Online Resources & Multimedia

The benefits of creating online and multimedia resources to publicise your collections are obvious: they are an attractive method of engaging a wider audience. Visually oriented collections are ripe for online resources and multimedia as they can engage more users on more levels, and made a more immediate and lasting impression.

At a bare minimum, this wiki recommends that the special library or special collections are represented on your parent organisation’s website. To capitalise on your expanded exposure, where possible, make sure collections are catalogued and records are available through publicly accessible OPAC.

Keep up-to-date with new technologies and applications and how libraries are using them – the next big thing could be the right fit for your library. Below are some promotional methods, vehicles and activities which are recommended to promote library services and collections online and through multimedia technologies.

AEIOU
If you are short on time, take the AEIOU approach to digital marketing: Already Existing Information Optimally Uploaded.

Apps
An app to provide library information, search the catalogue, and self-checkout may be available with your library management software package. If not, and you think your patrons may find it useful, consider commissioning an app, or speak to your organisation’s IT department about building a custom app. Mobile apps highlighting collection items, such as historical walking tours, may also be built.

Biodiversity Heritage Library
A consortium of natural history and botanical libraries that cooperate to digitise the legacy literature of biodiversity held in their collections and to make that literature available for open access.

Blogs
A library blog is a great way to share information about what library staff have been up to, new resources, contents of the latest journal issues, and the like. It can also be a great place to store links and passwords to eResources or the answers to any frequently asked questions so that you can easily link patrons to the blog for such queries. Recommended reading lists and online exhibitions can also be set up on a blog. LinkedIn is fast becoming a popular space to blog via LinkedIn stories, the benefit of which being that you can more easily drive conversation amongst your professional network as well as receiving comments and likes on your posts. Encourage patrons to subscribe to blog updates. There are several different types of blogs you can establish, such as: repository blogs; processing blogs; and ‘catablogs’. For more information see Grimm.

Collection use
Highlight ways which collections have been used on websites, blogs, or other online devices.

Crowd-sourcing
Inviting individuals to comment or tag items about which little is known. For example: an appeal on Facebook for information about when a photograph was taken or identifying persons in an image; or social tagging or geotagging of items in order to create metadata. Some libraries have gamified this process successfully, as with Biodiversity Heritage Library who have created the online games Smorball and Beanstalk (https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/collection/BHLGames) in order to crowd-source verifying accuracy of OCR text.

Digitisation
Digitising out-of-copyright material, or licensed material with permission has obvious benefits for both libraries and patrons. If you do not have the means to digitise material in-house, is it possible to partner with another organisation? Or could you apply for grant money to outsource the digitisation of parts of your collections? Perhaps you could use a significant anniversary of materials or creators as a catalyst to build an impetus for digitisation? If you are short on time, perhaps consider a volunteer-led digitisation project: for example, volunteers may be eager to digitise and describe collections which concern them or their ancestors.

E-Newsletters
Consider publishing an e-newsletter or contribute to your organisation’s newsletter. Content could consist of re-purposed material from press releases, annual reports, collection information, internal documents, blog posts, and upcoming events.

GIFs
Make GIFs using collection items, and enter GIFs into competitions such as GIF It Up (https://pro.dp.la/events/gif-it-up) for exposure. Encourage patrons to create GIFS using your collection, and perhaps turn it into a competition with a prize for the best entry. You could even run GIF-making workshops to encourage patrons.

Goodreads
Goodreads is a ‘social cataloguing’ website that allows individuals to freely search its database of books, annotations, and reviews. Users can sign up and register books to generate library catalogues and reading lists. Several libraries also use Goodreads as a way to share staff recommendations and reading lists, and host online book discussion groups, for example. Libraries can also create a group page for their library on Goodreads so that Goodreads members can discover your content, services and form an online community.

Google Arts & Culture
An online platform through which the public can access high-resolution images of artworks housed in the initiative’s partner institutions.

Google Posts
If your library has claimed its location on Google My Business, you can now use Google Posts to push out updates and events which will appear in Google search and maps results.

Historypin
Historypin allows you to pin photos to geographic locations on Google Maps and can create tours of digital content. If you have collections of photographs which are able to be shared, Historypin is a great way to create virtual tours and walking tours.

Kiosks, informational
Particularly if you do not have a strong physical presence in your organisation, consider whether you may be able to provide access to an informational kiosk, which could include informational brochures, access to an ask a librarian service, and access to the library catalogue.

Kiosks, multimedia
Kiosks displaying audio and visual content are a great way to share audio-visual content, such as oral histories and digitised books, with patrons.

LibGuides
LibGuides is a content management system used to curate knowledge and share specific subject resources, finding aids and images.

Mobile functionality
If you are able to have a web-presence, consider your website’s mobile functionality. How does it appear on a mobile device? Can users easily access reference materials and the library catalogue?

Omeka
A free, flexible, and open source web-publishing platform for the display of library, museum, archive, and scholarly collections and exhibitions.

