If you’ve ever worked in or with a library, you know it’s a special kind of place. Libraries are full of smart, dedicated people doing vital work—often with limited time, budgets, and tools. As a result, the way libraries approach marketing is deeply shaped by their culture, structure, and long-standing traditions.
Understanding a few common characteristics of libraries can help us identify why marketing sometimes feels so hard—and how we can approach it in ways that feel authentic and effective.
Here are six characteristics I often see in libraries, and how they might affect library marketing.
1. Libraries Are Conscientious
Library workers care—deeply. They are driven by ethics, public service, and the desire to do things the right way. But that conscientiousness can also lead to risk aversion. Staff may be wary of new approaches, especially if they feel untested or outside traditional norms. Messaging that feels “too flashy” or “too promotional” can be viewed with suspicion.
Marketing impact: This mindset can lead to safe, information-heavy messaging that doesn’t always grab attention. Marketing that emphasizes why a service matters, not just what it is, can help bridge this gap. It’s also important to normalize trying new things, reflecting, and iterating—just like we would with a collection or program.
2. Libraries Are Humble
Libraries don’t like to brag. And library staff are often more comfortable doing the work than talking about it. The belief that “the work should speak for itself” runs deep.
Marketing impact: Important stories go untold. Public perception may lag behind reality, simply because libraries aren’t making their value visible. One way to reframe this is by positioning marketing as storytelling, not self-promotion—and emphasizing that talking about impact is part of serving the public good.
3. Library Staff Are Busy
Most library employees wear a dozen hats. They’re juggling desk shifts, programming, collection development, tech support, outreach, and more. Add in outdated processes and limited support staff, and it’s no wonder that marketing can feel like “one more thing.”
Marketing impact: Without dedicated time or roles for marketing, it tends to be reactive—flyers made at the last minute, social media scheduled in a rush. To make progress, libraries need tools, templates, and workflows that respect staff capacity—and help people focus on what’s most effective, not just what’s most urgent.
4. Library Culture Is Slow to Change
Libraries are hierarchical institutions with deep roots. Policies, traditions, and staff structures can make it hard to pivot quickly or try something new. Four generations in the workplace may also bring clashing work styles and priorities.
Marketing impact: Change—whether it’s adopting a new platform, sending regular emails, or updating signage—can take time. Staff may be waiting for “permission,” or unsure how their role fits into the bigger picture. Marketing efforts that emphasize cross-department collaboration, leadership buy-in, and internal communication can go a long way toward breaking down silos and building momentum.
5. Libraries Try to Do Everything
Libraries are service-oriented to a fault. They often have a hard time saying no—whether it’s to legacy programs, outdated procedures, or new requests from well-meaning partners. If it’s something they’ve always done, or if someone in the community asks for it, there’s a strong impulse to keep it going.
Marketing impact: This reluctance to stop doing things can stretch staff too thin and contribute to burnout—the kind I talk about in my post on vocational awe. It can also lead to a cluttered customer experience: overstuffed calendars, confusing signage, or marketing messages that feel unfocused. As I’ve written in my post about sludge, more isn’t always better—sometimes, simplification is the most customer-friendly move you can make.
When libraries give themselves permission to stop doing things that no longer serve their goals or community needs, they make more space to market what truly matters.
6. Libraries Operate in a Scarcity Environment
When it comes to libraries large and small, there is never enough to meet all the needs. Even libraries with large budgets may have limited flexibility. This can lead to a “scarcity mindset,” the overwhelming belief that resources are limited, which leads to short-term thinking, risk aversion, and difficulty prioritizing or investing in growth.
This mindset, combined with complex budgeting processes, outdated systems, and the perception that “time is free,” can lead to overly cautious decision-making and inefficient workarounds.
Marketing impact: There may be hesitancy to invest in new tools or staff, even when those investments could save time and increase impact. Helping libraries see the long-term value of marketing—not just in numbers, but in trust, access, and community connection—can help shift this mindset.
So What Can We Do?
If you’re working in or with libraries, the key is recognize these characteristics and approach change with empathy.
If you can tap into what makes libraries and library employees tick—the mission to serve, the desire to meet community needs, the willingness to step in and help—you can get more people on board.
Lately, I have really begun positioning library marketing as a public service. Helping people to know what is available to them, and have a library can meet their needs, is a public good. It’s not bragging, it’s not flashy, it’s not just about promoting programs.
A marketing philosophy that starts with the needs of your customers and your community, has the power to break down silos, prioritize limited resources, and create lasting relationships.
And when library employees feel seen, supported, and equipped to share their story? That’s when marketing becomes not just a task, but a tool for the greater good.
Cordelia Anderson Consulting 