[WEB4LIB] Re: BANaRAMA(sm): A Registry of Library Promotional

[Thomas Dowling]

----- Original Message -----
From: "Drew, Bill" <drewwe at snymorva.morrisville.EDU>
To: "Multiple recipients of list" <web4lib at webjunction.org>
Sent: Monday, August 07, 2000 9:15 AM
Subject: [WEB4LIB] Re: BANaRAMA(sm): A Registry of Library Promotional


> I am coming in late on this discussion, but I find it annoying that
people
> get upset over banner ads on library sites or anywhere else.  The same
> people probably wouldn't whine about ads every 2 minutes on commercial
> television or radio.  We use a text crawl on our website to inform our
users
> of new resources and services. Why are we afraid to promote ourselves
or our
> services?   I would strongly urge anyone that links marketing with
negative
> views take a course on marketing of library and information services.
It
> might open your eyes.
>

Most libraries are not commercial endeavors, so the comparison with
commercial radio is out of place.  Though if it comes to that--what's
the most likely reason someone will hit the "scan" button and move on to
another station?

Marketing is inherently a process of you, the marketer, determining the
message that I, the consumer, should receive.  It is appropriate and
necessary in some library contexts: hence the zillions of bookmarks we
distribute with checked out books, the signs on the public service desks
and workstations, and so on.  Similar marketing is terribly
inappropriate in other library contexts: when I ask the reference
librarian for help locating materials on subject X, I will not stand for
an introductory spiel on the new resources in subject Y.

The question is, which of these contexts does the library home page
represent?  I personally believe it's usually the latter.  I also
believe that people surfing the net quickly develop either a deep
resentment toward non-directed ads or the mental ability not to see them
(or both - see point 10 in
<URL:http://www.useit.com/alertbox/990530.html>).

Thomas Dowling
OhioLINK - Ohio Library and Information Network
tdowling at ohiolink.edu