In June of 2019, the Craighead County Library in Jonesboro, AR launched an LGBTQI+ display, showing support for the marginalized community. What quickly followed was an attack on the library and freedom of speech itself.Eventually, there was a new ballot issue announced targeting the library’s funding, threatening to cut it in half.
We sprung into action to spur the creation of a compelling campaign that would change minds. The focus of the campaign would be on the value the library provides the community, hopefully thwarting efforts to cut funding. Soon, car magnets, lawn signs and T-shirts with the tagline, “Support your Library”, flooded the community. We were astonished at the amount of support we received from the public, but we still needed to educate those who normally don’t visit the library on the importance of the services we offer.
We relied on proof points to tell a story about the impact the library has had on the community to garner appreciation for all of the things the library does year in and year out. Books checked out, audiobooks listened to and children’s events hosted were just a few of the statistics we pulled for our “Let’s Talk Facts” social media series.
Understanding how social proof plays in people’s decision-making process, we also wanted to show personal testimonies about how the library directly impacts people’s lives. This led to the launch of the “Share your Story” series.
These efforts proved to make an significant impact. Our social media reach jumped by 240% and new followers increased by 300%.
While the vote did not go in our favor, the campaign proved successful by the amount of support that was shown for the Craighead County Jonesboro Public Library. The traffic inside the public library increased, and from September to the end of October the public library got 1,129 new library card sign ups. The best way to support your library, is to use your library.
Free Support Your Library merchandise that was given away. Over 200 hundred shirts, 500 yard signs, 100 car magnets, and hundreds of stickers.