…is the topic of a webcast sponsored by CIVICTechonologies and LibraryJournal that explores how the Topeka & Shawnee County (KS) Public Library gained a better understanding of their customer needs using GIS-based market analysis. A recording of the webcast is available from the LibraryJournal website at no cost.

Market segmentation combines demographic data with lifestyle information to create profiles of the population within different neighborhoods. Public libraries can use this information to better understand who their customers are and what services best meet the community’s need. For example, neighborhoods with lots of school-aged children expect different services (children’s books, reading programs, homework help) than neighborhoods with primarily empty-nester couples (best sellers, classic literature, travel books, resources for job seekers).

Presented by Gina Millsap, Director of the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library; Marc Futterman, CEO of CIVICTechnologies; and Alice Kavanagh, Market Segmentation Expert at ESRI, the webcast provides an overview of market segmentation principles and the Tapestry Segmentation system, and a case study showing how the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library used this information in their strategic planning.

- Angela Lee, ESRI Education Programs