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Reaching Out to Potential DPLA Hub Contributors:�PA Digital’s Communication Strategy and Plan or

“The Accidental Public Relations Manager”

�Delphine Khanna, Head of Digital Library Initiatives, Temple University�Rachel Appel, Digital Projects and Services Librarian, Temple University�

DPLAFest - April 21, 2017

padigital.org

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Why a Communication Strategy?

  • Staff involved in creating a DPLA Service Hub not necessarily “PR people”
    • Metadata librarians, technologists, project managers�
  • But…building a hub is a lot about communication

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1926 Gymnastics Team, Bryn Mawr College

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Accidental PR Managers

  • At PA Digital, communication was at first somewhat haphazard�
  • Recurring questions:
    • Who communicates when?
    • On what medium / social media platform?
    • What level of approval is needed for a message to go out?�
  • We needed a strategy!

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Lucien Blackwell giving a speech 1979, Temple University

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Developing a Communication Strategy/Plan

  • On-the-ground PA Digital staff at Temple developed a proposal
  • Then the cross-institutional PA Digital Planning Group discussed and reviewed it�
  • Results: two spreadsheets that form our communication plan

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Cooking Class circa 1950, the Baldwin School Archives

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Spreadsheet #1: Strategy https://tinyurl.com/HubStrategy

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tinyurl.com/HubStrategy

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tinyurl.com/HubStrategy

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Spreadsheet #2: Plan

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https://tinyurl.com/HubPlan

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Current Status

  • Has been in place for the last 1 year+
  • Works great
    • We have a system! A schedule!
    • We don’t have to wait for approvals that delay publishing
    • We can be consistent in our communication message and frequency
    • Useful to have a log to look back, analytics, etc.��

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Waiting for train, 1935, University of Scranton

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Next Steps

  • Refining our overall message
  • Editorial style guide
  • Integrating workshop/training goals into the communication plan
  • Fine-tuning communication for internal/governance groups

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Impromptu fashion show 1964, Temple University

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Thank you!

  • Delphine Khanna @khdelphine
  • Rachel Appel @frecklewars

Templates:

https://tinyurl.com/HubStrategy

https://tinyurl.com/HubPlan

Acknowledgements:

  • Thank you to Doreva Belfiore, Anastasia Chiu, and Elise Warshavsky, who also contributed to developing and implementing the communication plan.

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