IMC Pan: CBRL

Holly Chisholm
March 5, 2015

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
As a community hub, The Cape Breton Regional Library is looking to maintain their
current free services (computers, reading material, newspapers/magazines, etc.)
while expanding the creative space for the community. The audience of 20 40
year olds, including parents of young children, university students and young
professionals need a free space where they can learn, interact and expand their
knowledge. A library is no longer a quiet space where one goes to read alone, but
has grown to also allow spaces for group collaborations, community discussions,
and youth involvement. This necessitates a larger more functional public space,
which will be achieved through community support.
COMPANY DESCRIPTION
The establishment of the Cape Breton Regional Library in 1950 came after many
years of hard work on the part of numerous individuals, both professionally
involved in the library field and concerned citizens interested in developing library
service for the counties of Cape Breton and Victoria. The facility has since grown
into twelve branches not including two bookmobiles. The branches currently offer
more than a book sharing service, as they are evolving, as community needs
change. Various branches offer Internet and computer access, and video
collections, along with the regular circulation of books, periodicals and papers.
Branches also offer space which can be booked for events, aside from the events
already offered at the library, this allows the community to play a larger role in
the types of services the library provides.
Maintaining a library in Cape Breton County has not been an easy feat, but the
community demand is present as the McConnell Library sees an annual circulation
of about 200,000 materials. This means that Miss Ruby Wallace, our first Regional
Librarian was right when she said, "library service in Cape Breton County has
become part of the life of the people.
STRATEGIC PLAN
Mission
The mission of the Cape Breton Regional Library is to strengthen and inspire our
communities by providing quality collections, cultural resources, programs and
services in a welcoming environment where all can enjoy reading and learning.
Goals
Secure the funding and location to build a new library

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Holly Chisholm
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Maximize the libraries contribution to the community, by providing better
services. This would include, more wheelchair accessible space (ramps/elevators),
a green space and relationship to the outside (curb appeal) and more rooms
available for booking by the community.

Core Competency and Sustainable Competitive Advantage

The Cape Breton Regional Library is a public space accessible to all members of
the community, to use in a variety of ways, not just for sharing books. The CBRL
offers a safe, affordable learning environment with a variety of resources for the
whole community. Over the past 65 years, the library has grown with the
community; this is seen with the addition of public Internet access, the growth in
the diversity of programs offered and most recently eBooks. The CBRL will
continue to grow with the needs of the Cape Breton County, as it is an invaluable
resource to the community because of its unique provision of free community
space.
CBRL Board Members
Cape Breton Regional Municipality:
Coun. Claire Detheridge (Chair)
Michael Milburn, PhD (Vice-Chair)
Coun. Jim MacLeod
Coun. Lowell Cormier
Susan Plath

Province of Nova Scotia:

Murdoch Moore
Kenneth MacDonald

Victoria County:

Ms. Gina Reid (Treasurer)

Bruce J. Morrison, Warden

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Holly Chisholm
March 5, 2015

SWOT ANALYSIS
Internal Strengths:
Library Management: Staff is professional and has a strong dedication to customer
service.
Volunteer Board is a strong, diverse group and provides direction and good
governance.
Downtown Location: The librarys current downtown location is central and easily
accessible to the community, and other local amenities. The location also
has the benefit of adding to the downtown core experience, located on a
bus route.
Programming: A wide variety of programming for both adults and children are
offered. These programs are well attended and enjoyed by community
members, (space is used for both library events and community events not
directly related to the library).
Social Media: The library uses social media fairly consistently, posting interesting
and interactive content regularly. They have a strong social media
following with over 2000 likes on the Cape Breton Regional Library page
and just under 1000 on the New Sydney Library Facebook page. The
Twitter account also boasts nearly 1500 followers.
Internal Weaknesses:
Useable Space: There is limited space for public programs and the space that is
available is heavily used. The space also lacks proper equipment for
certain formats of programs. This can cause individuals to take their
events elsewhere. There is little to no group meeting space or quiet study
space for individuals. There is limited office space for staff, no air
conditioning and poor air circulation. There is no elevator for transporting
books.

