Communications and Grant-Writing for Libraries and Special Collections

Whether you’re looking to engage new audiences through via Instagram or Twitter, or make a successful pitch for funding for an exciting new library project, it’s all about communication. Who is your audience? What’s the best way to reach them? How will you know what kind of impact you’re having? And how on earth can you fit everything you need to say within the page limit for that grant application?

This workshop explores the wide range of tools and methods that libraries and special collections use to communicate to external audiences, with a particular focus on grant-writing and social media strategy—two areas where taking time to craft the message really makes a difference. Each day of teaching will include a dynamic mix of assigned readings, case studies, writing exercises, lectures and group discussions.  Participants in the class will learn how to tell their organizational story more coherently and compellingly through data and analytics, written narratives, photos, videos… even memes!

Participants are especially encouraged to enroll if they have a specific grant-writing project or social media strategy they wish to refine as part of the course; however, no prior experience with either is needed.

Year taught: 2021 by Snowden Becker