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2 PRACTICAL MARKETING FOR THE ACADEMIC LIBRARY group structure. If your library is just starting out with formalizing market- ing efforts, the following will introduce options and strategies for imple- menting them. If you are working with an existing team structure, the following will offer a chance for reflection that can inform the team’s strate- gic evolution moving forward. FORMAL TEAMS What does a formal marketing and outreach team look like? The answer will depend on many factors, including the size of the institution, current priorities, type of library, strategic plan goals, and so on. If you are in the preliminary stages of formalizing your marketing and outreach efforts, it is useful to consider first, what can formal teams look like? and second, how do I know which structure is best for my institution? The following elements may be helpful to consider when formalizing (or restructuring) a library marketing team: team name, charge, meeting schedule, communication strategy, and reporting structure. Team membership—that is, who makes up your team— deserves its own section and will be addressed separately. When creating a formal team, you may want to begin by designating the structure and charge of your team. The type of group (task force versus committee) is important to consider. Task forces are generally limited in time and are temporary, formal groups formed to achieve finite objectives or address one-time issues. Committees, on the other hand, are typically ongo- ing and may have formal officer roles built into them. Some institutions may not be able to commit staff to a formal committee on an ongoing basis and may opt to address issues related to marketing in ad hoc groups. But for many institutions, these groups will be ongoing. Regardless of the format, the team should have a clear charge, preferably with input from administra- tion that defines the scope of the team’s work. This should be reflected in the name and structure of the group. While a team name may seem like a trivial detail, having a name formalizes a group and commits an organization to the work of the group. It allows for other formal elements to more naturally take shape, such as reporting and scheduling. Outreach Committee, Marketing Task Force, and Marketing and Out- reach Steering Group are some examples of formal team names. When I (Shotick) worked at Illinois Institute of Technology, a tech-focused private research university, our library’s formal marketing team was called POEM: Programming, Outreach, Engagement, and Marketing. The name reflected the wide scope of our work—not only did we focus on library marketing efforts, but we also managed library programs and outreach and engage- ment efforts. In contrast, at my current institution, Northern Illinois Univer- sity, our marketing team has a narrower scope that centers around programming, which is reflected in the name (Programming and Promotions Committee). At Villamor’s community college, library marketing efforts