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Holly Chisholm
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Social Media: Although the library has a strong social media following and uses its
pages well, they are initially hard to find on social media.
Welcoming Environment: The library entrance is set back from the street and
rather uninviting.
Parking: There is no parking lot available for library patrons. Patrons often have to
find a spot and pay for parking.
Staff: Although the staff are well trained and dedicated, there are not always
enough hands to get all the specialized work done, expansion of space
would mean that there was more space to hire new staff.
Funding: Appears to be a lack of fundraising expertise on the Sydney Library
Building Committee. The library is responsible for raising 3% of their
operating costs, this means that every year they start in a deficit of 3%,
until they are able to raise those funds.
Branding: New Sydney library campaign does not have their own website.
External Opportunities:
New Building: A new building would provide the downtown with a central city hall
like meeting location; it would be a tourist attraction, a useful public
space along with a creative and innovative space, with opportunities for
youth.
Complementary Facilities: Combining the library with complementary facilities
would create new opportunities for community members. These are
services like an art gallery (possible expanded partnership with Lumiere),
a theater or a recording studio.
Creative Space: Providing public access to group and meeting spaces with access
to technology, spaces to create music.
Internet: Provides a direct marketing and communication tool to patrons. Online
book clubs are popular now, also some libraries offer the a preordering
system so books are ready for pick up or can be delivered. The web is also
a great way to spread the news about events and is a channel for
fundraising.
External Threats:

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Holly Chisholm
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Internet: The World Wide Web, especially sites like Google, lessen the
communities need to turn to a library for their research and educational
needs.
Other Community Spaces: Coffee shops are a local favorite hangout for writers,
academics, students and those who are culturally and snack inclined.
Outmigration: There is on average a 3% decline in population due to outmigration.
Due to economic issues in the province, a large part of that percentage
are younger individuals.
Economy: With limited job opportunities and dwindling sectors in Nova Scotia the
economy has weakened.

INDUSTRY ANALYSIS
Libraries are at the heart of communities. They are places for people to read,
connect and learn. There are 78 libraries throughout the province, all offering free
access of library services and programs to the community. Library services include
free access to books, periodicals, movies, Internet and computer access, along
with the expertise of the staff and librarians. Programs vary from library to library
but some of the most common programs are One Book Nova Scotia, Borrow
Anywhere Return Anywhere (BARA), talks, preschool story time, book clubs for
various age groups, knitting circles and room bookings for community events.
Libraries in Nova Scotia receive 3,699,579 visitors a year, and as services
expand the usage increases, with over 300,000 library card holders in the
province. This means that many new libraries are being constructed across the
province, some patrons favorites are in Halifax, Stewiacke and Antigonish.
https://library.novascotia.ca/map
http://www.parl.ns.ca/events/pdf/ProgramGuide.pdf

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http://halifax.mediacoop.ca/story/struggling-put-books-shelves/3279 7

COMPETITOR ANALYSIS
Cape Breton University Library
CBU library has a recently renovated space, which is welcoming and offers a
variety of spaces for both group and self-study. It is less centrally located than the
CBRL, but the more welcoming environment makes it worth the trip. The
University library does not offer the same range of programs as the CBRL, though
and is more geared towards adult learning.
New Dawn Enterprises
New Dawn has recently acquired new space (Holy Angels Complex), and has
opened that space up to the community. There are many interactive community
events that take place there, some examples are; Voices for Change, Repair
Cafes, Cooperative Study Club, Youth Groups, Concerts, and room bookings.
COMPANY ANALYSIS
The Cape Breton Regional Library currently is located downtown; this is a central
location, which has fairly easy access to the majority of the community. The
library has a well-trained and dedicated staff, which are passionate about what
they do and serving the community. The library has well maintained social media
pages, including Facebook (1000 likes) and Twitter (1500 followers). Both of these
sites are updated regularly with unique content that is both informative and
interactive. The pages are not just used as bulletin boards, and play a huge role in
the promotion of the library services along with the need of a new library. The
McConnell library serves approximately 48,000 unique visitors a year.
CUSTOMER ANALYSIS
As part of their mission, the library looks to serve all members of the community
with free services. The central location is very important as many patrons walk or
take the bus to the facility. Patrons are looking for an interactive, two-way
conversation with the library. Meaning that customers are looking for meeting and
presentation room space, individual workspace, Internet access, recording studios,
eBooks along with the traditional library services, and programming.
(James McConnell Memorial Library, Feasibility Study, 2011)
MARKET PRODUCT FOCUS
Target Markets:

