The Olive Tree

Statewide Library Awareness Campaign

(Information provided by Hannah Brazee Gregory, Project Director. Maine Statewide Library Awareness Campaign.)

"Maine Libraries: Something for Everyone" is the theme of a new awareness campaign being developed under a statewide New Century Community grant. The effort seeks to encourage Mainers to take advantage of the many services provided by all types of libraries throughout the state - from public and school libraries to academic and special libraries, some of which may be unknown to the general public. The focus of the effort will be to encourage people in Maine to discover the many services provided by their local libraries and the valuable collections they maintain. 

A primary emphasis is the development of a new web site promoting all Maine libraries and the distribution of public service announcements. Another campaign objective is to highlight libraries throughout the state and to feature real library users in advertisements and feature stories. This major effort focuses on the many services and programs libraries provide and highlights the fact that libraries provide more than just books - they are an important part of their communities, enriching the lives of the members of the community by providing access to information, cultural enrichment activities and so much more.

The New Century public awareness grant was awarded in June 2002 to the boards of the three Maine Regional Library System Districts, with the support of the Maine Library Association and the Maine Association of School Libraries. A statewide committee was formed to carry out the project, which resulted in the development of the "Something for everyone" theme and an aggressive strategic marketing plan. The committee contracted with Shoestring Creative Group of Portland to develop the awareness campaign.

Home | Olive Tree | Summer 2003