Bethany Messersmith
Information Literacy Librarian/College Liaison
Southwest Baptist University Libraries

Television is fraught with advertising promoting one trademarked brand or another – from insurance commercials by Progressive, GEICO, and State Farm to food commercials for ACTIVIA, Ocean Spray, and Jimmy Dean. These companies spend exorbitant amounts of money annually, in an effort to deliver a brand that is familiar to consumers and instills confidence in purchasing a time-tested product. According to an online survey of academic libraries on outreach efforts a few years ago, survey data revealed that the size of one’s academic library does not necessarily dictate the budget available for outreach (Carter & Seaman 167). Although many libraries do not have the financial means to engage in branding efforts comparable to the for-profit sector, most can capitalize on readily available resources to develop and market a brand that resonates with library users.

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