Claverack, New York
• Palatine Public Library District, Palatine, Illinois

Getting the Message Out

Once a trustee knows about the library, it is important that she get the information out to the community.

Tips on ways to tell the public about the library:

• Bringing up the library as a topic of conversation, informally telling friends and acquaintances about library services.
• At the request of the library director, visiting with groups, such as service clubs, to make a presentation about the library.
• The board and director of a city library can make an annual report to the city council on library services. This is done at a time when the library is not asking for anything from the council.
• The board of a city library can—and should—make the annual budget presentation to city council along with the library director.

Some Tips on How to Talk About the Library:

• Being positive about the library at all times is the way to gain friends and influence funding sources. When a board member says something negative about the library, it gives a very poor impression of both the library and the board member. The goal here is to promote the library.
• Negative comments about the library are to go to the library director, not to the public.
• Speaking to the listener’s interests, not one’s own. Example: When addressing someone who is interested in hunting and fishing, it will do the library little good to talk about the library’s fine collection of sewing books.
• Giving out false information will not help the library’s cause, so it is important to be sure of the facts. When unsure of the answer to a question, it is best to offer to research the issue and then get back to the listener with the correct answer. If your instincts tell you to seek a second opinion, you can consult sources of information that include professional journals, professional organizations, the Idaho Commission for Libraries, the library’s attorney, or your library’s risk management provider.
• It is usually not safe to assume that the listener knows more than he or she does. Using library jargon is likely to confuse or offend the listener.
• Listening is just as important as talking. Sometimes more so.

When writing a news release, it is important to:

• Know the cultural interests of the community.
• Go to the editor for help.
• Feature something special.

When planning a public relations campaign, it is important to:

• Set objectives.
• Know the target group.
• Find out who will mail library flyers with their routine mailing, for example, electric bill, gas bill, tax bill.

When telling the library’ story, it is important to:

• Know the library story, read, talk to neighboring local libraries, talk to other trustees
• Collect those interesting library anecdotes
• Learn to be comfortable speaking to groups

Needs Assessment

A needs assessment process reveals the influences acting on the library. Information collected shapes the services and programs that best fit the library’s strengths and budget. Ultimately, it informs a vision for future development.

Results of a needs assessment can be used in a variety of situations:

• Commencing a strategic planning process
• Determining change in a user community
• Making changes in a library’s collections, services, etc.
• Determining adequacy of facilities, technology, etc.
• Establishing satisfactory staffing patterns and library hours.

Essential Data:

• Local information and demographics cited from census and vital statistic records, library statistics, community development plans, and/or other existing data sources. Collect census figures about:
  • economic levels
  • family size
  • ethnic backgrounds
  • ages
  • education
  • occupations
• Internal (library) and external (community) observation results
• Community input
• Analysis of data (e.g., identification of common threads or issues)
• Library vision statement linking data to the library’s direction

Data Collection Options:

Careful consideration should be given to which data collection techniques are employed. Using only one technique may provide limited information, while using too many can be expensive and time consuming. The online resources below provide several articles with pros and cons of the various techniques.

• Surveys: mail, telephone, e-mail, SurveyMonkey²⁴
• SWOT exercise
  • Strengths
  • Weaknesses
  • Opportunities
  • Threats
• Key informants
• Community forum / Focus group, such as ALA’s Turning Outward, World Cafe
• Census and/or public records
• Citizen advisory groups
• Town meeting
• Being out int he community and listening

Resources

• Turn Outward to Your Community
• World Cafe