Advocacy and me

Advocacy and Me Angie Manfredi, Los Alamos County Library System & YALSA, Young Adult Library Service Assocation

What’s Advocacy?
A definition from AASL:
On-going process of building partnerships so that others will act for and with you, turning passive support into educated action for the library program.
It begins with a vision and a plan for the library program that is then matched to the agenda and priorities of stakeholders

Why advocate?
If not you, who?
The squeaky wheel gets the grease.
“You have that here? You do that here?”
Many patrons do not have the skills to advocate for themselves.

Advocacy Quick-Tips
Start or revive a “Friends of the Library” organization: even if you’re in a school library setting.
Have a library presence (even if it’s just flyers/handouts) at as many community events as possible.
Attend a meeting (School board, Town Council, etc.)
Make friends with the press!
Send them press releases, pictures, PSAs.
Invite them to attend events.

Turning Complaints into Advocacy
“ I wish you had more current resources.”
“ Yes, I’m sorry about that. We’d love to have newer resources, but the budget won’t allow it. It might help if you let the principal know about your concerns. You could let the other teachers know I’m interested in updating material and would love their support as well.”
“ I wish you were open more.”
“ We do too. We just don’t have the staff. It’s a shame because we wish more students could take advantage of our resources. It would help if you could drop a note to the principal and ask parents to write too.”

Use What Already Exists
www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/advocacy
ALA provides a wide variety of advocacy tools for every library
Press releases and other publicity material, fact sheets, PPT presentations, sample advocacy plans, success stories.
advocacy clearinghouse, advocacy university, frontline fundraising, legislative action center.
ALA divisions have even more specific toolkits addressing each library setting.

Remember
You are already an advocate every day you are providing service to the public.
Harness that into working for you and your library.
This is who we are and what we do, this is when and where we do it and for whom .
If not you, then who?

[email_address]
www.fatgirlreading.com
www.ala.org/yalsa
www.ala.org/alsc
www.ala.org/aasl

Advocacy and me

by Angie Manfredi on May 02, 2011

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Advocacy and me — Presentation Transcript