Advertise with Confidence: Evaluating Advertising Assessment in Light of Business Best Practices

Academic libraries are facing increasing pressure to prove their value in the face of outdated public perceptions, financial challenges, and competition from other information providers. They are investing time, energy, and money to advertise their resources and services in a variety of ways. Despite these efforts, few libraries know whether these investments are meeting their objectives. Academic libraries should follow the advertising assessment practices used by businesses today to assess the cost, interaction, and outcomes of their advertising to determine its effectiveness. These guidelines provide necessary structure that will benefit library advertising efforts and marketing as a whole.