We push the idea that you should be out there talking about your library to candidates, elected officials, and other stakeholders.

But what are you supposed to say? That part can be kind of tough.

But it doesn’t have to be a problem. Anyone in any library has a ton of possibilities to talk about with anyone who might want to learn more about the work you are doing!

Most people have no real idea of what goes on in a library. They understand we have books, they know that public libraries read to teeny kids, but that’s about it.

Generally people will be surprised by the extensive list of things that happen in libraries:

• overseeing compliance with federal Copyright laws for an school or other parent organization
• teaching people how to download eBooks and audio books
• helping both kids and adults learn about Information Literacy so they can recognize valid and reliable sources of information, and avoid online traps and lies
• provide computer, printers, 3D printers, VR machines
• create Maker Spaces, stocked with items as diverse as glitter and glue, markers, yarn and needles, welding torches, metal cutters, and computer software
• set up recording booths for podcasts and video recordings, as well as teaching people how to use them

All of this kind of stuff (and So Much More!!) is available through libraries. And all of that is on top of the “everyday” stuff we provide:

• books in all formats
• computers – and help in learning to use a computer
• programs for people of all ages and interests

Just that stuff would be enough to blow the minds of many people you will talk to about library work. And once you get into the specifics of what you are actually doing in your individual library – people will be amazed.

So never worry that you don’t have anything to say. Or that you are not the right person to talk about your library.

You do, and you are.

Go tell someone a library story today! And let’s try to keep them all working toward the same ending: They all lived happily, and well-funded, ever after.

 

In this column, I talk a lot to encourage you to go talk to legislators, principals, stakeholders – everyone who could join in to help libraries. Go do that!!

But if you are new to advocacy, it’s hard to know what to say. Where should you start? What’s the best direction to go?

First: Don’t worry. Spreading the message about the value of libraries is the mission; specific wording is great to achieve, but not a disaster if all you manage to get out is “Libraries are so cool!”

Library advocacy, written or spoken, is pretty easy.

• Think about what you want to say
  • what’s cool in your library? did you have a good patron experience? do you have a new tech? is your dictionary collection pretty impressive?
  • sometimes it’s specific: we need this grant, we need money for this project, we need support to make this program happen
• Identify a stakeholder
  • this can be individuals or groups: elected officials, community groups, administration of your library’s parent organization, your Friends group
• Hone your message so it connects with her interests
  • tell people about the stuff interesting to them; they aren’t going to necessarily going to care about everything you do, so talk about the things that specific person/group wants
• Say it!
  • this is the most important part! say things!! don’t worry about making it perfect, it’s more important to say something than to just wallow in whatever your stakeholder might decide to do without your input!!
  • practice! keep your message concise – get out 30 to 60 seconds of material that makes your point, and be done
• Follow up: does she have questions? need more info? super excited and wanting to give you vast sums of money????
  • too many people forget this, and it matters a lot to people who may be asked for things all the time. say thanks while you are there!

 

And of course, library advocacy people will not leave you alone, trying to figure out what you need to say! (We’re library people! We’re nice!)

You can browse this site for Minnesota Library Advocacy, and get all kinds of cool info. You will find all kinds of useful information to help you know what to say.

I especially like it the videos they created, that show you just what you can do when talking to a legislator – or any other stakeholder!

 

The most important advocacy work you can do is to just do it. Just say something.

Don’t wait around for someone else.

Don’t be too scared to speak up.

This isn’t going to be a big, brave confrontation – people will want to hear from you!

Literally, just talk with someone, send an email, write a postcard – whatever you want.

 

This is tough time for advocacy.

You may feel like I do – and like many other people I’ve talked with lately. I’m so tired of getting letters that ask me for money. I’m so burned out on emails that try to fire me up by telling me things that upset me, and make me question whether we live in a decent world at all.  I’m so upset and so angry at the horrible behavior I see in my politicians, at every level of government.

I have spent most of the last month being furiously enraged, or crying while I watch the news, listen to podcasts, and just think about current affairs. I’ve been so angry and so upset that I’m starting to not be a person I like very much. I feel like I’m going down a bad path of thinking that too many people are just dumb, or terrible, or deliberately evil.

And you know what? I’m sick of it.

I’m not doing this any more.

Sure – some people are some of those things, sometimes. But generally, all people want the same things, all of the time.

• We want to have enough to eat – and maybe some choices in that
• We want to have safe places to live
• We want our families to be happy
• We want to live in a community with nice people, who want all of us to be happy and healthy

It’s really that simple.

Sure, there are other things. And yes, we will never all agree on everything that fine-tunes our basic wants. That’s okay. That’s fine. That’s “being a grown up and working with others” level behavior.

I’m kind of ashamed to say I really learned most of that back in about first grade – and I’ve been forgetting  those basic ideas.

I haven’t been behaving and thinking with good Information Literacy Skills.

Because even the most cursory level of thinking would remind me that yes: there are a lot of good people. Most people are good people. Most people want the exact same stuff I do, and for all of us to have all the stuff.

Instead, I’ve let myself get too stirred up by the wrong things. I’ve let myself get sucked into the trap of thinking that everyone who doesn’t think Exactly As I Do is horrible – because obviously I’m completely wonderful and right.

And why? It’s pretty easy to point fingers at that. It’s easy to point out that it’s good for “Them” – assorted people in power – if we are all busy fighting among ourselves, and overlook the truly terrible things that we should not.

