“Far beyond the physical boundaries of the library exists a world full of weightless books, magazine articles that interest only you, old newspapers that you don’t have to dig up from a dusty basement, and courses that don’t require a stressful commute. Dream along about unlimited knowledge and relaxation, only a few clicks away from you.”
Based at the heart of Brussels, the Muntpunt library offers a wide range of digital products to its users. Even though all products can be accessed for free, the library staff noted that the number of users remained low. As a result, Muntpunt launched ‘Curious Clouds’, a communication campaign which puts the spotlight on the digital library. This includes the e-books, online newspapers and magazines, courses, lectures and audio books available at the library.
Over the course of three months, the entrance hall of Muntpunt is decorated with 3D-clouds (find out more about how the cloud decorations were built here) and will host information sessions where visitors can test the digital products on tablets, explore the printed brochure, and get personal explanations by dedicated library staff. In addition, several videos and other content were created to spread the word online. In order to reach a wide group of people, the campaign is running in Dutch, English, and French. However in English and French, the library only communicates about the products that are available in those languages.
As libraries offer more digital products and collections and we reflect on how libraries can further integrate digital technologies in their services – it is clear that it remains vital to raise awareness of the products available by creating physical spaces and in-person sessions where library users can familiarise themselves with the different digital collections and resources at their disposal. To demonstrate the importance and value in these forms of campaigns, since the campaign kick-off, Muntpunt has reported an immediate rise in the number of users for all of their digital products!
Click here to find out more about the Curious Cloud campaign and the different digital products offered by Muntpunt.
Images: Karolien Vanderstappen
