Background: I analyzed the websites of six schools of public health to see if and how they communicated the value that their medical library and public health liaison librarian(s) bring to the student experience. I shared my findings with the Marketing and Public Relations Team at Yale School of Public Health (YSPH) to inspire and empower them to consider highlighting library services on their website. I was then asked to develop three marketing statements targeting prospective students, current students, and alumni that would promote the medical library’s numerous services as well as the dedicated support of its two public health librarians.
Description: On each website, I looked at how the school marketed its public health program to prospective students, and whether it mentioned medical library services and/or public health librarian support. I found that while five of the six schools had dedicated public health librarians, only one school communicated this to prospective and current students. Following these findings, I began developing a list of our medical library’s services that were quantifiable and added value to the student experience, and these became the backbone of my marketing statements.
Conclusion: I submitted the marketing statements to the Assistant Dean of Communications who plans to use them in upcoming promotional efforts for new and prospective students. Additionally, she shared them with the school’s Admissions department. I hope that helping the Marketing and Public Relations team better understand what services the medical library provides, and the added support its two public health librarians offer, causes them to promote library services more frequently and accurately. I predict that if students learn about the library in places other than the library’s website, then more students will know about these services and take advantage of them.
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.jpg "Kayla M. Del Biondo, M.S.L.I.S. photo")