Online book club
Where a book has been digitised, facilitate a book club or discussion group on the digitised book. Perhaps you could commit to digitising one out-of-copyright item from your collection per month for the group to read, and offer your insights on the text, and invite local members of the group to the library to view the book in person.

Online resources
Keep online resources in mind as a possible outcome for all projects. For example: when writing the original version of this catalogue, I realised it might make a good Wiki.

Online tours
Provide a virtual tour of the library online. If your collections are hidden back-of-house, this could be a great way to open up those spaces to the public. It can also just be a dynamic way to introduce patrons to your collections and services.

OPAC
Where possible, ensure that the library catalogue is accessible from the organisation’s website. Additionally, ensure that your holdings can be accessed online through Trove, WorldCat, or another similar online library database aggregator.

Oral Histories
Consider sharing and creating online resources around oral histories in your collections, where possible. You may also conduct or commission an oral history about the history of your library or collections.

Podcasts
If you have the means and time to commit to producing a regular podcast, it is a great way to engage with people. Consider recording speakers at events, interviewing other librarians or experts in your industry, or perhaps your job encompasses a particular niche worth exploring on tape.

Projections
Images or collection items can be projected onto internal or external buildings or walls. If your organisation does not have the required equipment or space, why not collaborate with an artist or with a projection festival, such as the Gertrude Street Projection Festival in Melbourne, or Vivid Sydney.

Push notifications
Push notifications can be enabled on desktop sites and mobile apps. If your library has a website or an app consider installing a web push code so that you are able to push important information and updates through to users.

QR codes
A QR code is a two-dimensional barcode most commonly used to a URL, but also text and other data, so it can be quickly and easily read by a QR code reader. QR codes have several applications for libraries: for example, they can be used in hard-copy advertising for subscribed eResources; they can also be used in exhibits of books to link to a digitised version.

Reference services
If the library is not in a good location consider offering and promoting a telephone, email, and/or web-based reference service. Ensure your services are convenient and barrier-free.

Research guides
Consider publishing research guides online to introduce the various types of information your library holds, particularly around your collection strengths. These guides will be beneficial not only for staff, but in attracting outside researchers to access your library collection.

RSS
An RSS feed can be generated from any website. Consider providing an RSS feed to push web-updates directly to users.

Second Life
Second Life is an immersive 3D environment which can be used for entertainment and educational purposes. Several libraries have established virtual services on the platform. There are approximately 90 library collections on Second Life, representing such diverse topics as classic literature, cystic fibrosis, pet loss, suicide, and a collection on Second Life itself. Stanford Libraries has a virtual archive on Second Life, inviting users to virtually browse the library’s closed manuscripts stacks.

Slideshow
Develop a narrated film. Topics may include: remarkable items in the library collection; library procedures and processes; the history of the library. Where possible share any slideshows created online.

Testimonials
Seek positive feedback to include on your website. Consider how you can turn positive feedback into good publicity: for example, can you ask one of your patrons to write a blog post highlighting how the library has assisted them? Mobilise your customers to help get the message out to their peers.

Tutorials
Create screencasts or video tutorials guiding patrons through various aspects of your website, blog, or other online resource. Free tools are available, such as Screencast-O-Matic and Jing.

Video
Develop a narrated film. Topics may include: remarkable items in the library collection; library procedures and processes; the history of the library. If possible, video any events or speakers you hold in the library and share them. Where possible share any videos created online.

Virtual exhibitions
If your library or organisation does not have a physical space suitable for exhibitions, consider creating a virtual exhibition. Where you have mounted a physical exhibition, produce a virtual exhibition to compliment your physical displays, and to extend the reach of your offerings.

Webcasts
If you are holding an event or presentation, consider opening up to online viewers through webcasting. Periscope is a live video-streaming app which could be utilised.

Web-presence
Try to ensure that your library is represented on your parent organisation’s home page. The more information you are able to include about the library and its collections and services online, it is likely the less enquiries you will receive. Include information such as the range of services the library provides, hours of public access, detailed information about what is held in the library collection, and a link to the library catalogue.

Wikipedia
Use staff or volunteers to improve user access to online collection content by editing and creating links on relevant content pages in Wikipedia. The most effective edits include enhancements to the body of the article, images, and citations which use your website finding aids, exhibitions, and publications as references. Consider running a Wikipedia edit-a-thon event: perhaps editors could add citations relating to collection donors, for example.

Wikis
Wikis are a great tool for libraries: they are a content management solution, collaboration device, and a reference resource all rolled in to one. Wikis are a great tool for group projects as they can be perpetually edited by many. To name a few applications, wikis could be used for subject guides, to record research related to collections, as a knowledge base or planning space, to develop a guide to the library, and as an intranet where an organisation-wide intranet is not available.

YouTube
Consider sharing any videos you create to YouTube. Perhaps you could use YouTube to encourage user-generated content as well, for example: Koontz & Mon (2014) suggest an ‘upload your own book review’ contest, where users create one-minute book reviews using items from the library collection for a prize. Some libraries have had great success merely uploading videos of collection items accompanied by music.