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Julie Zeller
LIS 770.99
Professor Christopher Stewart
Final Assignment/Developing a Marketing Plan
12/09/2014
Storytelling Seniors
The Village of Forest Park, Illinois is the second suburb west of Chicago, with a population of
14,167 residents. (2010 census) 11.5 percent of the population is age sixty five or above. The
village is home to one public library. The Forest Park Public Library was founded in 1856, and
incorporated in 1907. The current library opened in 1949 and has been through a number of
renovations and facelifts. The mission statement of the FPPL reads “The Forest Park Public
Library will maintain and share a collection that meets the need of our diverse community, and
will provide programs that educate, empower, and entertain our public.” (Mission Statement,
2014) The Village of Forest Park also runs the Howard Mohr Community Center, which is
housed in a large building that is kitty-corner from the library. There are various activities for
seniors at the center, including day trips, a senior driver’s review class, bingo, and exercise
classes. One senior book discussion group meets monthly, is facilitated by the library, but meets
at the Mohr center.
The library is interested in developing more programming aimed at seniors. In assessing the
public library’s value in the community, a Harris Poll created for the American Library
Association in 2011 states that “senior citizens (38 percent) are significantly more likely than
other older adults to rank the benefits of the public library at the top of the tax-supported
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services.” (2011 Harris Poll) 83% of adults want the public library to be a source of cultural
programs and activities. In a 2012 report from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, half
of the senior citizens surveyed reported that they visited the library at least once a week. These
statistics show that the Forest Park Public Library can (and should) commit to more
programming aimed at senior citizens. In the five year strategic plan for the library, step four is
to “encourage creativity and community.” (FPPL Strategic Plan, 2011) Although the Mohr
center offers various events and programs, there is an opportunity for the library to introduce
literary programming that will enrich the lives of the senior members of the community. With a
deeper involvement in both the library and the community as a whole, seniors can benefit by
feeling connected to the village and to other residents. Studies show that the telling of stories can
be used as a therapeutic tool for older adults. “Storytelling sparks memories, encourages
verbalization and promotes self-esteem among those with dementia. Inevitably, storytelling is
about memories, but it opens the rules to include imagination and to create something new that
accepts where they are in the moment.” (Alzheimer’s Foundation, 2014) Feeling good about the
programming at the library will lead patrons to support the library through greater use and
participation, and monetarily through taxes and donations.
The SWOT Analysis for this project is as follows:
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Strengths
This type of programming has not been done in the area
Link to sound medical practices with dementia/Alzheimer’s patients
Ability to showcase seniors and the important things they have done in their lives
Opportunities
Raise public awareness of the importance of seniors and their stories
Raise public awareness of the library Opportunity to work with outside
groups, such as Forest Park Historical Society
Opportunity to work with a group such as Story Corps to be able to archive the stories told
Weaknesses
Age group may be too limited
May require additional funds
Threats
May not get enough ongoing interest May cause rift with Mohr senior center-
as they may wish to have all senior programming
In order to market any new service, a target market needs to be established. The market for
“Storytelling Seniors” is not only seniors who are already library patrons, but other seniors in the
village as well. There are approximately 1,575 seniors in Forest Park. Even if one third of these
residents are not able to participate due to advanced age or illness, that still leaves 1,000 possible
group members. Through using a number of media channels, a high percentage of these seniors
can be reached. Press releases will be sent to the Forest Park Review, Pioneer Press, and to the
Chicago Trib Local. Posters and accompanying brochures will be sent to local churches, the
Howard Mohr Community Center, the Altenheim Retirement Home, and local businesses and
restaurants. A Storytelling Seniors Facebook page has been created that will be initially attached
to the FPPL Facebook page. Posters and brochures will be available at the FPPL. Bookmarks
will also be available at the library, and will be placed in appropriate memoir/storytelling books
that will be on display.
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To begin planning for “Storytelling Seniors”, a staff member will need to be selected to run
the group. At least two assistants need to be involved to help with marketing and in facilitating
the story time sessions. With a focus on short stories and memoirs, some key reading material
should be made available to group members to highlight what can be done in telling a story. This
will also need to be chosen in advance. Communication with “Story Corps” would be a great
idea; viewing videos and audio of stories people have recorded will help group members see
what is possible. If senior stories are to be recorded, it is important to reach out to a retailer in
the community to see if audio tapes and dvds can be supplied for this purpose. It would be
appropriate to contact the Forest Park Historical Society to see is they would be interested in
helping to video tape and record the performing of the stories created. These stories can possibly
be archived with the Historical Society, so it would be a natural fit to have them help with the
program. The timeline for planning should be at least three months prior to the first group
meeting, leaving a full month before the first meeting to distribute marketing materials.
At the first few group meetings, examples of what kinds of storytelling can be done should be
shown- either on DVD or by personal example by library staff or a professional storyteller.
Books can be suggested and checked out that have examples of short stories/memoirs. Small
groups can then be formed to start working on individual stories. Ultimately, the stories should
be “perfected” until the participant feels comfortable recording them. Finally, a final wrap up
party could include viewing/listening of the stories that have been written and then performed.
Inviting groups of seniors to a performance will hopefully garner enough interest to repeat the
process over and over again.
