Welcome/Bienvenidos

1. Welcome/Bienvenidos Community Connections: Outreach Services Presented by Yolanda J. Cuesta New Jersey Library Trustee Institute September 2006

2. Objectives • Increase awareness of effective techniques for identifying needs of non-users and underserved communities • Better understanding of effective outreach techniques • Increase understanding of how to market to underserved communities Cuesta Multicultural Consulting

3. What is Outreach? • Process of connecting the library to your target community by finding out • Who they are • What is important to them/of interest to them/what their needs are • Reaching them where they are/where they gather/where they feel comfortable Cuesta Multicultural Consulting

4. Effective Outreach • Involves • Identifying and addressing the needs of the community • Making the community aware of how the library can help improve their lives • Letting the community know they are welcome in the library and that they have access to all library resources • Delivering services in a culturally responsive way • Building relationships and trust Cuesta Multicultural Consulting

5. Who Are Your Underserved Customers? • Diversity of diversity • Go beyond the demographics • For multicultural customers it’s important to know: • what countries they come from • how long they have been in the US • how well they speak English • what is their education and economic level • what is their level of acculturation Cuesta Multicultural Consulting

6. Do Not Assume an Understanding of the Public Library • Varying experiences with public libraries • Common misconceptions • Public libraries are only for the educated or for those attending school • Library materials are for sale • Access to the library and library services requires a fee • Libraries will divulge the personal information used in obtaining a library card to government agencies • Libraries only provide materials in English Cuesta Multicultural Consulting

7. What Are the Needs of Your Underserved Community? • Assessing community needs is the most effective • Planning technique • Outreach technique • Marketing technique • Evaluation technique • Collection development technique Cuesta Multicultural Consulting

8. Benefits of Needs Assessments • Informs your target community about the library • Develops knowledgeable customers • Incorporates their perspective • Stimulates creativity in designing services • Enables you to be more responsive to community • Connects the library to community issues • Begins word-of-mouth marketing • Validates the underserved customer Cuesta Multicultural Consulting

9. Needs Assessment Techniques • Community leader interviews • Community forums • Focus groups Cuesta Multicultural Consulting

10. Assessing Community Needs • Have you assessed the needs of your target/ underserved community? • When? • How? • What did you learn? • How did you use the results? • What other techniques do you use to identify community needs? Cuesta Multicultural Consulting

11. Benefits of Using Community Leaders • Easiest to do — low resource requirements • Dealing with people who know government • Leaders have community trust Cuesta Multicultural Consulting

12. How to Use Community Leader Process • To introduce yourself and learn about the community • To identify the needs of the community • To get feedback on a specific service or program • To publicize or market a specific service or program • To find out how well you are doing in reaching and serving the community Cuesta Multicultural Consulting

13. Community Leader Interview Process • See Community Leader Interview Guide • Identify community leaders • Set up interviews • Conduct interviews • Analyze/summarize information • Develop preliminary response • Set up follow-up interviews Cuesta Multicultural Consulting

14. Asking People What the Library Can Do For Them… • Is good public relations • It is NOT needs assessment Cuesta Multicultural Consulting

15. Interview Questions • Focus on the community and the customer, not the library • Ask questions about community problems, needs, barriers, events, opportunities • Acknowledge community leader expertise • Show interest in the community • Demonstrate that you want to help solve community problems • Avoid asking library-centric questions Cuesta Multicultural Consulting

16. Issues in Interviewing Community Leaders • 1st interview begins relationship • 2nd interview shares findings and ideas • 3rd interview asks for marketing support Cuesta Multicultural Consulting

17. Marketing Services • Started with needs assessment process Cuesta Multicultural Consulting

18. Word-of-Mouth Marketing • Tightly related to social networks • You must know who is in the social network • Penetrate through community leaders Cuesta Multicultural Consulting

19. Best Techniques for Word-of Mouth Marketing • Promote among local community leaders • Hold special event within community tailored to their needs and interests • Work with ethnic/target community media Cuesta Multicultural Consulting

20. Reach of Ethnic Media • Ethnic media reaches 51 million adults (24% of the adult population) in the U.S. • This includes 29 million “primary consumers” that prefer ethnic media to mainstream media • Another 22 million are “secondary consumers” that prefer mainstream media but access ethnic media on a regular basis “The Ethnic Media in America: The Giant Hidden in Plain Sight” by Bendixen & Associates for New California Media, May 2005 Cuesta Multicultural Consulting

21. Reach of Ethnic Media • Reaches • 89% of Latino community • 87% of African American community • 74% of Arab American community • 70% of Asian American community • 64% of Native American community Cuesta Multicultural Consulting

22. Characteristics of Ethnic Media • More likely to cover community stories overlooked by general media • Communicate culture, tradition, attitudes, and reflect communities they serve • Foster close ties within their community • Serve as valuable orientation guides for their community • Have great passion and enthusiasm • Information they cover reflects the nature of the community they serve Cuesta Multicultural Consulting

23. Working With Ethnic Media • Build personal relationships • Include them in community leader interviews • Get to know the personalities and the publication/media • Listen to/watch/read ethnic media • Purchase ads • Maintain contact Cuesta Multicultural Consulting

24. Culturally Relevant Marketing • Promote how you can help the community with their needs and issues • Promote the library as a place that helps. Focus attention on how the library responds to community needs and interests. De-emphasize books, information, etc. • Promote in places where the community shops, eats, plays, gathers Cuesta Multicultural Consulting

25. Principles of Success • Establish mutual awareness and trust • Partner with the community • Expect positive attitudes towards target community • Make outreach everyone’s responsibility • Integrate library into heart and soul of community Cuesta Multicultural Consulting

26. ¡Muchas Gracias!