Your librarians are in New Orleans...Want to know why?

We're presenting a poster session at the American Library Association's 2011 conference about our use of WordPress and Joomla to market the Marygrove College Library. Stay tuned for details! (But we'll leave you with this: jambalaya, gumbo, and po' boys are all made in heaven.)

Follow the conference on Twitter: #ala11

This post was updated June 30, 2011:

Library assistant Laura Manley (who's this close to finishing her library science master's degree and becoming a full-fledged librarian), along with fully-fledged librarian Christine Malmsten, had the privilege of presenting a poster session on marketing the Marygrove College Library this past weekend in New Orleans.

Their session was titled, "If You've Got It, Flaunt It! Marketing Your Academic Library with Wordpress." Laura and Christy described how they created an online magazine (a 'zine) to showcase the library's services, especially those that aren't well known. They also presented the results of a survey designed to figure out who's using library resources, who isn't, and why.

What frustrated them during this process? Having to switch 'zine software halfway through. They originally began designing the 'zine using OpenZine.com, but due to (un)usability issues and the fact that it's supported by advertising, they switched over to WordPress.com.

What delighted them about this process? Two things in particular: first, sharing experiences with other information professionals at the conference (including some international librarians); and second, the large number of students, staff and faculty who took the survey. These members of the Marygrove community sent a flood of positive feedback. Sample comments: 

• "The library staff is very warm and welcoming" 
• "I have found the all of the Library staff to be very personable and knowledgable"  
• "I do find the reading room a great place to study with my laptop, so if I have a block of time, I will head that way"
• "I enjoy spending time in the library, it takes me away from the stressful vibe of the academic setting. I meet up with friends and we discuss upcoming assignments and use the computers. It is a necessity on campus"
• (and our personal favorite) "I love the library"

More details about Laura & Christy's presentation as well as full survey data are available upon request. You can reach Christine Malmsten at 313.927.1378 or cmalmsten@marygrove.edu. You can reach Laura Manley at 313.927.1540 or lmanley3312@marygrove.edu