That’s probably true. But it’s a cop out.

I’m the only one responsible for my attitudes, and for my behavior. I’m the only one who should decide when and how to get angry, and how to show that. I’m the one who should remember that dividing people is always the wrong thing to do. I’m the one who needs to remember that cooperation, teamwork, and working together for common goals is the only way to make things work and to make things good for everyone.

 

So I want to redouble my efforts to advocate for libraries!

Libraries are a general good. Strong libraries are good for everyone. We build communities, and make them better just being part of them. We provide a great return on both a financial and emotional investment.

It does not matter what you think about presidential candidates, your congressional representative, or the local dogcatcher. (Is that actually a thing?? Let’s just say it is for now!) Good libraries – with funding to provide materials and training to help staff to be skilled – can literally be the glue that holds everything else together.

Our job is to share information and information skill with our communities.

I want to help libraries. I want to make us all stronger together. I want to be sure we continue to be wonderful places, and the jewels of the communities – of all types – that we serve!

 

If you are sick of being upset and angry and mad at everyone and everything – I invite you to join me!

• send polite emails to your federal Senators and Representative
• mail a quick library postcard to your state politicians at all levels
• drop by your city and /or county representative’s office
• phone a few people to tell them about libraries
• identify your stakeholders, and tell each of them one specific thing your library can do for them

This isn’t even hard!

Generally, people like us. I think people know that libraries are only here to help – we only exist to make people’s lives better.

But we can’t count on everyone remembering that. Some terrible tweet will happen, a video will be posted, a new story will dominate the discussion – and there we are, off to the races again with the fury and the tears and the terrible divisiveness.

 

Join me. Help me, by being part of the community that rises above this noise!

 

Talk about libraries. Tell stories of happy patrons. Talk about the new books you have. Tell us about the cool tech you are trying. Share details of the programs you are doing. Talk about the plans you are making for the next month, six months, or two years. Talk about the displays you have. Talk about the kid who hugged you when she got a great book. Talk about the student whose grade was saved because you helped him correctly cite his references.

Every day people in libraries are doing interesting and valuable work. It’s easy to take this for granted, because it’s just another Tuesday for you – but for people who don’t know what we do, it can be amazing!

Care about all that other non-library stuff too! It’s important.

But remember to use your library-learned skills of Information Literacy. Think through an idea before you spout off, before your blood pressure blows through the roof, or before you say things to people that you will be sorry for later.

And remember to keep talking about libraries. We are pretty great.

It doesn’t matter who you talk to, who you vote for, or what you think about the state of the world today. Libraries matter. Libraries are important. And libraries should be one of the best foundations of any community.

Let’s make that happen!

 

Small commercial on Voting:

And on behalf of all that is good in libraries: GO VOTE!! The next election is November 6, and we want to see you there.

As always: We don’t care who you vote for – just remind all candidates and elected officials that libraries are important, and that we need their support.

In Minnesota you can go right here to register. (It’s too close to the Nov. 6 election to register online for this election – but you can register right at the polling place! Bring ID, and make that voting magic happen!!)

Weird things are happening to voter registration rolls across the country, so you will want to double check to be SURE you are still registered! Go right here to see if you are registered in Minnesota. Don’t let some bozo, or processing error, keep you from voting!!

There are lots of good reasons to vote – we hope you are thinking through your own reasons you want to support candidates. While doing that, think about library issues! (It’s dumb to be a single-issue voter – this is complex world – so think about other things too. Just be sure you include libraries in that process!)

All CMLE members who send us photos to show you voted will receive a small prize from us!

In some states it’s illegal to take photos of your ballot. Why? I’ve never read a good reason; and everything I did read started my blood pressure climbing from the thought of these corrupt politicians. (I’m from Illinois – I know all about corrupt politicians.) But in Minnesota it’s legal – you just can’t show it to anyone at the polling place. We always recommend following the laws, even when they are kind of dumb.

So we aren’t asking for a ballot photo – that’s your own business anyway. Just send a photo of your “I Voted!” sticker, a selfie of you next to your polling place sign, or anything else that celebrates your vote!!

(Keep others out of your photos, unless they specifically know they are part of it please! That’s just always good manners.)

There is no prize worth your vote – so that’s the real benefit you will receive! We will just toss in a little “yay! congrats!” prize to join in your celebration of voting! (Spoiler alert: it’s probably library postcards.)

 

Vote!

Talk about great library things!!

Be positive!!

Libraries may just save us all!

We love postcards!

Have you written a postcard? (It’s surprising how infrequently most of us do this!)

CMLE has postcards designed by Angie with all kinds of good library facts and information. We will give you postcards!

It can be tough to tell your stakeholders the important information you need them to know. Postcards can be a quick way to talk about one or two facts that are important to you and your library. It saves time in opening and sorting through lots of papers and words. It makes you be concise and really get to the heart of what you want to share.

Will you be at MLA or at ITEM conferences?? Angie and Mary will be at both, with postcards to give to you! Come find us, and write one out to your stakeholders! (If you finish them on-site, give it back to us and we will even mail it for you!)

Reach out to your stakeholders. Call, email, drop by for a visit. You are not bothering politicians – they want and need to know the needs of libraries, so should be happy to talk with you.

If you have questions about who to contact, or what to say, get in touch with us. We are here to support your advocacy work!