Marketing

Marketing Toolkits

The California State Library’s marketing toolkits are designed to help California libraries deliver consistent messaging about the services and resources you provide to your communities. We encourage you to use the messages, graphics, and other resources to raise awareness and reinforce the value and impact libraries provide to their communities.

Fall

Comic book image of super hero with the text "I'm Unstoppable with a Library Card!"
Library Card Sign-Up Month Toolkit
This Banned Books Week… Read a Banned Book. ALA.org/BBooks | American Library Association.
Banned Books Week Toolkit

Winter

A hand holds a library card with a television screen, apple, tools, sewing machine, and a person holding books next to it. “Use your library card more and your credit card less! Borrow, don’t buy tools, books, movies and more this holiday season. #CaliforniaLibrariesForAll #LibraryCardsOverCreditCards”.
Holiday and New Year’s Toolkit

Key Messages

California’s libraries create opportunity, deliver trusted information, and build community.

These key messages were identified by California public library staff to highlight the value of California’s public libraries.

Using this language in your publicity, marketing, and other actions to raise awareness of library services helps create a focused statewide message about the value of all libraries and showcases how local libraries are helping people of all ages every day.

Use the following talking points in social media posts, elevator speeches, or anywhere you plan to share the value of libraries.

California’s libraries:

Create Opportunity

  • Californians can access much more than books through their local library, in-person and online, from makerspaces to art exhibits to sewing machines.
  • Children learn through play, and California’s kids begin learning early by taking part in library story times and preschool activities.
  • California’s adults, children, and families learn English and improve their reading, writing, and communication skills through local library literacy programs.
  • California’s workers and job seekers achieve career success by accessing online job training and job search resources through their local public libraries.
  • Libraries create digital equity by providing access to broadband and devices to people who don’t have them.

Deliver Trusted Information

  • Libraries provide Californians with access to books, databases, and research tools, connecting us all with the knowledge and source materials we need to make smart, informed decisions and succeed.
  • California’s children and teens can find homework help through their local libraries, getting the academic support they need to succeed at school.
  • Libraries are staffed with trained, knowledgeable workers who connect Californians to sources of trusted information.

Build Community

  • Libraries bring people together with fun and informative programs and activities, from ukulele classes to coding sessions to sewing workshops and much more. With over 309,000 programs delivered annually in 1,127 locations and online, California public libraries strengthen our sense of community and reduce social isolation.
  • Serving as heating and cooling centers, technology and communication providers, public libraries and their staffs meet our critical needs during times of natural disasters and other emergencies to make communities more resilient.
  • Libraries are essential community hubs, providing access to summer meals and other wraparound services for health and wellness.
  • Libraries build and support communities of lifelong learners and help people enjoy the social and economic benefits that learning brings.
  • Libraries provide Californians with trusted community spaces.

Photos

Find the images below and more photos to use of libraries in action on the Value of Libraries webpage.

Adult woman congratulating a female in a cap and gown as she walks across the stage at her Career Online High School Graduation.
Father holding baby girl and sitting next to a young boy in a library alcove reading them a book.
One woman sits at a sewing machine while another woman leans over watching.
Adults sit at computers set-up in rows in a computer lab setting. A staff member is leaning over a woman’s shoulder and showing her something on the screen.
A boy in an auditorium space smiles at the camera while holding a tray with milk, banana, cucumbers, and other food. Another boy stands beside him and other children are talking, playing and eating in the background.
Two women are sitting at a table looking at a book. One woman is pointing at the page with a pencil while the other leans across and writes something. Focus on Phonics book is in the foreground.

Training

California Libraries Learn (CALL), the continuing education and professional development resource for California’s libraries, offers training on marketing, outreach, branding, and more to improve your marketing skills. Check out the marketing resources in CALL Academy, and view the CALL calendar for upcoming events. All training offered by CALL is free for all library workers to attend.