In your face! (but in a good way)

Now that I am coming out of my turkey stupor, I'm ready to get-a-postin'!

It occurred to me that my blog has been neglecting an important group of librarian-marketers: corporate librarians (sorry, guys!). Corporate librarians know all about the importance of marketing themselves and their services, especially in this climate of downsizing. So, to remedy this egregious oversight, this week I'm focusing on marketing resources and tips just for librarians in a business setting (but that we can all use!).

To that end, I came across a February article from Information Outlook about getting out of your office and "in the face" of your clients. The author contends that you are your own best marketing tool, so make it a point to drop by people's cubicles, pass along resources of interest to them, and attend your company's events. Brochures, he says, can be tossed away, but people need in-person reminders of who you are and what you can do for them.

Great advice! I was thinking about this topic just today as I was "getting in the face" of some service-learing faculty about library resources. We librarians are all walking library billboards and everything, from how we present ourselves, to our e-mail signatures, to our printed materials tells people what we're all about. Marketing doesn't mean coming up with snazzy one-liners or glossy brochures. Marketing is about connecting with people, which requires giving patrons someone to connect with (yourself!). Just giving patrons a face to associate with your library can be the best advertisement for your services.