Libraries at University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Date of this Version
Winter 12-2023
Document Type
Article
Abstract
In 2017, Abigail Phillips, a postdoctoral fellow at Utah State University wrote, “The role of empathy in the library has been infrequently researched in library and information science (LIS) literature. However, as demonstrated in the reactions of libraries and librarians during recent social movements, empathy is a critical component of librarianship and routine library work” (Phillips 1). Over the last twenty years, numerous researchers have argued the same; this paper enters into conversation several texts from the late 2000s to the early 2020s that conceptualize the intersections between empathy marketing and librarianship and/or put them into practice. It first defines empathetic marketing, a term developed in Mark Ingwer’s 2012 book, “Empathetic Marketing: How to Satisfy the 6 Core Emotional Needs of Your Customers”, as just that – using empathy and human needs as the driving force behind one's business. Here, the business is the library. Libraries are uniquely situated as an entirely free resource, something that grows rarer and rarer by the day. This places them in a situation in which certain forms of marketing are unattainable, but those which prioritize individuals and relationships have the ability to thrive. The authors discussed in this paper carefully describe the ways libraries can best convey the message: "We are a resource for you, and ask nothing in return aside from respect and continued patronage. We see you and are here for you.”