When the library staff has determined what the program will include, the segment of senior
citizens needs to be “marketed to.” In Marketing and Promoting Electronic Resources, Dubicki
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states that “target marketing allows you to focus efforts on a group that is likely to be receptive
to your message. It also makes it easier to communicate with the target group via channels they
are familiar with.” (p.10, 2007) Therefore, in marketing strategies for seniors, chances are good
that we would not reach a majority of the population through twitter or social media.
Understanding our market segment is most important, and for this age group, a mixture of very
basic marketing approaches would be appropriate. This mix would include informational posters,
brochures, bookmarks, press releases for local newspapers (Appendices 1-5) library displays, and
word of mouth. Having all library staff informed and able to speak about the program to
potential group members may be the most effective (and cheapest) tool. The goal of the
marketing plan is to reach as many prospective group members as possible, sparking interest in
the group, and ultimately having members join the group. Another goal would be to showcase
the idea to the community, showing community members what is available at the library.
The expenses for this project would be minimal. Marketing costs would involve more
manpower hours than actual dollars. The designs for printed material can be done in house at the
library, as could the printing for posters, brochures, and bookmarks. Newspaper press releases
and inclusion in the local calendar of events are free. Assuming that the library already owns a
video camera and equipment, the taping of the finished stories would also be free. If the library
does not own these items, they could be borrowed from the Forest Park School District. A small
cost may be involved in buying blank dvds onto which the finished product will be transferred.
This would be an expense that could be covered by a donation from a local business. At some of
the initial “Storytelling Seniors” meetings, it would be useful to hire a professional storyteller, to
give members an idea of what they will be working toward. This expense can be estimated at
approximately $200, although chances are good that these services could be donated.
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Refreshments for the wrap-up party would be a small expense; and again, best practice would be
in looking to local businesses for donations.
Based on the number of seniors interested in the initial program, the “Storytelling Seniors”
group would be cyclical. Meeting for two hours a month, the first group would last
approximately three months from start to final presentations. If successful, the cycle would then
begin again with new interested seniors, hopefully retaining a few of the original seniors to act as
mentors. The evaluation of the success of the program can be measured in number of seniors
involved in the project, and in the number of audience members present at the final presentation.
Ultimately, at least three cycles of the group should be offered to give time for the program to be
able to prove successful. If there are only four seniors involved in the first session, hopefully by
the next session word of mouth will spread, and there will be twelve or more new seniors in the
following session.
When finished, recorded storytelling sessions can be attached to the library website for further
marketing. If all goes well, seniors may be asked to tell their stories elsewhere; perhaps at a
meeting of the Forest Park Historical Society, a presentation at the Altenheim home, or possibly
at church functions. There are many possibilities for outreach with this project.
Based on the senior population of Forest Park, the active Forest Park Historical Society, and
the senior population already active at the Howard Mohr Community Center, “Storytelling
Seniors” is a natural fit for this community. The Forest Park Public Library should be offering
more groups aimed at senior citizens, and this group will be a good way to start.
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Works Cited
Forest Park, Illinois census (2010) Retrieved November 29, 2014, from
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/17/1726935.html
Forest Park Public Library, Mission Statement (2014) Retrieved December 1, 2014,
from http://www.fppl.org/about/our-mission
2011 State of America's Libraries. (n.d.). Retrieved December 1, 2014, from
http://www.ala.org/news/mediapresscenter/americaslibraries/publiclibraries
Storytelling for Alzheimer's Patients. (n.d.). Retrieved December 1, 2014, from
//www.alzfdn.org/EducationandCare/storytelling.html
Dubicki, Eleonora. (2007) Basic Marketing and Promotion Concepts. The Serial Librarian.
53(3) p. 5-15
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Appendix One
Press Release
For immediate release:
Contact Bonita Green, Forest Park Public Library 708-366-7171 [email protected]
Announcing a new group at the Forest Park Public Library: Storytelling Seniors
Senior citizens, do you have a story to share? Did you have a favorite pet you would like to tell
us about? Maybe you took an extraordinary trip that we would like to hear about. Did you serve
during the war and have stories to share? Did you immigrate from another country? How
difficult was it to assimilate to a new culture? Create a story based on your life experiences.
Librarians will be available to help you write a short story, or create a story to share aloud.
Record your story to share with family and friends. “Storytelling Seniors” will meet the first and
third Monday of the month from 2:00-3:00 pm in the Ferrara Meeting Room. The first meeting
will be Monday, December 15. Any questions can be answered by Bonita Green at the library,
708-366-7171 or [email protected] We look forward to seeing you and hearing your stories!
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Appendix Two
Promotional Bookmark
Front Back
JOIN US FOR STORYTELLING
SENIORS!
A NEW GROUP MEETING THE FIRST AND THIRD MONDAY OF EACH MONTH
2-3pm
Begins DEC 15
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Appendix Three - Poster
ATTENTION STORYTELLERS!
Join us at the FOREST PARK PUBLIC LIBRARY for our
new group called “STORYTELLING SENIORS.” Have
fun creating stories based on moments in your
lives. Record your stories to share with family and
friends. “STORYTELLING SENIORS” meets the first
and third Monday of the month from 2-3pm,
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beginning Monday, December 15. Contact Benita
Green at the library with questions.
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Appendix Four – Brochure
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Appendix Five – Library Newsletter
(708) 366-7171
Youth Services Teens and Tweens
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