Artificial intelligence, new and different algorithms, machine learning, mobile and voice interfaces, and innovative technologies alter how we create searches, find and evaluate retrieved material, and teach others to be better searchers.

Search tools are in a constant state of flux. Search engines add, change and remove search functionality on a regular basis, which makes it difficult to keep up to date, to teach good search practice and to remain on top of current practice.

To plan for the future, we must understand the present, both in terms of search and how this plays out for our clients, students, and colleagues in the real world.

Search Skills Academy focuses on the fundamental skills, the practical approaches to faster, better and more effective searching, and important and useful resources.

This workshop includes hands-on search exercises, with intriguing research questions and illustrative strategies, plus demonstrations and practical examples of search skills.

This is a hands-on and interactive workshop which breaks library marketing down into manageable chunks, free of jargon and gimmicks. Above all the focus is on tying your library promotion together into effective marketing campaigns.

We’ll look first at communication types, and then work on segmenting your audience and tailoring messages for each group. We’ll cover Word of Mouth Marketing, feedback methods, and how to simplify key messages without dumbing down.

In the afternoon we’ll look at online publishing and social media, alongside marketing with video, before tying everything together in a strategic marketing plan. Delegates will get a template marketing campaign document to work on in the session and then take back to their own institutions to develop.

Everything in this workshop is designed to be applicable right away, whether you want to better communicate the value of a particular service, or to market your entire library.