Webinar recap
Public librarians are being asked to do more with fewer resources, shorter attention spans, and communities that no longer respond predictably to traditional promotion. This webinar explored a straightforward but often overlooked idea: promotion alone rarely changes behavior. Engagement does.
In Engagement Beats Promotion: A Community-Centered Approach to Marketing, Dr. Audrey Barbakoff drew on her experience in public libraries to reframe how librarians think about visibility, value, and impact. Rather than focusing on louder messages or more channels, the session invited participants to view marketing as a shared, relationship-driven practice that begins well before a flyer is created or a post is scheduled.
Why promotion alone falls short
Many libraries invest substantial time in flyers, social posts, event listings, and email newsletters. Even when this work is done well, the results are often familiar: uneven attendance, low participation, and ongoing confusion about what the library actually offers.
The webinar examined why this pattern persists. Most community members hold a narrow mental model of the library shaped by early experiences. Books. Storytime. Children’s programs. These associations are positive, but incomplete. When new offerings fall outside that frame, they often fail to register.
Resources such as business databases, health literacy workshops, or job search support may be promoted repeatedly without gaining traction because they do not align with how people already understand the library. More information does not resolve this disconnect. Promotion asks people to make the connection on their own. Engagement reduces that burden by allowing people to experience the library’s value directly.
Engagement as a marketing mindset
A central theme of the session was a shift in how marketing is defined. Marketing is not an activity layered on top of services. It is inseparable from how libraries listen, participate, and show up in community spaces.
Every interaction communicates something about the library’s role. Conversations at the desk, meetings with partners, and shared projects all shape public understanding. When librarians think of marketing as participation rather than promotion, the work becomes more sustainable and more effective.
Dr. Audrey Barbakoff emphasized that engagement is not about increasing volume. It is about working alongside community members on goals they already care about. When the library is experienced as a collaborator, its value becomes clear without explanation.
From broadcasting to collaborating
The webinar introduced a framework that describes different levels of engagement. Informing sits at one end and includes calendars, flyers, and announcements. This work is necessary, but limited. It is one-directional and assumes the program or service is already defined.
Consultation and involvement move a step further. Surveys, focus groups, and feedback forms invite input, but decision-making authority typically remains with the library. Delays or unclear follow-through can weaken trust.
The most meaningful shift occurs at the level of collaboration and shared creation. Community members are involved from the beginning, helping to shape goals and define what success looks like. When people help create something, they are more likely to participate, recommend it to others, and advocate for it. Marketing becomes a byproduct of shared work rather than persuasion.
Examples from public library practice
Throughout the session, these ideas were grounded in public library experience. One example focused on economic development and financial literacy. By joining an existing community coalition instead of promoting library resources from the outside, librarians quickly changed how partners viewed the library.
Offering library space as a neutral venue for a financial resources fair shifted perception. The library was no longer seen primarily as a site for children’s programming. It was recognized as a trusted community asset. That change emerged through participation, not a formal campaign.
Another example centered on Hispanic Heritage Month focused on entrepreneurship. Rather than designing a program and promoting it afterward, librarians began by listening. Community members helped shape the event and contributed to planning. Library databases and staff expertise were integrated naturally as the work developed.
By the time the program launched, participants were already invested. Attendance and advocacy followed without additional promotion.
Asset-based community development
The webinar also addressed asset-based community development as a guiding framework. Instead of approaching communities in terms of needs or gaps, this approach begins with strengths, existing knowledge, and ongoing efforts.
Communities are not passive recipients of services. They bring expertise, networks, and momentum. When libraries position themselves as partners rather than problem-solvers arriving with solutions, trust builds more quickly.
This perspective is especially important when working with communities that have been historically excluded. Deficit-based approaches can unintentionally reinforce power imbalances. Asset-based engagement recognizes agency and invites shared leadership. For librarians, this often means asking different questions: not what a community lacks, but what it is already doing and how the library can support that work.
Relationships as the real outcome
One of the strongest takeaways from the session was the reminder that relationships are not simply a means to an end. Libraries often feel pressure to demonstrate visible outputs such as attendance numbers or program counts. While these measures have value, they do not capture the long-term impact of trust and familiarity.
Relationship building requires time and consistency. It may involve attending meetings that are not obviously connected to library services or stepping back from leading conversations. Over time, those efforts compound. When relationships are strong, messages travel through trusted networks and invitations feel personal. The library is recommended because its value has been experienced.
Practical starting points
The webinar closed with practical suggestions librarians can apply immediately. Instead of tabling at an event, consider joining the planning group. Instead of sending flyers to many partners, spend time building a relationship with one trusted connector. Instead of asking what people want from the library, ask what they care about and what they are trying to accomplish.
Mapping local networks can help identify where to begin. Formal organizations matter, but informal groups and individuals often shape perception more strongly than official channels. Small changes in how time is spent can lead to meaningful shifts in how the library is understood.
Why watch the webinar on demand
This webinar offers a practical, experience-based perspective for public librarians who want their marketing efforts to support deeper engagement and lasting relationships.
By watching on demand, viewers will gain concrete examples and approaches for shifting community perception, building partnerships, and aligning marketing work with the core values of public librarianship.
For librarians looking to move beyond promotion and strengthen their role as community partners, this session provides a thoughtful place to start.