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Running Head: LIBRARY STAKEHOLDER COMMUNICATIONS

Library Stakeholder Communications

Emily R. Ledbetter

LIS 650

University of North Carolina at Greensboro

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LIBRARY STAKEHOLDER COMMUNICATIONS

Library Stakeholder Communications

One of the most important aspects of managing people, especially on a large scale, is

effective communication. Without clear communication, people will naturally attempt to fill gaps

in knowledge with their own conclusions, and these conclusions often get passed on to others as

fact. Accurate information is often discarded when communicated too late in favor of the widely

accepted assumptions. As such, it is important for communication and market departments of all

organizations to employ good communication practices in a timely manner.

According to Evans & Alire (2013) “among today’s young people, the focus is on

keeping in touch technologically. It is also true we are increasingly dependent on technology for

workplace communication. However, we engage in face-to-face interactions with both our work

colleagues as well as our users, and we must be effective in these interactions,” (p.179-180). This

highlights the importance of being adept at multiple modes of communication. While many

managers have a type of communication they tend to prefer, the type of communication used

should fit the information being conveyed. Hollie Stevenson-Parrish, the Director of

Communications for UNC Greensboro libraries, says that face-to-face communication is usually

best when conveying sensitive or complex information to individual or small groups because it

allows the manager or staff member to immediately address questions and concerns. Phone calls

can also achieve similar results, but they can also open the discussion up to a bit more

communication difficulties due to lack of body language and other queues available to people

speaking in person.

On the other hand, when information needs to be distributed quickly to a large group,

emails and other notification systems are extremely helpful communication mediums. For

example, Stevenson-Parrish says that in crisis situations, emails are sent as quickly as
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information becomes available and approved by her supervisor. Stevenson-Parrish uses the

current COVID-19 situation as an example of a scenario that requires the mass-communication

of information. She points out that the information is constantly changing, and it is important to

ensure that patrons are aware of the most recent updates on the virus for their own safety and

what resources are available to them.

Emails are often used regularly to communicate with both internal and external

stakeholders. According to Stevenson-Parrish, internal stakeholders for UNC Greensboro

libraries largely consist of students and staff while external stakeholders tend to consist of donors

and outside patrons. Communications with internal stakeholders tend to be a bit more informal

than communications with external stakeholders. This is because internal stakeholders tend to be

people who tend to utilize library services and are therefore more casually acquainted with the

library. Although these communications are informal compared to communications with external

stakeholders, it is important to note that these communications still maintain a modicum of

formality to maintain the professional relationship between the library and their patrons.

Alternatively, relationships with external stakeholders are often a more professional and

distanced which requires a formal tone of communication. Communications that are sent to

external stakeholders often go through multiple library departments before being sent. This is

done to ensure that the information enclosed is accurate and acceptable to departments that

regularly interact with the recipients of those communications. This is helpful in avoiding

miscommunication between departments. In instances where the mission or policies of the

library are changing, both internal and external stakeholders tend to receive more formal

communications because of how integral the information is to the library as an organization.

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Another type of communication frequently seen in libraries is the use of marketing

materials like calendars and brochures. These resources usually tend to reach a large audience

but they are not generally distributed directly to patrons. Rather, these materials are frequently

available in physical copies at the library. However, Evans & Alire (2013) state that use of

physical communication materials should be used moderated: “If overused, it will drain

resources from more cost-efficient alternatives” (p. 279). Many libraries combat this by

prominently displaying their programming, administrative announcements, and policies on their

webpages. Social media is also becoming a dominant medium for marketing because it is free to

post to, frequently checked, and often allows patrons to share posts thus disseminating

information further. According to Stevenson-Parrish, these resources are often planned several

months in advance. She keeps the different events in her calendar and also has notes in her

calendar on when she needs to begin working on materials for upcoming events. Stevenson-

Parrish recommends that libraries stick as closely to their calendar as possible for the benefit of

the patrons as well as the people leading programs and services. Many library events occur on a

predictable cycle that patrons come to expect, so it is important that libraries very clearly indicate

what is postponed or canceled in instances when it is not possible to stick to the calendar.

Although many libraries do not have designated marketing and communication staff,

UNC Greensboro does. This allows other library staff to focus on the main duties of their

position such as creating and implementing programming, rather worrying about how to market

those programs. Designated marketing and communication staff also have specialized knowledge

about effective communication and marketing that other library staff may not have. This

knowledge allows them to construct appealing resources marketing the library and its resources.

This staff also excels at navigating different communication methods and managing emotional
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outcomes. For example, communication about the COVID-19 virus from the library are carefully

constructed to manage panic. They usually do this by maintaining a calm tone, naming the

precautions they are taking, and ensuring the stakeholders that they will provide timely and

accurate updates as the situation develops. Often times libraries use phrasing like “in an

abundance of caution” to indicate that they are being more cautious than the situation truly

requires to ensure stakeholders that they taking steps to protect them without making them feel

that the situation is dire.

Unfortunately, there are also challenges that marketing and communications staff face

when communicating with stakeholders. Stevenson-Parrish states that many library staff are not

used to working with marketing and communications staff, which can often lead to

miscommunications. Her biggest challenge is making sure that staff are all on the same page.

She recommends face-to-face communications whenever possible to ensure that misconceptions

can be addressed immediately. However, when using email to communicate, Stevenson-Parrish

recommends sending follow-up emails to stakeholders. This provides the same information in

different wording which can often clarify information that the recipient may have misunderstood.

It also shows stakeholders that the communication and marketing team is willing to discuss the

situation and clarify any confusion. Stevenson-Parrish also mentions that it is important to ensure

that the relationship between marketing and communications remains collaborative with other

departments. This fosters good interdepartmental relationships which usually ensures that the

departments are willing to maintain open dialogues. It also ensures that marketing and

communications staff are able to create resources that are accurate for the departments.

Having a crisis communication plan in place is also important, as the COVID-19

emergency has highlighted. Evans & Alire (2013) states that “Timing of your marketing and
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public relations efforts is always important but becomes critical during crises and bad news

periods. Knowing how, when, what, and to whom to communicate is essential during a crisis.

Flexibility is a key component of this activity as the event develops. Social media is useful for

speed, but being too swift to communicate may create a bigger problem” (p. 282). According to

Stevenson-Parrish, UNC Greensboro libraries did not have a crisis communication plan before

this year. It was her goal for the year to create a crisis communication plan, and she was

successful in putting this plan in case. Unfortunately, Stevenson-Parrish has also had the

opportunity to put this crisis plan into action because of COVID-19. This plan includes contact

information for library stakeholders and other UNC Greensboro departments. It also outlines

who needs to be contacted in crisis scenarios, how to monitor the crisis situation, when to

provide updates to stakeholders. Additionally, in times of crisis, the tone of communications with

both internal and external stakeholders tends to become more formal to indicate that the situation

is being taken seriously.

How libraries communicate with their stakeholders is key to their success. Libraries rely

on patrons to continue utilizing their services, which makes the effective marketing of those

services extremely important. Many libraries also rely on donors for additional funding to

continuously improve the materials and services they provide. In this case, it is important to

communicate how the library plans to utilize gifted funds. Regardless of what type of

stakeholder they are, it is important that stakeholders trust the library, and trust is founded in

open and honest communication. This does not necessarily mean bombarding stakeholders with

every small detail and difficulty the library faces; rather, it means employing good

communication practices that take into consideration who the stakeholders are, what they want to

know, and what they need to know.

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Work Cited

Evans, G. E., & Alire, C. A. (2013). Management Basics for Information Professionals: Third,

Edition: Vol. Third edition, UK edition. ALA Neal-Schuman.