Selling the Library

I’ve been wrestling with my opinion of the Anythink Wright Farms in Colorado.  It’s hard to tell by the name, but Anythink Wright Farms is a library, part of the Anythink library brand.  Yes, you read that right, a library brand.  

Before I could form my opinion too much, I had to do a little research on branding (English majors don’t much of an education in marketing).  The definition of branding on about.com is “getting your prospects to see you as the only one that provides a solution to their problem.”  A good brand delivers your organization’s message credibly, creates an emotional link, motivates your buyers and establishes loyalty.

I am a pretty rotten consumer.  I usually (always) buy the cheapest thing I can get my hands on...I’m not embarrassed to shop at Dollar General, the Salvation Army or yard sales if I can get a good deal (which I always can).  But two brands that I am loyal to, and will pay a little more for, are Honda and Nike.  Both companies are extremely good at delivering the promise that their brand offers to consumers consistently.  Successfully defining your brand as a company involves examining your values, thinking about your mission and determining your product’s personality.

When Pam Sandian Smith decided to create (and trademark) the Anythink brand for the Rangeview Library District in Colorado she was helping the community see how the library could solve “any” problem they were “thinking” about.  At first I was a little disturbed that the library had to be sold like a bag of Cheetos, but then I remember how old I was.  I remembered that I learned how amazing the library was many moons ago when all we could do after school was watch Gilligan’s Island or do our homework.  In comparison, the library was like a amusement park.  Now the library has TONS of competition...the Internet, video games, cable television, I-pods, smart phones...kids have an amusement park waiting for them when they open their front door.  Smith has to demonstrate to them (and their ‘younger than me’ parents) why the library was still cool and worth visiting.

Here’s how they established a new library brand:  

• First they threw out everything about the old Adams County library (except the books) and hired Richochet Ideas, a creative consulting company.  They came up with a hip logo (a squiggle with potential), cool slogan (A Revolution in  Rangeview Libraries) and the overarching “Anythink” brand that permeates every aspect of the library experience.  

• They built an modern, flexible space for people to gather, play, hang out and be seen in (maybe near the indoor/outdoor fireplace) and they included a public park next door.  Of course, it is also LEED certified.

• They scrapped the circulation desk and set up stands for roving librarians, now called Guides, to perch at when they weren’t roaming the floor looking for customers who needed help.  They also scrapped late fees for overdue materials.

• Dewey was history.  Gone are the decimal points and lengthy number codes.  Wordthink is in - a system of organizing books that is similar to the bookstore.  Can you just imagine the signs (incorporating the Anythink brand) that help patrons locate their book?

• Little conveniences and attractions are sprinkled everywhere...a cafe for refreshment, a tree house in the children’s room and word games on their website.

Smith used her love of style and design to completely reinvent the library...there is nothing old, conservative or boring about it.  It is an amazing space that most communities would drool over.  In fact it reminds me of shopping at Hollister or Abercrombie...everything is beautiful, fun and makes you want more.  

Could ‘any’ thing be wrong with that?  I need a little more time to ‘think’ about it...come back tomorrow and see if you agree with any of my conclusions.

Forget the Bricks

Remember the second little pig, the one who built his house out of straw?  The residents of Naturita, Colorado did and they followed his lead when they built their new straw library (yet another trend that doesn’t occur much in upstate New York).  The Naturita Community Library is a straw bale construction library in the heart of the teeny, tiny town of Naturita, Colorado.  John N. Berry, from The Library Journal, told the tale of this quirky library after they won the magazine’s “Best Small Library in America” award sponsored by The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

If there was ever a town that deserved a library this is it.  Still dealing with the repercussions of uranium mining that left them in the midst of a superfund site (something that does occur in upstate New York), the population of 665 has a median income of $13,000.  Many homes are without computer access and 15% also lack phone service.  12% of Naturita residents have a bachelor’s degree.  The majority of residents now commute to Telluride, 70 miles away, for employment which leaves kids with more hours to fill on their own after school.  

And then...the library to the rescue!  Hooray!
Alas, there is no library superhero, it was actually the hard work of Paul Paladino, Susan Rice and Amy McBride that built this library branch t0 fulfill the Montrose Regional Library District’s mission to “educate, enrich, enlight and entertain” their community.  Rice, the library director,  has a passion for the library that jumps out of her photos (check her out at storytime) and I get the impression she would be at the library everyday even if she didn’t work there.  Her ideas for library programming flow like a steady stream and I was envious of the discussion group based on the PBS series, Independent Lens, and a murder mystery dinner at the Moose Lodge.
McBride was previously president of the library board and then became a development officer for the library district.  She was responsible for the begging and pleading that convinced many private foundations to award grants in their favor so the library could be built.  She continues to find sources of funding that provide valuable programs for residents of Naturita (the Telluride Foundation will soon support adult computer classes).  
Paul Paladino, the Director of the MRLD, brought them all together and contributed the vision for the straw bale construction.  After struggling to find an affordable bid, he took on the role of contractor himself, hiring and supervising the work personally.   He was also responsible for hiring Susan Rice, despite her lack of library degrees, because of her enthusiasm and commitment to the library and community it supports.  He sounds like the kind of person who’s been doing the right thing for the right reasons for a long time (and he was also a boy scout).
When the library grew physically (from 500 to 4,000 sq. ft.) it also took on a bigger role in the community.  
450 new library cards have been granted and library participation among kids is up 150% (no, that is not a typo).  The library offers homework help, teen nights, storytime, a learning garden and summer programs for more than a third of the students in Naturita.  It is now a major hub of community life.
Despite the small scale plans and careful construction, a new library building is still a big investment for a small town, about $1 million.  The money came from The Telluride Foundation, matching local taxes (80% of voters were in favor), the District Library and local businesses.  But the momentum for this remarkable success clearly came from the passion, dedication and hard work of  a handful of people who believed they could make a difference and refused to take no for an answer.  When they put their heads on the pillow at night I hope they realize that they have not only changed the daily lives of their patrons but also altered the futures of the children in Naturita. Maybe after they rest up they could head to Washington and give Obama a hand.