Library Advocacy Training

1. Library Advocacy Training Steve Goodwin Peter G. Mohn Implementing Information Power Information Power Trainer February 27, 2001

2. What is Advocacy? • Creating a common agenda with educational decision-makers • Delivering the right message to the right person • Developing community partnerships and collaboration

3. Why is Advocacy Training Needed? • School libraries are being de-valued in the current educational climate • The library’s role in implementing the appropriate use of technology is not clear • The librarian’s role in information literacy and academic achievement is not understood by decision-makers • There are misconceptions about the Internet and its role in information delivery

4. Why Advocacy Now!? • The launch of Information Power and the Student Standards gives school librarians a perfect opportunity to re-position themselves in their institutions and in their learning communities

5. What is Public Relations? • Getting the library’s message across • This is who we are and what we do • This is when and where we do it and for whom

6. What is Marketing? • Finding out what the customer needs • Who are you, and what do you need • How, where, and when can we best deliver it to you

7. What is Advocacy? • Marketing an issue • Support and awareness are built incrementally • Your agenda will be greatly assisted by what we have to offer

8. Advocacy is ... • Telling a library story • Creating conditions that allow others to act on your behalf • Expanding someone’s consciousness • Evoking or creating memories • Confirming your identity • Enhancing awareness, appreciation, and support

9. Advocacy is also ... • An exercise in creativity and initiative • An art and a science • Creating relationships, partnerships, and coalitions • Respecting other people’s views, priorities and reasons • A responsibility of leaders • About potential and the future: the survival of school libraries

10. Who Are Advocates? • Advocates for school libraries and librarians can come from both inside and outside the organization: teachers, students, staff, administrators, parents, community leaders, elected officials, other librarians

11. One Message in Advocacy • While many groups can effective, it is critical that groups in the same environment (school libraries) are working in a coordinated and congruent manner toward the same objective • Hint: Student achievement IS the bottom line!

12. What do they want? • Working in isolation, asserting different priorities, or making public statements without the appropriate sanction can cause confusion, uncertainty, and mistrust in the minds of decision-makers • Result: gives them an excuse to do nothing or do what they were going to do all along!

13. Advocacy Issues • School librarians are not included in curriculum planning • Outdated image of the role of a school librarian • Decision-makers lack understanding of technology and information literacy skills • Money goes to technology

14. Advocacy Issues • Site-based decision-making diffuses support for school libraries • School library professionals being replaced with classified staff • Internet seen as panacea • Lack of technical support • Library facilities outdated

15. Finding your courage ... • Knowing what you really believe, and being passionate in that belief is the first step in finding the courage to speak out.

16. Finding your courage ... • The more the issue is about the other person’s needs, the less it is about you. • And if it is not about you, of what is there to be afraid?

17. Advocacy is about ... • Respect

18. The 5-Step Advocacy Plan • Objective: have a clear, measurable objective • Target Group(s): know who is important in the achieving of your objective • Strategies: • What? The obstacles • When? • Where? • Who? • How? The message

19. The 5-Step Advocacy Plan • Communication Tools: never start your planning with the communication tool • Evaluation: make it an integral part of the planning process from the outset

20. Step # 1 Objectives • Makes sure your objectives are SMART: • Specific • Measurable • Action-oriented • Responsibilities stated • Timed

21. Step # 2 Target Groups • Know who is important in the achieving of your objectives: find out all you can about them and their interests, priorities, and agendas • Your most important target group is often the smallest in number and thus potentially the easiest to reach • Understand the environment in which your decision-makers are working

22. Step # 2 Target GroupsYour decision-makers ... • What is their position on your issue? • Why is it what it is? • How does the issue look from their perspective? • What other priorities and pressures are having an impact on them?

23. Step # 2 Target Groups • What are some of the tough issues facing education decision-makers today?

24. Remember ... • People pay attention to the things they love and value.

25. Step # 2 Target Groups • What points can we make that are more compelling than their need to “hang touch” in the current environment?

26. Step # 2 Target Groups • The winning edge in advocacy is staying focused on the solution and making a complex issue simple and concrete. Identify decision-makers and their influencers and, if possible, have the latter tell your story to the former.

27. Remember ... • People do things for their reasons, not yours!

28. Stage # 3 StrategiesObstacles: Factors influencing education decisions • What are the obstacles? • Physical • Personal • Semantic • Environmental • Identify what they are and be prepared to diffuse them.

29. Step # 3 StrategiesThe Agenda Gap • Decisions are based on perceived public interest • Create a common agenda • Understanding what they need will bridge the agenda gap • This understanding is critical to being perceived as credible and with constructive solutions

30. Step # 3 StrategiesThe Credibility Factor • Accurate information earns trust • Credible, relevant information is the key to success • Your issue is never alone on the agenda • Anyone can whine about an issue, not everyone can solve it

31. Step # 3 Strategies • Stop • Whining • Now!

32. Step # 3 Strategies • Where? On their turf • When? On their time schedule • Who? Decide carefully who will deliver the message. “Match” for credibility • What? Their issue or need

33. Remember ... • Tell people what they need to hear, not what you want them to know.

34. Soundbites • Americans spend nine times as much on home video games ($1.5 billion) as they do on school library materials for their children. • In 25 years, Federal funding for libraries comes to less than the cost for one aircraft carrier (est. $3.5 billion).

35. Step # 4 Communication Tools • Take a look at your target group and your strategies and decide what communication tool will most effectively deliver your message

36. Step # 4 Communication Tools • Most Effective • Word of mouth • One on one meetings • Telephone • Group meetings • Public meetings, forums • Less Effective • Letters • Promotional materials • Instructional materials • News releases • Advertising • Business cards • Web pages

37. Step # 4 Communication ToolsAdvocacy is about respect • Understanding what makes the other person “tick” -- speak their language • Be brief • Be appreciative • Be informative • Be courteous • It is b-a-s-i-c!

38. Step # 5 Evaluation • Plan now how you will measure your success • It should directly link to your objective

39. Step # 5 Evaluation • State measures of success in objectives accountability • Did you meet your objectives? • What worked? Didn’t? • Would you do it again? • What changes would you make? • Celebrate successes!

40. Information Power Advocacy • Is for people who are: • Articulate • Courageous • Credible • Confident, and • Passionate about what school libraries contribute to student achievement!