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Holly Chisholm
March 5, 2015
20 40 year olds: These individuals are young professionals, who are starting
families or continuing post-secondary education. They are looking for creative,
interactive spaces, where they can gather and both consume and share
information, either with their families and friends or individually.
Community groups: Wish to meet in a community space, they might be small and
group run and organized.
Seniors: Opportunity to get out of the house and socialize, participate in adult
learning, such as computer class, or free income tax services.
Points of Difference
The library services are accessible (free) for the whole community. It is a
welcoming space and offers diverse community programming that serves all
members of the community.
Positioning
The CBRL provides a uniquely accessible service to every member of the
community. The library is more than just a book sharing service; it is a community
space, which is free available to the public, at their digression. The library has
also moved in a less traditional direction, providing a two-way conversation with
consumers, so instead of just giving someone the information they need, the
library now encourages individuals to have a conversation about the information.

MARKETING COMMUNICATION PROGRAM

Product Strategy
The library offers accessible services to all members of the community, in a warm
and welcoming environment. It is free to become a library cardholder, and the
card provides the user with access to such services such as book lending,
computer access, DVD and audio book rental, along with the use of the rooms for
meetings, presentations and performances. The library is open Tuesday to Friday
from 10:00am 9:00pm and Saturday 10:00am 5:30pm.

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Holly Chisholm
March 5, 2015

The McConnell library is outdated and has difficulty providing these services to
the community. Addition of space, both inside and out, along with proper
ventilation and air conditioning would help the library better serve the community.
A new space could have more individual and group study and meeting areas,
increased access to technology, and a coffee shop. The downtown location is
important to patrons because it is easily accessible by foot, bus or car. The only
limitation is very limited parking most of which is metered parking on the street.
A major issue is funding, as that has a huge effect on number of staff and level of
services, which can be provided. It must be remembered that all these services
are provided free of charge to card holders, and that funding comes from the
government and fundraising efforts on behalf of the library staff and volunteers.
A committee was formed in the hopes of raising awareness and funding to build a
new library building in downtown Sydney. Results have been slow to date.
Although there have been advances in awareness through the use of social media.
Recommendations
Awareness is key. The community needs to know that a new library is a possibility,
and that they can be a part of the process. Holding information sessions for the
public is one place to start. A media strategy will help build awareness of the
campaign.
Social media a great way to instantly get information out to the masses.
Scheduling posts to run that will facilitate discussion on the page will boost likes
and awareness around a new library. This is also a great way to get qualitative
information on what library users are looking for in a new space.

Price Strategy
The library is free for everyone, as compared to their competitors who charge for
services such as computer usage, DVD rental, and books.

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Holly Chisholm
March 5, 2015
The price in high in terms of time invested for both users and staff. Users expect
a certain level of service when visiting the library. When user satisfaction levels
fall off, users are less likely to spend their discretionary time at the library. The
library is understaffed and the new library committee is relatively small. That
means that large amounts of work are distributed between small amounts of
people.
Recommendations:
In order to complement staff resources, a volunteer campaign could be launched
through social media as a way to entice people to volunteer their time. Email blast
card holders about events and the volunteer complement needed for each event.
Build awareness that the library is a nonprofit service in need of donations and
make donating simple and accessible. Donations services such as
CanadaHelps.org can make donating simple in just a few clicks. Building on the
strategy like the adopt a book campaign, where individuals who donate a certain
amount would have their name place on a wall, similar programs can encourage
online donations and attract a new generation of donors
Place Strategy
The CBRL has twelve locations around the municipality, not including the two
bookmobiles. This is a great way to bring services to the patrons, in some cases
literally to their doors. The lack of comfortable space at the McConnell branch
could be deterring current users from spending more time there and potential
users from checking out the library.
Recommendations:
Continue to post about inspirational library spaces on social media, and
encourage existing social media followers to post their wish lists about new
programs and facilities they would like to see in a new library. This can help
facilitate discussion about what community members are looking for in a space.
Existing followers will attract their like-minded friends to the network.

