Olaei oct 2013

Library Advocacy: The Lion’s Story

Friday Oct. 11, 2013OLA and the Education InstituteStephen Abram, MLS

Until lions learn to write their own story, the story will always be from the perspective

of the hunter not the hunted.

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• Library Advocacy: The Lion's Story

• Are you framing your library's story well? • Are you sharing measurements about your impact, or still beating the

drum of raw statistics that show funders where to cut? • Are you using great gift of social media to engage and get your

message out. • Has your library's marketing and communication plan stepped up to

the 21st Century? • Are we ready for advanced data mining of our websites, circulation

and membership records? • Are you ready for the reach beyond outreach? • What are the skills and competencies that library teams need?

First . . .Let’s stop using the word advocacy

Let’s discuss influence and being influential . . .

Second . . . Let’s start using verbs to describe ourselves in the context(s) of our members, audiences and communities.

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Third . . . Let’s build on our legacy of trust and respect and our foundation of collections and places to shine

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Foundations

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House

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Home

Fourth . . .Let’s emphasize the humans that make the magic happen . . . Library staff

Grocery Stores

Grocery Stores

Grocery Stores

Cookbooks, Chefs . . .

Cookbooks, Chefs . . .

Meals

Fifth . . . Let’s focus on VALUE, IMPACT, and POSITIONING (VIP)

What’s the music and magic you hear? Play? Do?

Are you locked into library financial mindsets?

What about value and impact?

Or shall we stick with this?

It’s the stories that happen inside your library that matter . . . Not just the ones you have on the shelves.Tell those storiesEncourage the heart . . .Better yet . . . Collect the stories in your users’ voices

The signs . . . There’s always another view…

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What Does Boundarylessness

mean?

AudiencesPoliticians and CandidatesScholars and scholarshipCommunitiesOurselves: academic, public, school, special and all the friendsMembers and cardholders

Sustaining RelevanceBeing RelevantCommunicating VIPReal relationshipsBeing a ‘real’ professional

Personal and Institutional Impact: Strategies and Tactics

Let’s talk . . .

Are we a culture of poverty?

Do You Feel Poor?

SmellyYellowLiquid

OrSex

Appeal?

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Stephen Abram, MLS, FSLAConsultant, Dysart & Jones/Lighthouse Consulting

Cel: 416-669-4855stephen.abram@gmail.comStephen’s Lighthouse Blog

http://stephenslighthouse.comFacebook, Pinterest, Tumblr: Stephen Abram

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