Top 10 Tips Session

 

Debra Bade, Editor, News Research and Archives, Chicago Tribune

 

 

 

1.     Throw a Party:

We’re all thinking today about things that can make a difference for our libraries and our news organizations. Having a presence in your newsroom, and going to the news meetings are critical. People need to see you in their element to understand that you are really part of the process of good journalism that happens at your site. But one thing you may want to try also, is pull them closer to what you do. Throw a party or have an open house and get them into your library or research center.  We’ve all become so dependent upon email that sometimes you need to come up with a reason to get your reporters and researchers together for face to face contact.

 

I always like to have at least two solid hooks or reasons for an event like this. For example, in April, I was preparing to roll out newsroom access to our historical Chicago Tribune archive (this is the microfilm digitization project I’ve done with ProQuest.) National Library Week was also approaching. The same day I announced the new historic resource I also announced that the Research Center would hold an open house later in the week. There was just enough time between the announcements and the open house for people to login and take a look at the historical archive. By the time the open house came around, people were fascinated and eager to learn more. They didn’t come just for the food, although there was plenty. The demo stations were a huge success. While they were there, people took time to look at displays from our collection of glass plates too. They left with a new appreciation and understanding of all the work that happens in the Research Center and of the amazing array of historical text and images that are part of our research and archive worlds.

 

 

2.   Reach out to your Subscribers via an Infodesk:

We’ve all been reading lots of alarming data about declining readership and audience levels for news organizations recently. In response to this, the Chicago Tribune launched its “Subscriber Advantage” program in January of 2005 with the goal of enhancing the overall experience of newspaper subscribers and helping to grow long-term subscriber population by giving people greater incentive to stay.

 

Subscribers can register online for this program and become eligible for a number of perks. Benefits have included airline discounts, retail coupons or services, opportunities to participate in special events like tours or museum functions. But along with the coupon type of benefit, subscribers can also use our Concierge service (for restaurant information and recommendations) and the Research Center’s Infodesk (this is not our main research desk.)

 

Readers can call or email research requests to the Infodesk and the researcher will follow up with them. Requests to the Infodesk have been very diverse but genealogical questions are common, as are requests for historical research and recipes. Staffing is always a concern for this kind of project. My original plan was to hire a part-time researcher for Infodesk but I wound up making adjustments to the schedule of my two-year resident so she could spend a few hours each day answering Infodesk requests.

 

This is a free service for subscribers. The Infodesk call and email volume started off slow, but is continuing to grow and the service is greatly appreciated by our readers.