collaboratin tla april 20071 collaboration using social marketing techniques collaboration is a...

Collaboratin TLA April 2007 1

Collaboration Using Social Marketing Techniques

• Collaboration is a driving force in School librarianship today, reinforced by Information Power” Guidelines for School Library Media Programs published in 1988.

• Collaboration, according to these guidelines, is the equal participation of librarians and teachers in presenting instruction to students.


• Our study was designed to test the assumption that collaboration is possible by using a social marketing approach applied by school librarians

• Social marketing is defined as promoting social good through bringing about changes in behaviors and attitudes using techniques of commercial marketing and promotion.


• Social marking, like commercial marketing centers around: Gaining attention; Creating Interest; fostering desire; and encouraging action on the part of the target audience.

• Techniques used include promoting services and programs; effective and approachable personnel; locations, and using incentives aswell as promotion techniques such as advertisments.


• In our study we poised the question that social marketing techniques such as these when applied in a school situation would increase the collaboration between teachers and librarians.

• To test this assumption we employed two approaches. • Approach 1 used student librarians who were completing their

practicum experience for certification to create and execute a social marketing campaign to encourage teachers to collaborate with them on a teaching experience designed to increase information literacy skills among their students.

• Approach 2 used two focus groups of teachers (one elementary group, and one secondary group) to react to a series of questions regarding teacher-librarian collaboration.

• The Student-librarian group was given instructions as to how to conduct a market campaign using advertisements, and a monetary incentive to encourage participation.

• The focus groups were lead by a facilitator who presented questions and a teacher-librarian scenarios to the groups for their reactions.


• Data were analyzed according to standard expectations of collaboration i as well as unique experience-based data that emerged from our field tests.

• Important elements in collaboration include:– Efficiency; negation skills; social and professional

benefits; power in decision making; social and administrative support; instructional skills of participants (librarians); territoriality; teacher authority and control; and initiation of contact


• Major findings:1. Teachers felt they were efficient using collaboration skills involving librarians2. Teachers in the field tests indicated satisfaction with

results feeling that they had gained socially and professionally from the experience; gained in exposure to more resources; allowed them to spend more time with other teacher demands

3. Student librarians felt they had gained from the experience, but in some cases their role as a student limited their full participation as collaborators. In other cases they were given much more freedom and assumed a more active role as collaborators.


4. Teachers felt that their building level librarians were capable of collaboration

5. Time limitations were placed limits on collaboration of both librarians and teachers

6. Teacher-librarians felt that the teachers with whom they worked were flexible and accepting of ideas

7. Teachers felt that their administration would support and expect collaboration


9. Teacher styles often determined level of collaboration available

10. Teachers need an invitation and suggestions as to how to collaborate with librarians; librarians must be able to initiate, negotiate, and set boundaries

11. Collaboration is based on the level of interpersonal relations established between librarian and teachers

12. Traditional forms of marketing does not always work (advertising services; communication must be localized (e.g., emails rather than posters)

13. Monetary incentives not so important, but do help in individual cases


14.Territoriality was integrated into many aspects of the experiences (freedom allowed to student librarian by field librarian; past experiences with librarians; respect for librarians as a teacher and educator; time constraints; initiatives expressed by librarians.

15.Social atmosphere of the school (expectations, rewards, standards set interactions.


• Predicative Indicators for collaboration– Time available– Clear indications of benefits to teaching and

student achievement– Positive past experiences with librarians– Administrative support and rewards– Librarians must be recognized as a full

members of the teaching staff and not an auxiliary person


• Conclusion– Collaboration is an expected professional

responsibility for librarians– Must be cultivated and initiated by librarians– Social marketing can serve as a theoretical

base from collaboration in terms of promoting social improvement (using some of its techniques)

– Collaboration can help enhance the role of the school librarian in a community of learners

collaboratin tla april 20071 collaboration using social marketing techniques collaboration is a...

Documents