Dipping Your Toe into the Advocacy Pool Communicating the Value of Library Services for Teens

Dipping Your Toe into the Advocacy Pool

Communicating the Value of Library Services for Teens

What is Advocacy?

A good definition comes 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.

What is NOT Advocacy?

Most of advocacy is not lobbying, but lobbying is a legally allowable and regulated form of advocacyIt is when your organization takes a position on

a piece of legislation & asks elected officials to support or oppose that legislation

Nonprofits are permitted to do some lobbying as part of their overall advocacyThe amount is based on the size of their budget

Why advocate?

You can’t assume anyone else is doing it.

It’s a part of being an effective librarian or library worker.

The squeaky wheel gets the grease.The general public isn’t always aware

of what the library has to offer.Because many teens do not yet have

the skills to advocate for themselves.

Who do you reach out to?

1. Community Members

2. Policy Makers

3. Press

4. Library Staff

1. Community members

Library patronsTeensParentsGrandparentsLocal business ownersYouth serving groupsEducators

1. CommunityHold a YA Open HouseParticipate in and have a library presence

in local festivals, events & celebrationsStart or revive a “Friends of the Library”Speak about your library at a non-library

event (women’s club, bowling league, church group, historical society, etc.)

Use social tools to reach & engage peopleCreate multi-language library materials

2. Policymakers

Town CouncilSchool BoardMayorAnyone with influence

2. Policy MakersAdd VIPs to the library’s newsletter mailing

listMake sure VIPs have library cardsAttend a meeting (Chamber of Commerce,

School Board, Town Council, etc.)Invite VIPs to library eventsSend them photos or articles about recent

library accomplishmentsAttend an advocacy event like State or

National Library Legislative Day

3. press

NewspaperRadioTV (incl. public

access)BloggersLocal magazines

3. PressSend them a calendar of library eventsWrite letters to the editorWrite press releasesAdd them to the library’s newsletter

mailing listInvite them to attend library eventsSend them photos of recent eventsSend them public service announcements

4. Library staff

Trustees or BoardDirectorLibrariansSupport staffVolunteersFriends of the Library

4. StaffShare information at a staff meetingPost articles or photos in the staff loungeForward relevant items from e-newslettersShare a brief weekly update with your

supervisor (email, phone, face-to-face)Create an online place for coworkers to

share knowledge (wiki, intranet)Hold a workshop or idea swap for

coworkers

Selected Resources

Advocacy Toolkit, www.ala.org/yalsa/advocacy

Being a Teen Library Services Advocate, Linda W. Braun

Powerful Public Relations: A How-To Guide for Libraries, by Rashelle Karp

yadvocacy-l@ala.org, http://lists.ala.org/wws/info/yadvocacy-l

Continuing Education Resources

Stay current with developments in advocacy through YALSA’s webinars!offered monthly on the third Thursday at 2pm

EST, www.ala.org/yalsa/webinars

The ALA Washington Office periodically offers free advocacy webinars. Events are posted on District Dispatch, www.districtdispatch.org/

Please contact YALSA if we can be of help

YALSA

50 E. Huron St.

Chicago, IL 60611

1.800.545.2433 x4390

yalsa@ala.org

www.ala.org/yalsa (web site)

http://yalsa.ala.org/blog/ (YALSAblog)

http://wikis.ala.org/yalsa/index.php (wiki)

@yalsa on Twitter

Who is YALSA?YALSA stands for the Young Adult Library

Services AssociationHas over 5,200 members who are school

and public librarians, library workers, educators, grad students, retirees, library supporters and more!

Mission is to make libraries awesome for teens!

YALSA is a subspecialty of the American Library Association (ALA)

Questions, comments, ideas to share?