Hackney Library at Barton College Wins 2010 John Cotton Dana Library Public Relations Award

Six libraries are winners of the John Cotton Dana Library Public Relations Award, which recognizes and honors outstanding achievement in library public relations. The John Cotton Dana (JCD) honor has been awarded continuously since 1946 and is sponsored by the H.W. Wilson Company, the H.W. Wilson Foundation, and the Library Leadership and Management Association (LLAMA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA). It is considered to be the most prestigious of all library awards in the field of public relations.
 
The winners included Hackney Library at Barton College, in Wilson, N.C., for the “Band Book Tour,” a music festival that more than tripled the attendance at the library’s annual open house and created a new image for the library in the eyes of the college’s students. An innovative publicity campaign, including the use of social media and a fictional band tour featuring stops at literary locations in controversial books, built excitement on campus. The development of partnerships with numerous local businesses garnered $500 worth of door prizes and additional publicity. Giveaways of tour t-shirts and “all-access” lanyards and wallets continue to provide the library with exposure to this day, as students are frequently seen on campus with their tour gear.
 
Source: http://www.hwwilson.com/jcdawards/jcdwin2010.htm