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Holly Chisholm
March 5, 2015

Promotion Strategy
Objectives:
Increase awareness of the need for a new public library in Sydney
Increase the services the library is able to provide. (ie, ebooks, internet and
computer access, and meeting space)
Messages:
New Sydney Library - A New Chapter

Public Relations Strategy and Tactics:

Public Relations: The execution of a plan to earn public understanding and
acceptance. Evaluating public attitudes and identifying policies and
procedures of an organization form the plan.
Tactics:
Hosting events and sending out media releases for newsworthy happenings
is a great way to build a relationship with the media along with getting
information out to the community.
Select which committee members will represent the committee in the media, this
would include interviews and press inquires both positive and negative.
Host information sessions on what the Sydney Library Building committee has
been up to and how they are moving forward.
Host a few public events that help promote a new library. Possibly something
within schools by getting kids to draw what their library would look like.
Committee should have a presence at all library events
Committee can become active in business and stakeholder meetings where key
influencers gather in order to build support for the campaign. Cape Breton
Partnership Investors Summit, Chamber of Commerce events and other
fundraising organization activities.
One of the committee members gets featured in the getting to know section of
the paper, discusses their work with the New Library Committee.
Publish a feature article (or become regular contributors) in either the Cape
Breton Star or the Community Post; both are always looking for writers.
Have two representatives interviewed on the radio discussing what a new library
could offer the community and what projects the committee has worked on so far.
Internet Marketing: Advertising and marketing efforts that use the web,
email or social media to direct sales or sales leads (i.e. Information). Social
media is a valuable tool for nonprofits because; it costs little in the way of
dollars. A large time commitment may be required depending on the
expected results.
Tactics:

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Holly Chisholm
March 5, 2015
Increase likes on the New Sydney Library Facebook page by 1000 in the next
three months.
Create a unique web page for the New Library Campaign

FINANCIAL DATA AND PROJECTIONS

Cape Breton Regional Library Budget
72% - Provincial funding
25% - CBRM/ Victoria County
3% - Fundraising by the library
ACTIVITY
Public Relations
Select which
committee
members will
represent the
committee in the
press.

TIME REQUIRED
One meeting of
the committee.

Information session 1 day

with community
Advertising leading
up to event on
social media and
through email
blasts to card
holders
Media
advisory/release
sent out to
appropriate media
personnel
Prep of facilitator
and presenters
Room prep and
clean up

COST
- No cost

- Tea and Coffee

($50)

RESULT
- Messages will be
clear and when
something
newsworthy comes
up the media and
all individuals will
know who to
contact.
- Press coverage
- Gain new
volunteers
- Raise awareness
of the need for a
new library with
fifty new
community
members

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Holly Chisholm
March 5, 2015

Draw a New
Chapter: Ask kids
to draw and submit
what they think our
new library would
look like.

-1/2 a day
Writing content for
Facebook and
Twitter to
announce event
- Distributing
application sheets
at the library and
within schools
-Partner with the
CBVRSB for
distribution of the
campaign

- Printing
application sheets
($60)

- Build awareness
amongst school
age children and
families
- Facilitate
discussion in the
classroom and at
home about why
libraries are
important.

Guest Speaker:
Invite someone
who worked on the
Halifax Library
community
involvement aspect
of the project to
speak to Sydney
about the success
of the project.
Committee
presence at all
current library
events

a day
Contacting
speaker.
Creating content
for advertising on
social media.
Media release to
invite press.

