A diverse patron base, including many types of students (undergraduate, seminary, doctoral), faculty, community visitors, and volunteers has made planning communications a challenge at the Pitts Theology Library. As a result, over the course of the last year Pitts staff members have created several different initiatives to craft and disseminate a coherent message.
First, we created an opt-in weekly email, called the Pitts Prospectus, that would inform readers of new acquisitions, instructional programming, and exhibit opportunities. Second, we began using Hootsuite, a social media dashboard program, to coordinate our communications through Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. We work closely with the Candler School of Theology communications offices to cross-promote events and library opportunities on Candler social media. Finally, Pitts staff is currently working to create a series of quarterly opt-in emails around academic disciplines. We hope to hire doctoral students to create these “reader’s digests” of current publications in the fields of biblical studies and homiletics.
This presentation will explore the organization, implementation, and assessment of these three communications initiatives. In addition to discussion best practices in the areas of communication and social media, I hope that participants will leave with some ideas for creative messaging at their own institutions.
