Scenario

Illinois Heartland Library System decided to purchase and install automated sorting machines to improve service speed, accuracy, and costs. This large infrastructure process would affect approximately two-thirds of the 520 IHLS-member libraries, and we noted that library staff were increasingly discussing worries of “likely” book and DVD damage in social channels. IHLS needed a way to convey to members that the machines would not damage their library materials.

Action

The Delivery Director and I created a quick experiment to confirm (or reject) our hypothesis that the sorting machines are no more likely to damage library materials than people hand-sorting items. First, I took footage of the Director’s hands sorting books in a typical manner. Then, I used Canva’s video editor to juxtapose my footage with footage of a partner organization’s machine sorting, allowing us to compare the methods and confirm our hypothesis.

With our experiment confirmed, I turned our video into a Reel for social media to assuage fear and counteract misinformation, asking, “Which is gentler?” and setting the video to upbeat music. We then shared the video in presentations to the AMHS Project Team and IHLS board and published it as a Reel on Facebook and LinkedIn.

For non-video communications, the Delivery Director and I drafted micro-copy describing the sorting machine handling “as gentle or gentler” than hand sorting. I seeded the copy into owned publications, including a sorting machine landing page and the IHLS newsletter. Meanwhile, the Delivery Director adopted the phrasing for her communications.

My Role(s): Ideation and drafting the initial communications plan in collaboration with the Delivery Director, capturing video of the hand-sorting portion of the test, editing a video comparing the two methods, drafting copy for the video and social media posts, scheduling the posts for LinkedIn and Facebook, and drafting phrasing for additional communications in collaboration with with the Delivery Director.

Results

IHLS staff viewing the video for the first time could not tell apart the sorting methods based on gentleness. Stakeholders shown the video live, including library members on the project team and IHLS board members, were likewise impressed. Engagement on the social media posts was positive or neutral, with no negative comments. Most notably, the damage-related misinformation that had been circulating in discussion forums stopped almost completely. This video format proved to be an effective method for combating misinformation and assuaging fears, and the communications staff determined that this type of video could be quickly duplicated in preparation for, or in response to, future unnecessary worries from members.