- To save on cost a
videoconference
could be set up
with the speaker.
This would avoid
travel and
accommodation
costs.

- Raise awareness
of the process of
building a new
library amongst the
community

Duration of event

- No Cost

Pitch a member of
the committee to
be featured in the
Getting to Know

1 hour
Email the post
about this
opportunity

- No cost

- Raise awareness
of committee
Allows committee
to be easily
approached
- Draws awareness
to the committee
and what kind of
work they are

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section of the Cape Perform interview
Breton Post
Write and submit a- 2 -4 days to have the - No cost
feature article to
article written and
the Community
submitted
Post or the Cape
Breton Star
Interview on CBC
-Contacting CBC
-No Cost
Radio
radio with pitch for
an interview about
what the New
Sydney Library has
been up to and
their future goals
Business and
Stakeholder
meetings
Internet Marketing
Increase likes on
New Sydney
Library Facebook
Page

- Time spent at
meetings and
networking

-Encourage current
page likes to share
the page
-Post relevant
content and try to
tag individuals and
other organizations
in content where
appropriate
Create a web page
-2 Weeks creating
for the New Sydney a web page
Library campaign
yourself
or
-Less time spent
communicating
with a designer
-Connect with a
community college
to have a student
design a site
Total
Aprox. 71 hours

Holly Chisholm
March 5, 2015
doing
- Raises awareness
with readers all
over the island
- Transparency with
the community
about the progress
of a New Sydney
Library

-No Cost

- Partnerships with
other business and
groups interested
in improving the
downtown core.

- No cost

- Increased likes by
1000 in three
months -- Social
media awareness

Approximately$500
for a designer

- Defines the New

Sydney Library as
a separate entity
to the CBRL

Aprox. $660.00

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Holly Chisholm
March 5, 2015

IMPLEMENTATION PLAN
ACTIVITY

Select
represe
ntative
Info
Session
Draw a
New
Chapter
Guest
Speaker
Commit
tee
member
featured
Feature
Article
Faceboo
k Likes
Webpag
e
CBC
Intervie

APRIL

MAY

JUNE

JULY

AUG

SEPT

OCT

NOV

DEC

JAN

FEB

MARCH

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Holly Chisholm
March 5, 2015

w
Attend
all
events
taking
place at
current
library
Busines
s and
stakehol
der
meeting
s

EVALUATION
After three months, evaluate the tactics, which have been implemented. Monitor
social media for improved discussions about a new library and attendance of
events. Continue to monitor results every six months, change tactics according to
results.

IMC Pan: CBRL

Media Kit

Holly Chisholm
March 5, 2015

IMC Pan: CBRL

Media Kit
Cape Breton Regional Library
50 Falmouth Street
Sydney, Nova Scotia
B1P 6X9

Holly Chisholm
March 5, 2015

Date:
Release

For Immediate
TITLE OF RELEASE BOLDED AND IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS

Sydney, Nova Scotia Lead paragraph must capture readers attention. If

possible include the 5 Ws, WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN and WHY. Most important
information goes in this paragraph.
This is your last chance to keep the readers attention, they will either decide to
read on or stop reading. Include any important details that did not fit in the lead
paragraph, such as the HOW.
Use this paragraph to introduce the spokesperson for the organization and include
a quote. Quotes usually start off a sentence, as opposed to inserting one at the
end. They are also a great way to bring perspective to the story. Avoid entire
paragraph quotes. Include spokespersons title after first quote. Be sure to get
written permission from spokesperson. Explain what the spokesperson is talking
about by including additional information.
Use the rest of the space to discuss less important information and add another
quote. Remember to write as a reported not a representative of the organization.
Avoid the use of they, our, us or you unless quoting a spokesperson.
The late Robert Morgan developed the Sydney Library Building Committee, in
2010. The committee is made up of members as well as representatives of the
library staff and board. They work to raise awareness of the need for a new library
building in Sydney, as aging infrastructure and lack of space limits the current
library building from serving the needs of the CBRM . The committee works hard
to educate and facilitate discussions around the need for a new library, the
importance of a central library and why a public library is vital to the strength of a
community.
-30Contact:
Representative of Committee

