Crisis Communications

Preparing for Crises and Reputation-Threatening Issues

Preparing for Crises and Reputation-Threatening Issues

Learning Goals

At the end of this module you will be able to:

  • Describe the essential elements of effective crisis communication plans
  • Conduct a vulnerability audit for your library
  • Draft messages in advance for your critical vulnerabilities
  • Define roles and responsibilities for crisis communication team members

Learning Tasks – Before the Video

  • Review your library’s operations emergency plan (or similar document, if available)
  • Discuss / reflect on how you handled your last serious reputation-threatening issue or crisis
    • How did it come to your attention?
    • What were your initial reactions / steps?
    • Was social media involved?
    • How did you talk internally about it?
    • Did you have to communicate externally about it? To whom and how?
    • What did you change, if anything, as a result?

Discussion Points / Activities While Watching Video

  • Slide 2 (10:12 on video)
    • How often would you say you’ve applied the “damage control playbook” (tell the truth, tell it first, etc.) in communicating about your library?
    • Would you say your board members agree with these concepts?
    • Have you ever simply waited to talk about a potential problem in the hopes it would not become a public issue or would “go away” and, if so, what happened?
    • What do you think are the potential pluses and minuses of waiting vs. communicating immediately?
  • Slide 4 (12:45 on video)
    • Conduct a mini-vulnerability audit. Take 5 minutes and brainstorm to see if you can come up with 3 vulnerabilities (potential crises) that are most likely to happen and most damaging to your library.
  • Slide 6 (14:25 on video)
    • Discuss: Who are the most important people to reach immediately should you be facing a crisis? How would you reach them? Do you have reliable contact information immediately at hand?

Learning Tasks – After the Video

  • Review “Essential Elements of a Crisis Communications Plan”
  • Read: “Less Than Half Of Surveyed U.S. Companies Have A Formal Crisis Communication Plan: Report”
    • Discussion points from story / survey:
      • What are your main takeaways from this story?
      • If crisis communication plans work, why do so few organizations have them?
      • What are the obstacles you see at your library to building an effective crisis communication plan?
      • How supportive would your board be toward building a crisis communication plan?

Effective Use of Social Media to Build Audience and Reputation

Learning Goals

At the end of this module you will be able to:

  • Describe overarching best practices for effective social media use
  • Understand the pros, cons and legal implications of removing comments and blocking commenters from public library social media pages
  • Decide for yourself and provide guidance to others on whether to have separate personal and professional social media accounts
  • Avoid the pitfalls of a personal social media account becoming public record
  • Adopt social media security measures

Learning Tasks – Before the Video

  • Review your library’s social media guidelines for employees
  • Review the American Library Association’s Social Media Guidelines for Public and Academic Libraries

Discussion Points/Activities While Watching Video

  • Slide 4 (8:28 on video)
    • How do you use social media to convey important messages to your patrons and others? How has that social media use evolved over the past 5-10 years? What have you stopped doing on social media? What have you tried that worked?
    • Do you have a “terms of use” or other rules for people commenting on and using your social media pages? If not, will you adopt one?
  • Slide 7 (11:04 on video)
    • Discuss what you’d consider problematic comments that have been made on your library’s social media pages and what you did, if anything, about them.
    • Would you now consider removing comments? What do you think are the pros and cons of this for your library?
  • Slide 10 (14:24 on video)
    • Are you active on social media with your own personal Facebook, X, Instagram or other accounts? Do you ever talk about the public library there or field questions about the library?
    • Do you talk to library staff about appropriate use of social media pages?
    • Do you have a practice for what to do when a visitor to your personal social media account brings up an issue or has a question about the library?

Learning Tasks – After the Video

  • Review your public records retention policies and discuss the implications for social media accounts.

Using Communications to Help Survive a Crisis and Come Out With Your Reputation Intact — Or Even Enhanced

Learning Goals

At the end of this module you will be able to:

  • Determine when your library may be facing a reputation-damaging crisis.
  • Understand the concept of “iterative journalism” and how it changes the stakes for communicating with media outlets.
  • Apply the steps that help respond to and calm outrage.
  • Use peacetime wisely, effectively telling your library’s story to build support and goodwill.

Learning Tasks – Before the Video

  • Review your library’s contact lists – are you prepared today to get messages immediately to staff, patrons and media amid a crisis? Are your lists up to date? Are any key audiences missing?
  • Hold a staff discussion about the last time you faced a serious issue or crisis. How did you communicate about it? Were your communications effective?

Discussion Points/Activities While Watching Video

  • Slide 1 (1:44 on video)
    • How do you know your library may be facing a crisis? What are the earliest signs?
  • Slide 2 (12:30 on video)
    • Has your library ever been caught up in a story involving iterative journalism?
    • How do you think iterative journalism has been good or bad for readers?
    • Do you think your patrons understand how iterative journalism works? Should they?
  • Slide 6 (21:56 on video)
    • Talk about the last time you faced an outraged patron or critic. What caused the outrage? How did you respond?
    • What guidance has your staff received about dealing with outraged patrons, in person or on the phone?
  • Slide 7 (24:22 on video)
    • How do you determine what stories to tell about your library?
    • How do you decide when something is NOT a story?
    • What measuring sticks or analytics do you have in place to determine your stories are making an effective impression on your patrons and the community?

Learning Tasks – After the Video

  • Read (or re-read) “On Writing Well” by William Zinsser.
    Poll your staff on the best stories about your library that haven’t been told.

Preparing for and Conducting Effective Interviews and Q&As

Learning Goals

At the end of this module you will be able to:

  • Craft key messages for challenging issues.
  • Know how to anticipate the toughest questions.
  • Understand the fundamentals of effective answers.
  • Develop the technique of bridging back to key messages.

Learning Tasks – Before the Video

  • Review your library’s media relations guidelines. Who is the designated spokesperson for library staff and board for media interview requests?
  • Hold a staff discussion on how best to prepare for any Q&A – from a veteran reporter, to community forums to questions from an individual patron.

Discussion Points / Activities While Watching Video

  • Slide 1 (2:38 on video)
    • Discuss the toughest interview or most challenging Q&A session you’ve experienced. What made it so? What would you do differently now?
  • Slide 3 (8:30 on video)
    • Think about the last tough situation you faced that got public attention – or that you fear you might face. Brainstorm with colleagues and come up with the five toughest questions that you hope you’re never asked.
  • Slide 4 (12:35 on video)
    • Remember the 5 Tough Questions? Now brainstorm your answers to each.
  • Slide 7 (16:20 on video)
    • What “supporting facts” or anecdotes does your library have to support your key messages and answers to the 5 Tough Questions?

Learning Tasks – After the Video

  • Review “Tips for Dealing with Media” document from Hennes Communications. How many of these tips do you already use? Any you’ll now adopt?

Additional Resources

The First Amendment audit is a new (ish) and challenging trend faced by public employees. Please visit the resources recommended by Hennes Communications for dealing with this issue:

  • Basic Background: What is a First Amendment audit?
  • Recent Experience: A large public library in northeast Ohio describes its experience. Skip to the 10-minute mark for tactics used.
  • How to Prepare: A brief write-up by Hennes Communications on preparing and dealing with this approach.
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