Putting the Audience in Charge of the Message: Assessment of Student-Generated Public Relations Campaigns in an Academic Library
April Hines, Journalism and Mass Communications Librarian, University of Florida
Rachel Elrod, Head, Education Library, University of Florida
Hélène Huet, European Studies Librarian, University of Florida
Stacey Ewing, Associate University Librarian, University of Florida
Leilani Freund, University Librarian, University of Florida
Marketing Libraries Journal, volume 3, issue 2, pages 64-78.
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Abstract: This article analyzes the effectiveness of an academic library’s public relations (PR) strategies designed to promote librarians and library services to students. One of the core issues librarians face is that many students do not necessarily know what services the library offers or what librarians do and how they can help. To remedy this problem, librarians at the University of Florida collaborated with students from a PR class to devise strategies to better promote the services offered by the libraries as well as the libraries’ subject specialists. Following this collaboration, the group implemented some of the recommended marketing strategies and assessed whether these methods resonated with students and/or changed their perceptions of librarians and libraries. Using a mixed methods approach, the team conducted surveys and focus groups with the aim to better understand the effectiveness of student-generated library marketing and outreach strategies. This assessment will inform library marketing best practices and ensure that implemented strategies work by increasing student awareness of library services and subject librarians.
Citation to article:
Hines, A., Elrod, R., Huet, H., Ewing, S., & Freund, L. (2019). Putting the Audience in Charge of the Message: Assessment of Student-Generated Public Relations Campaigns in an Academic Library Marketing Libraries Journal, 3(2), 64-78. Retrieved from https://journal.marketinglibraries.org/summer2019/06_MLJv3i2_Feature_HinesEtAl.pdf
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