Perfect Storm

Library administrators can create a public relations coup by making "insiders" of community leaders.

Showing influential community members the complexity and sophistication of the library's behind-the- scenes operations can be a good first step to making them loyal supporters.

In the process, board members, Friends officers, school and academic administrators, etc. can learn about the institution they hold in trust.

Frequently community leaders may have little or no connection with the library or even use it

Provide a "leaders' tour" through areas of the library that are frequently “off-limits” to non-employees.

Send out invitations, six weeks in advance of the selected evening, to 25 community leaders.

Each invitee and a guest are asked to join the director, trustees, and key staff members for a buffet supper and tour.

Put together a good mix of guests Our experience shows that, of the 25 leaders invited to each tour, will be able to attend. About half bring a guest, resulting in an average of attendees.

Leaders of civic organizations, youth groups, political clubs, the chamber of commerce, fraternal organizations, volunteer fire and ambulance departments, senior citizen organizations, school and PTA officials, local editors and reporters, religious leaders – Every community is unique

To prepare, identify interesting tasks, processes, and/or equipment as features of the tour (the features selected vary from tour to tour). After the choices are made, the staff members who regularly perform these tasks or work with the equipment outline a presentation, receive input from colleagues.

At this point, if possible, board members observe the presentations. Their questions frequently mirror those of the invitees, and help the staff prepare an effective presentation.

Guests arrive in the library's meeting room at 6:15 p.m. for refreshments. At 6:30, they are formally greeted by the library director and then seated at tables, where they sit with a board member and a staff member. The buffet dinner lasts until about 7:15 p.m.

during which a slide show featuring scenes of people using the library is projected as a background.

After dinner the guests are given an agenda for the tour and are split into five groups, each led by a trustee-guide. The tour is broken into 12- minute segments, with three minutes allotted to move to the next station. Keeping to this schedule ensures that there is only one group at a station at any time and that our guests have a clear view of each presentation. That is why it is important to PRACTICE to get the time down beforehand.

Save questions to the end – to keep to schedule

Although 12 minutes may not seem like a long time, it is sufficient for carefully structured and rehearsed presentations. Community leaders are extremely busy people; many leave the library immediately following the tour to attend other meetings. Providing supper and ending the program before 9 p.m. are two factors that have contributed to the tours' success.

Our guests have displayed interest in a wide variety of activities

RFID

If you can, fit presentations to guests’ interests

Following the 75-minute tour, the trustees and leaders return to the meeting room for dessert, the opportunity to ask questions of the director and key staff members, and closing words by the board president

Huge benefits, small costs

Invariably, the reaction of the leaders is positive. A special bonus was that community opinion- formers saw firsthand how crowded the staff work areas were. We believe this was an important step in winning voter approval for a bond issue to finance a 24,000-sq.- ft. addition

STRESS

In addition, competitive wages for staff are more palatable when community leaders see the talent that is necessary to provide efficient, high-quality library service. Throughout the tours, the library staff's efforts to provide services in a cost-conscious way are emphasized.

One gauge of the effectiveness of the tours is calls from other leaders who contact us to ask when they can come for a tour!

What to do for a non-invitee who has hurt feelings?

The expenses associated with this program are modest. A $10 to $15- per-person cost for supper is the only direct cost and for some tours we had a caterer provide the food at a reduced fee in exchange for positive publicity; staff time and printing a program are the only other direct expenses.

Employee schedules are rearranged to permit the staff members who are working at the stations to be on duty the evening of the tour.

For obvious reasons, we try to schedule tours on our busiest evening—which varies from library to library.

The benefits of these tours are significant

#1 Staff, especially those who work behind the scenes, get a chance to be recognized by the public

The excitement as the staff prepares is a morale builder, and staff get immediate and obvious positive "vibes" from important people--community leaders and library trustees.

The positive impression made on the leaders and the obvious pride of board members in the staff's accomplishments are wonderful rewards for the staff involved.

#2 Board members also love this program. They have the opportunity to become more fully educated regarding their trust, to renew politically important contacts, and to partner with library staff members in a positive undertaking.

These board members, who serve with no pay, are rewarded in a very real way when they see and hear the enthusiastic reactions of the leaders.

#3 The leaders' reward, of course, is that they now feel like insiders, having been exposed to the complexity of the behind-the- scenes operation of the library.

They appreciate the efforts of the trustees and the staff, as well as the recognition that they are leaders. Since the leadership of the organizations changes, there is always a pool of new leaders to invite.

#4 The Library’s reward? Better support from community leaders who have greater appreciation for the library’s staff and services

In some cases, when leaders see what the Library offers, they become regular users