Expanding Your Reach: Marketing Your Digital Library to Students and Faculty Beyond Orientation

Orientation week is a whirlwind—welcome emails, campus tours, info sessions, and jam-packed presentations compete for students’ attention. It’s also the first time many students and faculty are introduced to your digital library. But if your outreach ends after those first few days, you’re missing a critical opportunity.

The reality? Valuable resources like eBooks, audiobooks, and streaming films often get lost in the shuffle and stay underutilized throughout the academic year.

To remain both visible and valuable, your digital library needs consistent, creative marketing well beyond orientation. With their flexibility and accessibility, digital resources are ideally suited to today’s diverse learning preferences and fast-paced academic life. The challenge is making sure your audience sees the library not just as a place but as a partner in learning.

Here’s how to expand your reach and transform your digital collection into an indispensable academic ally.

1. Rethink the Format: Embrace Multi-Modal Learning

Students today don’t all consume content the same way. Some listen to audiobooks while commuting, others stream films for coursework, and many prefer eBooks for searchable convenience. Your digital library is designed for this kind of flexible, on-demand access—and that’s a strength worth emphasizing.

Position the library as a gateway to smart, adaptable study habits, not just an alternative to print:

• “No time to read? Listen while you walk to class.”
• “Short on attention span? Stream that required film or search the eBook for key terms.”

Make it easy for users to discover multi-format offerings. Highlight when resources are available in more than one mode (e.g., eBook and audiobook) and create short promotional videos or social media reels that showcase clips, soundbites, or screen recordings of how to access content.

This multi-sensory approach connects with learners who might not be inclined to engage with traditional academic resources.

2. Position the Library as a Partner, Not Just a Place

Your digital library isn’t just about access—it’s about impact. Students are more likely to use tools they perceive as essential to their academic success. As OverDrive’s own Rachel Kray points out in Empowering Students Through Academic Resources, framing matters.

Use messaging that reinforces the library’s value beyond the physical campus:

• “24/7 access to credible sources.”
• “Your research assistant, on demand.”
• “Study tools that travel with you.”

Make it clear that the digital library removes the limitations of time and location. Whether students are studying at midnight or catching up on reading during a commute, your library supports their success.

3. Meet Students and Faculty Where They Are

The most effective marketing happens where your audience already spends their time, whether that’s online, on campus, or inside the learning management system.

Digital and On-Campus Touchpoints

• Social Media: Share consistent, engaging content on platforms students use most, like Instagram or TikTok. Feature “day-in-the-life” reels, themed booklists, or 60-second tutorials on how to access resources.
• Digital Signage and QR Codes: Promote featured resources on screens in high-traffic areas such as dining halls, lounges, or study spaces. QR codes offer instant access.
• Posters and Pop-Ups: Hang posters or place table tents in study rooms and academic buildings that link to curated collections—think subject-specific or course-aligned booklists.

Faculty Integration

• Embed Resources in Coursework: Encourage instructors to incorporate eBooks, audiobooks, and streaming media into syllabi and course platforms.
• Faculty Toolkits: Provide ready-to-use collections of links and guides that help faculty easily integrate digital resources into their teaching.
• Quick Start Guides: Offer simple “cheat sheets” that explain how to connect students to specific titles or formats relevant to their courses.

4. Make Marketing a Conversation, Not a Broadcast

Effective outreach goes two ways. Engage faculty and students in meaningful dialogue about their resource needs. When digital collections reflect real curricular priorities, they become more relevant. And more likely to be used.

• Faculty Feedback: Invite input on what’s missing or what could better support their teaching. Use their suggestions to inform collection development.
• Classroom Visits: Offer quick presentations to departments or classes, highlighting new titles and usage tips.
• Shareable Materials: Create brochures, slides, or digital handouts that faculty can distribute to students or embed in LMS platforms.

These collaborative efforts build trust—and usage.

5. Surface the Library at the Moment of Need

The best marketing doesn’t feel like marketing at all, it feels like help. When students are stressed, overwhelmed, or looking for a lifeline, your digital library can offer exactly what they need.

Use relatable messaging that addresses common academic pain points:

• “Struggling with research? Tap into our database of credible sources.”
• “Heavy reading load? Listen to the audiobook while walking or commuting.”
• “Can’t find your course materials? Stream the assigned film from our collection.”

Tactical Outreach Ideas:

• Digital Library Clinics: Host informal drop-in sessions—either in busy campus spots or virtually—to troubleshoot access and recommend resources.
• Academic Support Partnerships: Collaborate with tutoring centers, writing labs, or success coaches to promote library tools during study sessions.
• Themed Content Kits: Offer semester-specific bundles like “Midterm Survival Kits” or “Finals Week Lifesavers” with curated digital content to support focus and reduce stress.

6. Tap Into Peer Influence

Students trust each other more than any official communication. Build a student ambassador program where tech-savvy or enthusiastic users share tips and favorite finds through Instagram takeovers, blog posts, or campus events.

These peer voices make the library feel more approachable and less institutional—and they’re especially effective at reaching students who don’t typically use library services.

7. Refresh Messaging with the Academic Calendar

Orientation isn’t the only time your digital library deserves the spotlight. Keep your messaging relevant by aligning outreach with key points in the academic year.

• Beginning of Term: Focus on content that supports a strong start—whether for learning, organization, or adjusting to campus life.
• Midterms and Finals: Emphasize how your resources can support both academic success and stress relief during high-pressure periods.
• Seasonal or Pop Culture Themes: Tap into what’s happening culturally or seasonally to make your library’s offerings feel timely and engaging.

Monthly Engagement:

Consider a monthly newsletter with bite-sized, curated content such as:

• Faculty and staff picks
• Most accessed resources
• New or trending additions
• Timely tips or student testimonials

The goal: keep the library top of mind without overwhelming your audience.

In Summary: Elevate Awareness, Enhance Access

Your digital library isn’t just a convenience, it’s an academic ally. But students and faculty won’t use what they don’t remember, understand, or feel confident navigating. That’s why marketing your digital resources needs to be more than a one-time announcement. It needs to be part of an ongoing conversation.

By embracing multi-modal messaging, showing up in high-traffic digital and physical spaces, building faculty partnerships, and surfacing resources when they’re needed most, you’ll help position your digital library not as an add-on, but as a vital part of student and faculty success—through orientation and far beyond.