School Library Advocacy

QUESTIONS ? DOUBTS? APPREHENSIONS ? ? ? ? ?
“Why does the school library need money for books
when everything is online?”
“Google is digitizing all the books in the world, so why we need libraries?”
“I am not sure about the impact of the school library in my child’s academic achievement ?”
“What these librarians are doing there in the libraries?”
ISCLibrarians, ZIET Mysore, Nov. 2014 S .L. Faisal
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Speak out and influence
ISCLibrarians, ZIET Mysore, Nov. 2014 S.L.Faisal
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Advocacy is the act of pleading or arguing in favour of something, such as a cause, idea, or policy; active support.
-American Heritage Dictionary

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ISCLibrarians, ZIET Mysore, Nov. 2014 S.L.Faisal According to the American Library Association, advocacy is "the process of turning passive support into educated action by stakeholders."

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Who are a Library Advocates ?
•Library advocates believe in the importance of free and equitable access to information in a democratic society.
•Library advocates believe libraries and librarians are vital to the future of an information literate nation.
•Library advocates speak out for libraries.

Library Advocacy Programme Library Advocacy Network Action Plan Speaking Out Communicating your Message
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Users (Students, faculty, parents ) Librarians Potential Advocates Community Leaders (MPs, MLAs, Officers, Panchayats, Social Activists, etc) Institutional Leaders (Principals, Administrators)
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Library Advocacy Network

Larger and Powerful
•Library advocacy network should represent a cross section of your campus, school or community by age, income and ethnicity.
•It should include members of the business community, distinguished alumni/parents, media persons and legislators (MPs, MLAs, Panchayat Members, Ward/councillors), as well as library users and staff.
•The larger and more diverse your network—and the more powerful its members—the stronger the influence it will wield.
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Users Students, Faculty, Staff and Parents Their testimonials about how the library has helped them and how much they need libraries provide powerful evidence that commands attention from decision makers.
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Institutional and Community Leaders Principals, Academic Officials (Assistant Commissioners, Education Officers), Association Leaders Support from such leaders helps to ensure your message will be heard at the highest levels.
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Potential Advocates The invisible story tellers Every library has supporters who may not belong to a library support group or even use the library. But they may have fond memories of using the library as children, have family members who benefit from library use or simply believe libraries are important. Some may be highly placed in their institutions or communities.These potential advocates are often glad to speak out if asked
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Librarians Librarians, LIS students, Library Professionals working in other institutions Library people have countless opportunities to build both public understanding and support through their planned programmes and support.
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Building the Network
Action Plan
•State your library’s message clearly
Message
•Survey the library advocates, find their parent organizations, willingness to speak.
•Do they have helpful contacts with the media, administration ?
Survey
•Names of Advocates
•Contact information
•-Keep the database current
Database

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Getting organized-I
Action Plan Identify critical tasks
Forming committees, planning activities, programmes Assess the situation in targeted areas based on your objectives
Identify barriers, opposition, strengths and potential supporters
Define goals and objectives
Identify your desired outcomes, such as, more funding , additional staffing, new library programmes, greater visibility.

Getting organized-II Action Plan
Document and evaluate results This is how you learn to do it better next time.
Develop a work plan with tasks, assignments and deadlines
Monitor your progress regularly
Develop a communication plan
Defining the key message, Targeting key audiences, Identifying communication strategies and resources needed
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ISCLibrarians, ZIET Mysore, Nov. 2014 S.L.Faisal Step 1. Define the Key Message
Step 2. Target Your Audiences
Step 3. Identify Communication Strategies
Delivering the Message
The Communication Plan

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Step 1. Define the Key Message
Your central or key message should be one that is simply and consistently communicated
Eg: “There is no such thing as a good education without good libraries.”
“School libraries staffed by qualified librarians do make a measurable difference on student achievement”
“Better Libraries, better schools”

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Step 2 Target your Audiences
Who can help you achieve what you want?
Library users, parents, senior citizens, media persons, community leaders, children, teens, faculty, publishers, business community, etc staff, volunteers, friends, other librarians, etc .
Eg: Teachers and parents are vital to winning support for bigger
school library budgets.
Children can be especially effective when delivering a message to
parents, grandparents and the media.

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Delivering the Message Step 3 Identify Communication Strategies
• Outreach to groups (events, speaking sessions, tours, programmes, etc)
• Personal contact (one to one)
• The media (Television, Radio, News papers, Magazines, Internet )

Advertising, Marketing, News releases
Publications (Bulletins, Guides, Brochures, Calendar of activities) Radio and Television (Interviews, talk shows, reports)
Speaking engagements (go and speak about your library) Special events, Days, Promotions, Exhibitions Web and Internet (websites, email forums)
Web 2.0 (Blogs, Wikis, Social Networks, podcasts, vodcasts)
Collaboration with students, teachers and the community
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ISCLibrarians, ZIET Mysore, Nov. 2014 S.L.Faisal Reaching out Strategies

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Evaluate the Advocacy Programme
•Has funding improved?
•Did demand for a particular service increase?
•Does the library enjoy greater prestige?

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ISCLibrarians, ZIET Mysore, Nov. 2014 S.L.Faisal Librarians, Principals, staff, students and Library Advocates The most valuable stories are not about what the library does. They are about the people who use and benefit from our libraries. Library advocates have their own stories about how the library has made a difference in their lives.
Speaking Out Who Telling the Library Story

What you can Do ? Think about who you know and who can help support the library.
Recruit advocates at every opportunity. Call and write members of your advocacy network periodically to give them updated information.
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What you can Do ?
Keep library users informed of library issues
and advocacy activities. Post action alerts in the library. Encourage library users to share their “library stories.”
Write library things on your organization’s journals, newsletters, brochures, etc
24 Focus on the collaborative relationships you're building and consider how to promote the ideas of information inquiry, reading, thinking, and communication throughout the school.

What you can Do ? Invite key people—legislative members, administrators, publishers, heads of organizations—to the library Planed media strategy makes wonders. Participate in influential community or groups and use this as an opportunity to tell the library story and recruit library advocates.
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26 Advocacy is all about informing and persuading. It’s about partnering with school librarian and administrators to place your school library media centre in the spotlight at every opportunity.

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It’s about saying and doing the little things on a daily basis that give others positive feelings and an appreciation of your school’s library.

28 You have many opportunities to share this information every day. Seize those opportunities! Once you start practicing it, you’ll find that talking positively and persuasively about your school library media centre and the value of your job there comes easily and spontaneously.

References
•ALA Library Advocates Handbook www.ala.org/issues&advocacy
•http://www.ala.org/aaslTemplate.cfm?Section=Position_Statements&template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=15851
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Thank you
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slfaizal@gmail.com 09447699724

School Library Advocacy

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