Warroad Public Library Growth & Expansion Case Study

Warroad Public Library Growth & Expansion Campaign
Warroad, MN 1989-2004
Marnie Swedberg, Friends of the Library, President
Marnie Swedberg, NW Regional Library, Legacy Consultant
 
Goals:

• Increase awareness and use of the public library and its services.
• Increase funding to expand facility and collection.
• Engage local and external artists for FOL-sponsored programs.
• Utilize cutting edge technology as often as possible.

Strategy:

• Recruit new volunteers.
• Develop new funding and partnership approaches.
• Prioritize, design, host, and optimize program offerings to attract and retain new patrons.
• Develop and execute marketing plan to educate residents and staff on current collection, services, and programs.
• Host an annual writer’s conference to engage local authors.
• Increase the library collection both in quality and quantity.

Outcome:

• Marvin Windows & Doors manages a donation stream toward the Friends of the Library, enabling an increase of programs and support options.
• Margaret Marvin donated $1million for a new public library including the new computers and library-related technologies.
• Funds were raised to take collection from 1,800 to over 10,000 books.
• Increased the involvement of growing families, thereby increasing traffic count at a ratio of 3:1.
• In 2010, when the Regional Library received a library program grant, with the stipulation of a completed spend-out within an eight month timeline, Director, Barbara Jauquet-Kalinoski, retained Marnie’s services as Legacy Coordinator. Navigating the needs of all stakeholders, she met all outcome goals by
  • maximizing collaboration between librarians, FOL groups, and guest artists and authors,
  • meeting both timeline and budgetary deadlines,
  • providing 102 programs from music to drama, art to authorship, children’s to seniors, coordinating the presentation of each program in all seven cities within a 90 mile radius, with an average of 4.5 out of 5 star rankings from attendees,
  • including a 7-week Author Expo spotlighting 7 bestselling authors, each providing both a public presentation and an author training in each of the seven districts,
  • publishing a 69-page manual for use by the Northwest Regional Libraries for future campaigns. The manual included a complete set of all the templates, documents, and forms required to streamline and maximize the planning and production of future local or region-wide expos and events.

Tactics:

• Collect and evaluate other FOL strategies.
• Survey local library patrons to determine needs, volunteer availability, and local talent.
• Design and deliver programs based on those needs, using friendship-based marketing tactics, to attract and retain new patrons.
• Gain 501(c)(3) status to attract major donors.
• Identify and personally connect with potential sponsors, donors and volunteers.
• Launch and administer marketing campaigns to reach more residents.
• Bring in one big-name author and artist each year, to attract new attendees.
• Air the programs live over Blog Talk Radio to increase reach and credibility.
• Partner with other organizations to cross promote as often as possible.
• Collaborate with a regional newspaper to write a weekly, newspaper column called “Family Matters” and the local paper to write a weekly column called, “Motherhood Matters.”  Columns included a craft project for kids, a recipe for the family, and a review of a parenting or children’s book which was available for check-out through the Northwest Library system.

Major Strategic Partners:

• Northwest Regional Library. Thief River Falls, MN. Barbara Jauquet-Kalinoski, Director.
• Marvin Windows & Doors. Warroad, MN. Margaret Marvin. Minnesota Board of Education, Board Member.
• Security State Bank. Warroad, MN. John Henemen, President.
• Warroad Public School District #690. Warroad, MN. Craig Oftedahl, Superintendent.
• Warroad Summer Theater. Warroad, MN. Julie Jones, President.
• Minnesota Association of Library Friends. St. Paul, MN. Greg Giles, Director.
• NW Minnesota Arts Counsel. Warren, MN. Mara Lunde Hanel, Director.
• Early Childhood Family Education. Warroad, MN. Patty Hodgson, Director.

work with marnie