THE IMPORTANCE OF MARKETING IN GAINING NEW INCOME STREAMS

Patricia Layzell Ward, Editor, Library Link

In many countries around the globe libraries have the opportunity to gain new income streams. Libraries may offer certain of their services in return for a fee; they may produce publications for sale, for example, which generate additional income when they are provided at a profit. But in addition there is the possibility of gaining larger income streams. In the UK, for example, there is a Heritage Lottery Fund that has provided some large sums of money for specific projects within libraries, archives and museums. The European Union is another source of special funding for libraries. Librarians in the US have had longer experience of obtaining funds from national bodies and private foundations. These sources of funding can make a significant difference to the overall income, and enable projects to be carried out which would perhaps be beyond the normal budget income.

But gaining these income streams does not come easily. They require considerable effort. The effort will be in the number of person hours involved in making the application: in seeking information from the prospective funding agency - it is not always transparent - studying earlier successful applications and finding out why they gained funding, politicking to make the decision-makers aware of the library, archives or museum. It all takes time, political skills - and marketing.

Now while marketing forms a part of the management curriculum in most ILS qualifying courses today, those who qualified a decade ago may not have received an introduction to the subject. In addition the proportion of time given to the teaching of management is thought to be shrinking as the pressure of IT impacts on the amount of time available in first qualification courses. The US realised the importance of fund raising many years ago and the larger academic and public libraries developed highly professional approaches, which included setting up Development Offices and involving Friends of the Library. To see how successful this can be, visit New York or Los Angeles Public Library, for example. New York Public Library has an excellent shop selling a range of affordable and beautiful goodies that attract the tourist as well as the library user. In Los Angeles the impressive re-built Central Library proudly and very publicly displays a list of donors who must be pleased to see their names in the foyer. In the UK the British Library now has an excellent Publicity and PR Department which works vigorously to keep the new Library in the public eye, and its shop and caf� are visited by the public at large.

But the smaller libraries in the public sector do not always have the core funding available to employ professional PR staff, and it seems that there have been few attempts to buy this expertise on a co-operative, or a part-time basis. But even working on a small scale very useful publicity can be gained through the use of the media � local radio, TV or newspapers. The media welcomes stories relevant to the local community if they are presented in a professional way, especially if there is a knowledgeable member of staff who can write, or present themselves well on radio or TV. This gains public recognition of the service, and those who influence decisions concerning the new income streams also listen to the radio, watch TV or read newspapers. The question of advocates for the library service is of increasing importance. People who are in the public eye, who will speak out, talk to the media and make the case for the library � all attract attention and bring benefit to the library at a cost of the time invested by the library staff. Selling the service is important when it comes to decisions about external financial support. As librarians we know all about the value of libraries � but we can�t take it for granted that everyone else does. One example of good PR in the UK was evident recently following the presentation of the 1998 Carnegie Medal. The event received wide media coverage and the winner, David Almond, was quoted in the Times "One of the things I�ve found in the last year is how fantastic children�s librarians are: I�m overwhelmed by their knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and how effective they are in energising children and promoting books" (July 15, 1999, 51). This will be music to the ears of public library chiefs in making cases for additional funding for children�s and school librarians.

So the additional funding streams are there � but libraries have to be marketed to be effective in gaining this vital income.

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