THE STORY

The Rizal Library's thrust for years 2011-2013 is geared towards marketing and promotions of its collection and services. An Assistant to the Director for Special Programs and Events was hired to conduct the work necessary for this endeavor.

 

Among other marketing strategies (i.e., guerilla marketing schemes, relationship marketing, etc.), the Rizal Library relied heavily on the use of social media, racking up its Facebook page likes and Twitter followers within the past two years. This method used Internet memes, which Knobel (2006) defines as "contagious patterns of cultural information that are passed from mind to mind and which directly shape and transmit key actions and mindsets of a social group." According to her, they can include popular tunes, catchphrases, clothing fashions, architectural styles, ways of doing things, and so on.

 

It began as something experimental, but the amount of attention these Internet memes have directed towards the Rizal Library led to more and more memes being used. 

These were appreciated by students and faculty alike, and were replicated in different libraries in the Philippines. Different workshop modules on creating effective memes for libraries have also been conducted within the locality of the Rizal Library.

 

On the next page, you will find some of the memes used by the Rizal Library. You can also find feedback from students, librarians, and other members of the community here, here, here, here, (oooh, a Mental Floss article) here, and by conducting a Google search on "Rizal Library memes".

 

Sources:

Knobel, Michel (2006) Memes and Affinity Spaces: some implications for policy and digital divides in education, E-Learning and Digital Media, 3(3), 411-427. http://dx.doi.org/10.2304/elea.2006.3.3.411

 

David, L. T., & Sagun, K. A. (2012). Increasing awareness and use of the library's resources and facilities through relationship marketing strategies. Library Management, 33(4/5), 292-296. doi:10.1108/01435121211242326