explore advocacy

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Advocates can make a significant difference for their library and its community.

Explore Advocacy@ your library: 

Explore Advocacy @ your library Presented by: Friends of Mississippi Libraries Mississippi Library Commission

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Prepared by the Mississippi Library Commission 3881 Eastwood Drive Jackson, MS 39211 601-432-4111 www.mlc.lib.ms.us and the Friends of Mississippi Libraries, the state-wide Friends of the Library organization

What is Advocacy?: 

What is Advocacy? Advocacy means communication, as an individual or group, with decision makers and others in support of or opposition to specific issues.

Library Advocates Support : 

Library Advocates Support Importance of libraries in communities; Roles libraries play in the information age whether for adults or children; and View adequate funding as essential for a library’s services and programs.

Basics of Advocacy : 

Basics of Advocacy Library advocacy should be tied to the public library system’s mission, goals, and ongoing public relations program. Successful advocacy combines lobbying activities with marketing and public relations skills to tell the library’s story.

Who are Library Advocates?: 

Who are Library Advocates? Library Trustees Library Users Community Residents Friends of the Library

Value of Friends as Advocates: 

Value of Friends as Advocates They are not paid staff of a library. They are strong customers/supporters of the library. They see the public library from the user’s viewpoint. They are active in the community, understand the power structure, and are connected to other local groups and civic organizations.

Friends of the Library: 

Friends of the Library Can be involved in many activities in a library as a volunteer, fundraiser, or as an interested member of the community; and Can talk about libraries without being a librarian.

What Can YOU Do About It?: 

What Can YOU Do About It? Work with the your director to implement the library system’s advocacy plan; Identify supporters that understand the library’s service needs and work with them to become effective advocates in the cities and counties that make-up a regional library system;

Friends as Effective Advocates: 

Friends as Effective Advocates Talk to people about the library’s role in the community; Approach decision-makers in person, by telephone, by fax, by letter, or by e-mail asking for his/her support for the library’s program in the community and throughout the library system; Attend budget hearings to show support; and Thank the decision-makers for listening.

Why tell the Library’s Story: 

Why tell the Library’s Story Most people like libraries, but sometimes they need to be reminded about the effectiveness of the library in the community.

Message about the Library: 

Message about the Library A good message is one that is short but powerful and can be easily remembered and identified with your library system whenever it is heard or seen. A good strong message will keep efforts to promote the value of the library focused. The more often the same basic message is repeated, the more likely it will be remembered.

Telling the Library’s Story: 

Telling the Library’s Story Be pro-active; Use terms that can be easily understood by your audience; and Use statistics in meaningful ways to show the value of what has been accomplished;

Parting Tips: 

Parting Tips Stories about real people benefiting from library services is the most effective form of communication. Advocacy is year round, not just at budget time or in a crisis. Have an easily understood message. Thank your advocates for their efforts. Thank the decision-makers. They will remember you next time.

Resources : 

Resources Library Advocates Handbook. American Library Association, 2000. Reed, Sally. Making our Voices Heard: Citizens Speak Out for Libraries. Friends of Libraries U.S.A., 2004. Resource Guide for Directors of Mississippi Public library Systems. Mississippi Library Commission, 2004. Siess, Judith A. Visible Librarian: Asserting Your Value with Marketing and Advocacy. American Library Association, 2003.