Here’s a great example of turning good news into good publicity!
Aztec Public Library receives larger-than-expected state grant for patron services – Farmington Daily Times.
The article doesn’t just focus on State Aid money, however. It uses that piece of news to give library director Sabrina Hood the opportunity to remind readers about the variety of services that the library offers:
- San Juan College Service Learning Program
- Computers and e-books
- Job search training
The article ends with a great profile of Tristan Clah, an 18 year-old volunteer who has been coming to the library ever since going to storytime when he was three.
What makes this article so good is that it takes a little bit of news that we might think wouldn’t be of interest to anyone outside the library (the amount of State Aid) and turns it into a discussion of all the things the library does, from early literacy (three year-olds at storytime) and adult education (classes offered by San Juan Faculty) to digital collections, job training, and community engagement. And, thanks to a great quote from Tristan Clah, we are reminded that the library is about “helping people find what they want,” and that the collection is full of books on “all kinds of subjects and things I get curious about.”
In an article about a budget increase, it also highlights that all these great services cost time and money.