Advancing America's Libraries Podcast by The Ivy Group

Podcast Episode: The Whys and Why Nots of Focus Groups

02.26.20
What is a focus group? What is it not? What can you expect to learn in this type of community conversation? This episode of Advancing America's Libraries Podcast is co-hosted by library consultants Pam Fitzgerald and Julia Prince with Ivy Group colleague Ellen Roberson.
Advancing America's Libraries Podcast episode with Lisa Hoenig, Ypsilanti District Library

Podcast Episode: Pass a Millage Increase

08.07.19
Lisa Hoenig, Director of the Ypsilanti District Library, provides useful direction and insights for libraries working to raise operational funds especially in communities that were hard hit by the downturn in the economy.
Comparing apples

Who’s Comparing? Benchmarking Library Performance

07.23.18
Benchmarking is a comparison of performance measures between similar entities against recognized standards. Library benchmarks are typically comparisons of numerical statistics such as circulation, visits, …
Targeted Consumer Segmentation: too hard, too soft, just right.

Targeted Marketing: Find Your “Just Right” Audience

02.19.16
Successful marketing campaigns are built on a data-driven understanding of customers. By applying customer segmentation analysis to customer lists, business-to-consumer enterprises can better understand where they stand in the market, who to go after, and how to reach them.

Are Focus Groups a Necessary Research Method?

01.22.14
We often receive inquiries about focus groups. In common use for many years in corporate America, their popularity has migrated into the non-profit sector. However, …

An Intern Story: Why Field Trips Shouldn’t Stop in School

07.03.12
A couple weeks ago, the interns (Katelin, Lauren and I) embarked on a trip to Pantops Shopping Center to get letter signatures to send to a local …

Public Library Power Patrons: Your Best Customers

02.23.12
Barbara Genco, Collection Management Editor for Library Journal and Ivy Library Consultant, spoke last week in New York at the O’Reilly Tools of Change for …

Libraries Help Keep Brains Healthy

12.19.11
Ever think of your library as a brain health center? For the baby boomer generation, it is. Last week I had the pleasure of attending the …