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To Charge or Not to Charge? A Dilemma for Programming Librarians

A person counting dollar bills

It's a sticky subject in the library world: is it appropriate for public libraries to charge a fee for patrons to participate in programs?

I'm not trying to take sides, but rather illuminate some of the reasons why libraries might charge fees and to start what I hope will be a productive dialogue about this emerging dilemma.

Local Networks: The Librarian Skills of Outreach and Marketing

Photograph of connected chat bubbles on a yellow background.

Library workers need to be skilled in outreach and marketing so they can promote their libraries’ programs and services and advocate for their organizations. But in many MLIS programs, skills like outreach and marketing — things that many programming librarians do every day, but that fall outside the “typical” librarian job description — often go untaught, leaving workers to learn on the job.

Advertising, Marketing & Making Connections

Boomers and Beyond logo

When Palos Verdes Library District was charged with creating a large-scale, grant-funded program series for older adults, we knew we would have to be at the top of our marketing game. After all, big programs call for big marketing. 

As much as we love fliers and posters, we knew that this time, they weren't going to meet our marketing needs. Your marketing plan really needs to match the size and amount of programming you’re doing, and it needs to be tailored to the audience you're trying to reach.

Free Photo Editors to Use for Your Graphics

Photo editing on a laptop: Photo by Domenico Loia on Unsplash

A surprising amount of graphic design goes into a programming librarian's job, from creating signage for upcoming programs to repackaging photos you took at an event. Navigating these tasks is easier when you have plenty of free tools at your disposal.

There are a lot of great free photo editor tools available, but it can be hard to find one site or program that will do everything you need. Below, I outline three different tools that have helped me with display signage, web content creation and photo repackaging.

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