The opening of the prestigious Millennium Library in 2001 saw Norfolk Library and Information Service launch a robust marketing strategy that helped turn its new flagship library into the busiest in the country.
It has continued to use its successful marketing approach to promote and increase public participation at all its libraries and visits to its libraries have doubled and the number of active users has risen by five percent.
“The last ten years have probably seen the biggest changes in Norfolk’s Library Service in living memory, and it was important that we communicated this to people living in our county,” explained Jennifer Holland, Head of Norfolk Library and Information Service at Norfolk County Council. “Our approach ensured that Norfolk residents felt informed of, and excited by, these changes, and we can see the results in the different ways that libraries are being used today, and by a wider range of people.”
“We try to ensure that messages about the library service are directed at particular audiences; we advertise the library service in events magazines to attract young people, in cinemas during afternoon screenings in order to target older people, on the side of the park-and-ride buses to target families.
“We have computer games for hire in many of our libraries and run Saturday events that invite children to come in and sample them before they borrow. We also run events targeted at young men and boys, with relevant authors, skateboarding demonstrations, surf board simulators and card swaps. It’s about getting the most effective message out to the right audience.”
The library service was also careful not to neglect its core facilities and services. High investment into the service’s book stock has continued, there is an ongoing programme of refurbishment of all the county’s libraries and a new building is planned.
In the Millennium Library’s first year of opening the marketing campaign concentrated on identifying the different services on offer in that library that would be of interest to different types of users, while across the whole service the message was focused on advertising its facilities for children and families. The following year the service added a focus of encouraging city workers to use the Millennium Library, and each successive year the service has developed a set of messages for specific user groups.
“We still carry out more general advertising, but the real benefit of targeting specific groups within communities is that you allocate resources more effectively. You can see which types of activities have an impact and focus your service planning on doing things that will make a difference and that will contribute key objectives,” said Jennifer.
“In the first year of focussed marketing our active user groups increased significantly across the service. However, when you open or refurbish a library you always get an increase in interest in that library. What we are trying to do is ensure that interest continues.”
“It’s important you listen to your staff, and the public, to keep them onboard. We also have the support of Norfolk County Council and its councillors and, in turn, we support them and our other partners. By working collaboratively, we can make sure that what we’re saying across the board is consistent, planned and strategic.”
For more detailed information on Norfolk libraries please visit the case study section on the MLA research website.