How to Reach Underserved and Marginalized Community Members

When marginalized people seek services, public libraries are there for them. When you want to proactively reach underserved community members to tell them how you can help, where do you begin? How can you connect with such a diverse audience, which can include BIPOC teens, disabled individuals, unhoused folks, immigrants, and others?

Library marketing maven, Kathy Dempsey, will start with the basics of outreach communication, then show you how to apply those strategies to get your messages to those in need—especially those who don't have email or internet service. Along the way, you’ll learn how to craft attention-getting messages and where to place them so they’ll be seen, online and offline. These strategies will be especially helpful to those who don’t have prior communications training, or who don’t have a plan
or a dedicated staffer for outreach. Any library worker will leave this session with more knowledge and confidence in communicating with hard-to-reach segments of their communities.

Presenter Bio: Kathy Dempsey wrote the popular how-to book The
Accidental Library Marketer and founded her own marketing consultancy, Libraries Are Essential. Her work is dedicated to helping librarians and information professionals promote their value and expertise in order to gain respect and funding. Kathy has been the Editor of Marketing Library Services newsletter for 30 years. In 2015, she founded the Library Marketing and Communications Conference, and chaired the show’s first 3 years.

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