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Media Kit
Title
Phone Number
Email address

Holly Chisholm
March 5, 2015

Cape Breton Regional Library

50 Falmouth Street
Sydney, Nova Scotia
B1P 6X9

MEDIA ADVISORY

For Immediate Release

Title
What: Brief description about what the event is about and why it is important for
the organization
When: when the event is taking place
Where: Location of the event
Who: Individuals that may be playing a prominent role in the event and who may
entice the media to come.
Specify if interview opportunities will be available following the event.
-30About the Sydney Library Building Committee
The late Robert Morgan developed the Sydney Library Building Committee, in
2010. The committee is made up of members as well as representatives of the
library staff and board. They work to raise awareness of the need for a new library
building in Sydney, as aging infrastructure and lack of space limits the current
library building from serving the needs of the CBRM . The committee works hard
to educate and facilitate discussions around the need for a new library, the
importance of a central library and why a public library is vital to the strength of a
community.
For more information or to arrange an interview please contact:
Name of committee representative
Title
Email
Number
Website

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Media Kit

Holly Chisholm
March 5, 2015

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Media Kit
CLIENT: Who is the message from
TITLE: Title of PSA
announcement

Holly Chisholm
March 5, 2015
TIME: xx seconds
Date: Date of

ANNOUNCER:. GET LISTENERS ATTENTION IMMEDIATELY. HI, IM THE SPEAKER FOR

THE SYDNEY LIBRARY BUILDING COMMITTEE. WE WANT YOU TO KNOWO ABOUT
OUR ORGANIZATION, THE GOOD WORK WE DO/ CURRENT ISSUE FACING THE
PUBLIC/ORGANIZATION/GROUP OF AFFECTED CITIZENS. STATE THE ISSUE, APPEAL
TO EMOTIONS OR PROVIDE EVIDENCE.
EXPLAIN WHY ISSUE IS IMPORTANT, INCLUDING WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY
AND HOW. (DEPENDING ON TIMING).
WITH YOUR HELP WE CANDESCRIBE HOW THE AUDIENCE CAN HELP/ IMPACT
THEIR INVOLVEMENT CAN HAVE. INCLUDE A THANK YOU.
CALL TO ACTION. PROVIDE CONTACT INFORMATION. MAKE SURE TO REPEAT
WEBSITE AND/OR PHONE NUMBER ATLEAST TWICE.

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Media Kit

Holly Chisholm
March 5, 2015

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Media Kit
CLIENT: New Library Campaign
Seconds
TITLE: Together Lets Write a New Chapter
2015

Holly Chisholm
March 5, 2015
TIME: 30
DATE: April 7,

Announcer: WE ARE MORE THAN BOOKS. WE ARE COMMUNITY, WE

ARE FAMILY, WE ARE LEARNING, WE ARE YOUR SPECIAL
PLACE

WE CAN BE MORE, WE CAN BE TECHNOLOGY, WE CAN BE

WARM WEEKDAY AFTERNOONS OR YOUR QUIET CORNER.
WE CAPTURE YOUR IMAGINATION AND SPARK YOUR
CREATIVITY.

VISIT CBRL.CA OR SEARCH NEW SYDNEY LIBRARY ON

FACEBOOK, TO HELP WRITE OUR NEW CHAPTER.
TOGEATHER WE CAN BE A NEW LIBRARY.

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Media Kit
Cape Breton Regional Library
50 Falmouth Street
Sydney, Nova Scotia
B1P 6X9

Holly Chisholm
March 5, 2015

Dear Donor,
The Sydney Library Building Committee is working towards raising funds to
build an updated central library in Sydney. The way libraries serve the community
have changed over the last decade and Sydney deserves to have a space that can
continue to serve the area for years to come.
The library is a space and resource, which has the ability to serve every individual
in the community in some way. A donation in someones name could make a great
gift. Enclosed is a donation form, please donate generously and return today.
Thank you,

Sydney Library Building Committee,