Public library promotion in a changing society

Abstract

The UK Government’s ten year strategic vision for public libraries in England notes the investment in the People’s Network in 2002 as a significant step in allowing libraries to fulfil their potential in the digital age. The People’s Network marked a change in services offered by public libraries with the installation of networked computers in almost all public libraries. This change in provision brought an opportunity to attract new patrons into the library. Since then the electronic environment in public libraries has developed, extending access to electronic resources which was initially more prevalent in academic libraries. Yet a recent report shows that public libraries need better marketing and advocacy. This applies at both strategic and patron levels. Recently, a digital paradox noted by British Library Chief Executive, Lynne Brindley was that we are all web residents but there is nothing like face to face. Thus there has to be online promotion, but there also has to be promotion to encourage patrons to visit online. There are examples of successful library initiatives, but libraries can also draw on the techniques used by commercial organizations. This paper considers the promotion of the value of the changing face of public library services and the need for results of promotion to be evaluated so as to inform future development.