So, what makes a great library blog?
Well, let’s walk through a real story to find out…
Sneha Bhavsar is a mixed media artist who was commissioned to create a very intricate and delicate piece with paper she brought from India. This piece required Sneha to make many cuts to the paper using an X-Acto knife; however, the process was taking too long and putting a toll on Sneha’s hand.
So, Sneha’s friend suggested she look into using a laser cutter, but Sneha wasn’t ready to invest in a laser cutter just yet. She wanted to learn more about it and, if possible, try one out before investing in one; so, Sneha opened Google and searched, “free laser cutters near me.” In turn, Google served her a blog post from Harris County Public Library on laser cutters. It was exactly what Sneha needed, so she landed on the page, read the content, clicked the links, and signed up for an orientation. In the following weeks, Sneha regularly visited the library’s makerspace to complete her project, and in turn, spread the word about the facility to her artist friends, thus leading more people to use their library’s resources for their artistry.
If you'd like to learn more about Sneha's story and how she found, leveraged, and advocated for Harris County Public Library, then check out this video.
Sneha’s story captures what the perfect library blog does:
First, it makes your library available to the people who need it most and, as importantly, in the mediums they prefer using (e.g., in Sneha’s case, Google).
Second, it shows that the library delivers tangible value through its services, resources, and facilities. Not only that, but it provides actionable pathways for your readers to start using those benefits with minimal (if any) friction or barriers.
Third, it helps empower people in your community in ways that matter to their personal lives and, in turn, encourages them to advocate for your library to their peers, family, and friends.
Fourth, it puts your library on the map by getting people to spread the word about how you helped them achieve a tangible good in their lives and in their communities.
These concepts — 1. being visible, 2. delivering tangible value, 3. providing actionable pathways to utilizing the library, and 4. empowering individuals and communities alike — will help you generate truly powerful and captivating blog ideas. We’ll show you how below:
Search engine optimized (SEO) content is not only a really effective way of getting in front of a patron when they’re in need of something, but it reinforces your public library’s online visibility. This is part content and part technical, and for the latter, you’ll need to ensure you have the necessary SEO functionality. However, from a content standpoint, think about what a potential patron would search on Google – e.g., how Sneha found Harris Public County Library by querying, “laser cutters near me.”
There are many ways to generate SEO content. A good starting point is creating “how to…” guides, such as “how to sign up for a library card,” “how to use a 3D printer,” etc. Take stock of your library’s resources and, in turn, build “how to…” guides as a way to both inform and materially empower your patrons. These are compelling blogs because they provide useful knowledge on how to use and access those tools – and at no monetary cost!
Likewise, libraries can also build local SEO content – e.g., “free meeting rooms in [city], [state]” and “free internet services in [city], [state]” – based on their physical facilities and resources. Of course, they are just a few entry points into SEO, but it should give you a good basis to build upon over the long term.
Overall, one key benefit of SEO blogs is that they’re evergreen by nature, meaning, many SEO topics don’t go out –of date. As you write SEO blogs, you build a reservoir of content that adds to your search visibility. Like a snowball rolling down a hill, your search visibility grows as you publish more content, even at a slow pace (just be consistent and ensure you’re getting content out at a regular pace.)
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Blogging is a great way of promoting your library’s resources, such as career upskilling, study and meeting rooms, collections, makerspaces, and programs. However, you need to present those benefits in ways that show readers tangible value and, as importantly, what they need to do to leverage them.
So, if you’re offering LinkedIn Learning at your library, for example, then create blogs on how your patrons can elevate their careers. If you provide online language training services, then write a blog on the world’s most spoken languages. There’s no limit to the creative blog ideas you can generate. In fact, you can even promote the monetary value of your library card (e.g., showing how much people save by borrowing books and media) while also providing a guide on how people can sign up.
Public libraries are bastions of equity, diversity, inclusion, privacy, and many other core values important to their local communities. In fact, communities often look to their libraries to see what they have to say and (as importantly) what they do about important issues.
Not only is this an effective way to show your community where you stand on such issues, but it also offers a natural opening for your employees to lead conversations. People connect best with people, so this is a great place to encourage your employees to talk about important issues.
In tandem, you can use these conversations to promote specific parts of your collections or towards some timely programs and resources. For example, you can write a blog on the civic importance of voting and, in turn, promote your voter resources. Likewise, you can also talk about the history of Pride Month while, at the same time, highlighting relevant books, media, and events at your library.
Patron stories are a great way to connect with your patrons. They provide unique perspectives about your library’s services and uncover forgotten gems in your collections. However, the patron’s voice is also a way to connect with the community at a more personal and relatable level. Just think about Sneha’s story; it’s a way of showing artists how their library helped someone in their community. So, those who want to follow in Sneha’s footsteps now know where to go and what to do.
Your patrons can also tell a story of how their public library helped them work through serious aspects of their personal lives, e.g., connecting with fellow parents, upskilling themselves for better career prospects, finding a place to network and organize, and accessing necessary resources.
One of the barriers stopping people from using their public library is that there’s not enough guidance on how to do so. Every library service, from signing up for a library card to placing holds on items to booking a meeting room, deserves a guide. Not only is it a great way of building a large volume of high-quality content, but it’s the guidance your patrons need to get more out of their library.
The more you guide your patrons, the more they’ll lean on their public library. This is an effective method of keeping your patrons engaged as well, especially after they sign up for a library card. For example, you can send a guide by email on how to place a hold and pick up their first item. You can also re-engage your less active patrons with these guides, giving them a chance to start using their library cards again.
Write blog posts commemorating current issues, holidays, key events, and other topics of relevance to your local community. It’s important for your library to reflect the makeup of the community, showing people of all backgrounds that they’re welcomed and celebrated for who they are.
In fact, on top of engaging a wide range of topics and touching on many issues, you can also write in the languages of your local community. See, for example, Oakland Public Library’s #TipTuesday post in Spanish.
Get a deeper insight of your patrons and, where possible, potential patrons to understand their interests, especially niche and/or emerging areas. For example, if you see an increase in patron interest in specific parts of your collection, consider creating content for those niches.
Reflecting on local history is a great way to show your library’s connection to the community. Posts about local figures, events, and issues helps educate patrons and, potentially, attract the interest of local media and others who like promoting their community.
Finally, build deeper connections with your patrons by showing them who their librarians are! Your blog is a great place to announce new staff and spotlight their big (or small) moments at your library. It’s also a strong way of engaging your patrons in personable and relatable ways as it puts the focus on people.
If you’d like to see how a real public library ideates blog content, then we recommend watching a session by Harris County Public Library at BiblioCon ’23. It was a great look at how the team drives public awareness and patron engagement through blogging. The recording — along with every other BiblioCon ’23 session — is available to view on-demand. You can use this link to sign up, and if you'd like to see a summary of the entire conference, read our recap blog.