By Anne Nagrant
It’s May. High school seniors are wondering what they’re going to do after graduation, and parents are wondering how they’re going to pay for college. This is a great time to advertise that your library offers Testing & Education Reference Center (TERC)!*
TERC is an online resource containing “all the information and support materials needed to make informed, confident decisions to shape the rest of your life.” With career modules, school information, scholarship search, study material, citizenship resources, practice tests and courses, it can meet the needs of many different segments of your community.
Choose a specific, relevant aspect of TERC and promote it from that angle. While it’s certainly important “what” your library offers, people are more likely to act when they’re told “why” they should care. What would get more clicks: a general TERC advertisement, or one that invites users in? Tell your community what they’ll find within TERC. Grab attention and state what a person can accomplish by using this particular library resource. Which detail about TERC will you highlight this month? Next month?
- Career Assessment questionnaire
- Resume Builder tool
- Family College Planning Center
- Question Banks for math, reading, science, and writing that help students practice
- Online Practice Tests and eBooks on 18 different AP exam subjects
- Articles like “Last-Minute Study Tips” and “How to Beat Test Stress”
Now that you have a focus for your promotional efforts, the next step is considering the method(s) you’ll use.
- Place something on your library’s home page
- Post on Twitter (for students) and/or Facebook (for parents)
- Signs and tangible items in your library
- Reach out to area high school guidance counselors
- Make an announcement during related library programming
- Write an article for your library newsletter or blog
Take advantage of Gale’s helpful FREE tools, available through our ProMo site:
- Bookmarks – perfect for tucking inside test-prep materials or stacking in the college prep area of your library
- Posters – don’t forget to hang one in the teen area
- Table tent cards – placing these near the computers will reach people who are already online
- Web images – add to a scrolling banner or share with social media, focusing on college costs or perfect careers
Lastly, look where TERC is located on your library website. Is it easy to access? Your successful promotional efforts will bring new users in, so make sure that a first-time visitor to your website will have no trouble finding it!
- Place a link on your research (database) page
- What subject headings do you use? Test Prep, Homework Help, College Planning, Career/Jobs
- Place a link on your teen page
- During the promotional period, consider posting directly from the home page
- Read the resource description. Is it interesting and catchy?
Taking a college entrance or licensing exam? Looking for a college or graduate school? Need help finding scholarships? Use this resource to search thousands of college and graduate school entries, identify scholarships that meet your financial needs, take online practice tests, and use test prep eBooks to obtain your education and career goals.
Once you’ve promoted TERC, post a link in the comments below! We love sharing good ideas with other libraries.
