Libraries are for everyone no matter the income level, the education level, the age, the languages spoke or the ethnic heritage. This is why identifying different segments of the community and personalizing the communications to them  is crucial in the activity of every library.

By dividing the local community into smaller segments that have similar needs and demands from the library, it makes it easier to understand how to fulfill them. Kathy Dempsey recently emphasized in an article on infotoday.com that people are more likely to click on a message that’s personalized to them: “look at the messages that come out of your library. Are they generic? Do they invite “everyone” to participate? Now think about yourself again: Are you more likely to click on a message that’s for everyone or a message that’s for you?”

Read next examples of the different community segments libraries are targeting and how various libraries around the world personalize their services to them.

1. Small Businesses/ Entrepreneurs

It is difficult to build a company starting from nothing because a successful business goes way beyond finding the right idea. This is why more than 30% of new businesses fail according to a study made by ISED Canada. The main reason for failure is inexperienced management.

#Librarians are powerful allies full of resources that can help #entrepreneurs understand the important steps to build a business. Share on X

Librarians are powerful allies full of resources that can help managers and entrepreneurs understand the important steps to build a business. For example, the Ottawa Public Library in the US offers free guides for starting a small business in Ontario.

2. Job Seekers

In 2017, most western countries had an employment rate between 70% and 75%. This means that in most countries, 1 of 4 people were job seekers. There can be different explanations for that, but one of them is that people didn’t have the resources to find a job.

Libraries for job seekers: Job hunters have been turning to public #libraries in their search process. Share on X

Librarians help those faced with this difficulty. As Michael Baumann mentioned in an article on Information Today, Inc “job hunters have been turning to public libraries in their search process and 62.2% of public libraries consider aiding job seekers as critical to the library’s mission.” The Toronto Public Library has a calendar with specific activities targeting job seekers like Resume Writing events.

Library User Groups Employment Rate Per Country

3. People with disabilities

We all know someone that has a disability and we know their everyday life can be really difficult. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention affirmed that 53 million adults in the US live with a disability.

By adding additional services personalized for the people with disabilities, #libraries improve the quality of life of users with disabilities. #librarylife Share on X

Citizens with mental or physical disabilities have special needs that cannot be easily fulfilled through ordinary library services. By adding additional services that are personalized to their needs, libraries improve the quality of life of users with disabilities. They provide a place where those citizens feel welcome and understood. The Central Library of Portsmouth has a lot of different services for people with disabilities. For example, they offer free computer training for the visually impaired.

4. Refugees

In 2015, there were recorded nearly 1.8 million new refugees. Having to need to move to another country that has a different culture, religion, language, and even values might be a great challenge for many of them.

Public libraries are known to be a safe space where everyone has access to knowledge and information, regardless of their ethnic origin. Libraries give refugees the resources they need to keep themselves on the learning path. At Nottingham Central Library in the UK, they offer conversation workshops which aim to help people with English as a second language get more confidence when engaging in conversation.

5. Newcomers

Immigration has been a hot topic over the past few years as western countries receive more and more immigrants. Migrants leave their home country most of the time to find themselves a better situation, to reunite with their families or to experience a new culture.

#Libraries through their resources and well-informed staff are in a perfect position to help people settle in their new country. #newtothecity #libraries Share on X

Libraries through their resources and well-informed staff are in a perfect position to help people settle in their new country. They can help them understand the things they need to know and how they can be part of that new society. Take a look at the North Vancouver District Public Library Website, they have a page where they welcome newcomers and they give them information about what resources they provide to them.

Library Users Permanent Immigration Inflows Per Country

6. Lonely people

Humans are highly social beings and loneliness is a huge, cultural problem all over the world. An article from the Guardian states “that loneliness can be as damaging as smoking 15 cigarettes a day”. They also argue that one of the best ways to fight loneliness is to increase social contact by getting into a new group, volunteering, etc.

One of the best ways to fight loneliness is to increase social contact by getting into a new group, volunteering etc. #libraries Share on X

As Pamela Benjamin mentions in her chat with Princh, “libraries are great at tackling loneliness and dividedness by creating opportunities for different generations, ethnicities, social classes, etc. to connect”.  A great example is Warwickshire Libraries in the UK which emphasizes on an article on Libraries Taskforce Blog that “they support all kinds of get-togethers such as Silver Surfer computer sessions for the over-50s, coffee mornings, Knit and Natter clubs, and reading groups and board games” as health and wellbeing have long been high on their agenda.

7. Tourists

Travelling has never been trendier. People want to explore the world and they travel more and more. When we consider countries like Canada, the US, Denmark, Australia, the UK, and Germany, we can see that all of them have an increase in incoming trips between 1 and 5% for the past year.

#Librarians with their knowledge and research skills are the perfect guides to explain to them what they should visit and they also can help them find the resources they need. #libraryresources Share on X