[Web4lib] Database Marketing

[John Kupersmith]

Sharon --
The spotlight feature on the homepage seems like a good idea, but might work
better if it were called something other than "Database Spotlight".

The word "database" shows up frequently in usability studies as being
misunderstood or not understood by users in universities and colleges; I
expect it might be much the same in public libraries.
< http://www.jkup.net/terms.html >

Our library uses "Featured resource", which is not perfect either but does
give us the option to feature any kind of resource.  Maybe some of the
Web4Lib subscribers have better ideas.

--jk
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
  John Kupersmith
  Reference Librarian, Doe/Moffitt Libraries
  University of California, Berkeley
  jkupersm at library.berkeley.edu
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

>
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>
> Message: 1
> Date: Thu, 25 Sep 2008 11:52:04 -0700
> From: "Grant, Sharon" <Sharon.Grant at ci.corvallis.or.us>
> Subject: [Web4lib] Database Marketing
> To: <web4lib at webjunction.org>
> Message-ID:
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> C0889BE1FB2F054682E62F3CEBFC55AC81E0E5 at CVOEXCHANGE2.ci.corvallis.or.us>
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>
>
> > Midsized public library looking for a better way to market our
> > databases.
> >
> > http://www.thebestlibrary.net
> >
> > Currently, we do a rotating "spotlight" of a certain database on our
> > homepage, and feature databases in our bi-monthly print newsletter and
> > the annual letter we send out to schools.  We attend local community
> > fairs and have presented a few workshops.  We also have gotten some
> > bookmarks and other promotional materials from vendors that we display
> > in the library.  In addition our Catalog Librarian has cataloged our
> > databases and these now display in our OPAC.
> >
> > We feel that our usage, especially considering the cost is not what we
> > would like it to be.  We are wondering if any public libraries have
> > developed a database marketing plan that could be shared with us.
> > Also, any ideas you tried that worked (or didn't) would also be most
> > appreciated.
> >
> > Please feel free to either reply on or off list.
> >
> > Sharon Grant
> > Adult Services Reference Librarian
> > Corvallis-Benton County Public Library
> > Corvallis, OR   97330
> > sharon.grant at ci.corvallis.or.us
> >
> > P.S. For those subscribed to Web4Lib and PubLib, please excuse the
> > cross posting.
>
>