VOA标准英语2011--US Libraries Launch Ad Campaign to Boost

US Libraries Launch Ad Campaign to Boost Image, Funding

Public libraries are an integral part of American communities - offering not just books, but free Internet access, programs for toddlers and teens, meeting rooms for local organizations, and more. But, like other publicly-funded services, they are facing hard times. Libraries across the United States hope a glossy¹, multi-million dollar ad campaign will help boost their image and funding.
Paula Baker² stands near the front desk at the public library she directs in Rutland, Vermont. She says that while they still check out plenty of books and movies - they also offer electronic books and so called e-book equipment, and lots of downloadable stuff - audio files and full text databases that can provide help on anything from homework to finding a job. She says it's interesting to see how people react when she explains that.
"The eyes light up and click, it happens, 'I didn't know you had this,'" Baker said.
And that's the problem. Because when people in a community don't realize all the things services their library has to offer - they're less likely to adequately fund it.
"For this library, we've run at a deficit³ for the last two years and next year we're looking at a larger deficit amount," explained Baker.
Funding shortfalls are affecting libraries across the United States. Jenny Johnson is Executive Director of Marketing⁴ for the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC). It's a nonprofit organization that helps libraries around the world. Johnson says that while there have been a lot of marketing campaigns aimed at promoting library usage, none have focused on increasing funding for libraries. So, with more than six million dollars from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the OCLC set out to change that.
"We believed from the get go that it couldn't be something as you know - pictures of kids in libraries reading books and isn't this lovely," Johnson noted⁵. "We knew from the research that we had to get people to think about the library differently."
They hired advertising⁶ firm Leo Burnett to do that. Charley Wickman, part of the creative team who worked on the campaign, says first they had to blast through all the stereotypes⁷.
"Oh a library it's that quiet place and the newspapers are on those long wooden poles and there's rows and rows of books. And whatever, they kind of have this thing in their mind," said Wickman.
To jar those thoughts, Wickman says they paired dramatic photographs of library users with a quirky new catchphrase Geek the Library. The noun, Geek has been used for years as American slang, to describe bookish, socially awkward people. But Wickman says today, the word has taken on a more positive spin and describes what people are passionate⁸ about.
"You might put geek and library together - as yeah, the library's a place where like, geeky people go. But when we broke that mental synapse⁹ and said no, no, no, the library is a place for cool people to go and get their geek on and that's the thing that made it jump off billboards¹⁰ and jump on posters - that's the way it got people to think about the library different and it got the really quick reaction," Wickman explained.
"It's always exciting when someone takes a word like geek and turns it into a verb," said Lisa Miser¹¹, a librarian in Proctor, Vermont who has several Geek the Library posters on display. They show charismatic faces on inky black backgrounds. The words 'I Geek Mythology¹²' appear under one face. Another face has the words, 'I geek barbecue.' Still another photograph shows the face of a grinning young boy - who geeks worms.
"I mean growing up in the 1980s, Geek - we know what geek was," Miser recalled. "But for someone to say - hey, that word can be hip¹³ - there's something very cool about that. The faces, the way the posters are done. And I think it's cool to lots of different people and that's what you want to do you want to hit everybody."
OCLC officials agree. When the posters were displayed at libraries in southern Georgia and Iowa last year, public recognition of the campaign far surpassed expectations.
At the public library in Rutland, administrators¹⁴ were so impressed with the free campaign they personalized it and incorporated photos of well known local residents. Malaina Elliott stopped at the front desk to check out a book and glances at one of the posters, a school official who geeks penguins¹⁵.
"It gets your attention - you're like, 'Geek what? I'm sorry, excuse me?' It's really neat I think it's great the library is pushing so hard to get people back," said Elliott.
Library Director Paula Baker hopes the added attention will generate more action from voters and more letters to local officials saying:
"We need more hours from that library," said Baker. "We need more children's programs from our library and we want you to do something about it.
And the next time the library appeals for donations, she hopes locals will be more likely to 'geek' their checkbooks.

1 glossy   

adj.平滑的；有光泽的

参考例句：

• I like these glossy spots.我喜欢这些闪闪发光的花点。
• She had glossy black hair.她长着乌黑发亮的头发。

2 baker   

n.面包师

参考例句：

• The baker bakes his bread in the bakery.面包师在面包房内烤面包。
• The baker frosted the cake with a mixture of sugar and whites of eggs.面包师在蛋糕上撒了一层白糖和蛋清的混合料。

3 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

4 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

5 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

6 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

7 stereotypes   

n.老套，模式化的见解，有老一套固定想法的人( stereotype的名词复数 )v.把…模式化，使成陈规( stereotype的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Such jokes tend to reinforce racial stereotypes. 这样的笑话容易渲染种族偏见。
• It makes me sick to read over such stereotypes devoid of content. 这种空洞无物的八股调，我看了就讨厌。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 passionate   

adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的

参考例句：

• He is said to be the most passionate man.据说他是最有激情的人。
• He is very passionate about the project.他对那个项目非常热心。

9 synapse   

n.突触

参考例句：

• The chemical floods the synapse, overwhelming the serotonin receptors.这种化学物质湮没了突触，覆盖了5--羟色胺的受体。
• Ecstasy also keeps serotonin from being reabsorbed,further increasing the concentration in the synapse.毒品引起的狂迷还能阻止5--羟色胺的再吸收，进一步增加了突触内5--羟色胺的浓度。

10 billboards   

n.广告牌( billboard的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Large billboards have disfigured the scenery. 大型告示板已破坏了景色。 来自辞典例句
• Then, put the logo in magazines and on billboards without telling anyone what it means. 接着我们把这个商标刊在杂志和广告看板上，却不跟任何人透漏它的涵意。 来自常春藤生活英语杂志-2006年4月号

11 miser   

n.守财奴，吝啬鬼 (adj.miserly)

参考例句：

• The miser doesn't like to part with his money.守财奴舍不得花他的钱。
• The demon of greed ruined the miser's happiness.贪得无厌的恶习毁掉了那个守财奴的幸福。

12 mythology   

n.神话，神话学，神话集

参考例句：

• In Greek mythology,Zeus was the ruler of Gods and men.在希腊神话中，宙斯是众神和人类的统治者。
• He is the hero of Greek mythology.他是希腊民间传说中的英雄。

13 hip   

n.臀部，髋；屋脊

参考例句：

• The thigh bone is connected to the hip bone.股骨连着髋骨。
• The new coats blouse gracefully above the hip line.新外套在臀围线上优美地打着褶皱。

14 administrators   

n.管理者( administrator的名词复数 )；有管理（或行政）才能的人；（由遗嘱检验法庭指定的）遗产管理人；奉派暂管主教教区的牧师

参考例句：

• He had administrators under him but took the crucial decisions himself. 他手下有管理人员，但重要的决策仍由他自己来做。 来自辞典例句
• Administrators have their own methods of social intercourse. 办行政的人有他们的社交方式。 来自汉英文学 - 围城

15 penguins   

n.企鹅( penguin的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Why can penguins live in cold environment? 为什么企鹅能生活在寒冷的环境中？ 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Whales, seals, penguins, and turtles have flippers. 鲸、海豹，企鹅和海龟均有鳍形肢。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》