LIASA MAIG/ UKS Marketing Seminar hosted in the library auditorium on 17 August 2018

MAIG is the acronym for Marketing and Advocacy Interest Group of the Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA). Two of the Department of Library Services’ staff members, Elsabé Olivier and Gerda Ehlers served on the Executive Committee until October 2018 in the positions of Chair and Public relations officers respectively.

On the 17 August 2018 fifty-three excited librarians attended the second annual LIASA MAIG Marketing Seminar which was held in the Merensky 2 Library auditorium.

This time the organizers collaborated with UKS, who not only sponsored the morning’s welcome refreshments, but whose managing director, Neesha Ramsumar, also acted as the master of ceremonies.

The attendees represented different library sectors: academic libraries (34%), the National Library (21%), public libraries (13%), school libraries (10%), government libraries (8%) and other interested parties. The packed programme included the following presentations:

• Mmane Boikanyo (Marketing Manager at TuksSport) presented on “Incorporating marketing trends into strategy.”
• Christine Nel (Information specialist for the Faculty of Theology and Religion at the University of Pretoria) presented on “How to plan a catchy exhibition for your library”. The attendees also had the opportunity to admire Christine’s creative African idioms exhibition in the Merensky 2 library. The African idioms exhibition templates were also freely distributed to everyone who wanted them afterwards.
• Cheryl Gibbs (Origamist in Pretoria) gave an origami demonstration and everybody learnt the basics of origami first-hand by folding a heart and a cup.
• Estelle Boers (Assistant Director of the Metsimaholo Libraries) shared the challenges and solutions of marketing Metsimaholo Libraries on a shoestring budget
• Asanda Mdayi (Senior Library Assistant at the University of Western Cape) likewise shared best practices in the marketing of an academic library on a shoestring budget.
• The last presentation was by Portia Daniso (Literacy Mentor at Nalibali) and was titled Nalibali and reading clubs at libraries and the importance of storytelling”.

After the formal presentations Elsabé Olivier thanked the MAIG 2016 – 1018 Executive Committee members, Gerda Ehlers, Cora van Renssen and Marieta van der Merwe, for their assistance in hosting this last successful event. A lucky draw rewarding some members with a small gift concluded the formal event after which everyone enjoyed lunch and had the opportunity to network..

In the evaluation form which was circulated afterwards, 69%of the attendees indicated that they had found the Seminar extremely valuable while 31% indicated that it had been quite valuable. The comments received were very positive and it seemed that everyone had learnt something valuable that could be applied in their libraries:

“This was a fantastic event. Keep up the good work and well done!”

“Everything was well organised – a big thank you for an excellent programme”

“Thanks for the excellent time keeping. I really enjoyed being there. This was my first time at a MAIG event.”

“I want to commend you on the excellent time keeping of the seminar, overall a wonderful insightful

experience.”

Photographs of the African proverbs exhibition by Christine Nel can be viewed at: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10155739211466705&type=1&l=03842ed28c

Photographs of the origami exhibition by Cheryl Gibbs can be viewed at: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10155739192011705&type=1&l=2102002d14

More photographs of the event can be viewed at: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2220471574840770&type=1&l=69aa9e5498