mile advocacy may 2011

M I L E M AY 2 0 1 1

M I C H A E L S C O TT, S E L S / S E L C OM L A L E G I S L AT I V E C H A I R

A N N WA L K E R S M A L L E Y, M E T R O N E TM E M O L E G I S L AT I V E C O - C H A I R

Library Advocacy Whose Job Is It Anyway?

What is Advocacy?

“Active support of a cause or course of action.”

vs. Lobbying

“Lobbying is the intention of influencing decisions made by legislators and government officials.”

A lobbyist is a person who tries to influence legislation on behalf of a special interest.

A regulated activity.

Why Advocate for Libraries?

Make the case about the value of all types of libraries

Build community support for librariesStay in front of funders, users, othersAvoid a crisis because no one knows your

valueNo one else is going to do itOther reasons?

FEDERALSTATELOCAL

Advocate in the right venue

US CapitolSenator Amy Klobuchar

Senator Al Franken

Congressional Representatives•First District-Tim Walz

•Second District-John Kline

•Third District-Erick Paulsen

•Fourth District- Betty McCollum

•Fifth District-Keith Ellison

•Sixth District-Michele Bachmann

•Seventh District-Colin Peterson

•Eighth District-Chip Cravaak

Federal Legislative Issues

Who Lobbies for Libraries

IMLSLSTAESEACopyrightNet NeutralityPatriot Act/PrivacyMore

ALA Washington Office

National Library Legislative Day-May 10

You via calls, letters, emails

National Library Issues

Minnesota State Capitol

http://www.leg.state.mn.us/

How many members are in the Minnesota House of Representatives?

134

Issues More Issues

Funding for library systems Multicounty Multitype Regional Public

Library System Support (RBLSS)

• Minitex/ELM/MnLink/MDL

• Telecommunications

Library Legacy FundingLibrary Accessibility &

Improvement GrantsLibrary Maintenance of

EffortIssues they arise

Filtering Intellectual Freedom

State Level Library Advocacy

Elaine Keefe, Capitol Hill AssociatesMLA/MEMO Lobbyist

Who is this woman and why is she important?

Library directorsLibrary staffFriendsBoardsMLA/MEMOMultitype DirectorsRPLS Directors

You Calls Emails Letters Visits

Who Advocates for State Issues?

Local Libraries

Some Issues Who Advocates

Library Funding City County School District Academic

AdministrationLibrary BuildingsPrivacyIntellectual

Freedom

Library DirectorLibrary BoardLibrary usersFriendsStudents,

faculty,staff

Local Library Advocacy

MAINTENANCE OF EFFORT

What is MOE?

Types of Advocacy

Direct Advocacy

Positioning the library within the city/county, college/university, or school/school district

Focus on legislators/elected officials/decision-makers

Frontline/Day-to-Day Advocacy

Every library staff person is a frontline advocateArticulate the value of their

respective libraries and their value to their communities.

Improve the quality of resources and services in their library environment.

WE ALL MUST ADVOCATE FOR THE VALUE OF OUR LIBRARIES

ALL OF US MUST ALSO BE ABLE TO ARTICULATE OUR VALUE AS LIBRARY

EMPLOYEES

Who’s Job Is It?

LIBRARY USERSFACULTY, STAFF, TEACHERS…

FAMILYFRIENDS

COMMUNITYEVERYONE

You are the face of the library

We can help

Keeping Up

http://mnlibraryassociation.org/advocacy-legislation/

THE LISTSRV FOR KEEPING UP WITH MINNESOTA LIBRARY LEGISLATION

What is MnLibLeg

Bonus

Who knows what the latest message said?

Learning

http://mnlibsadvocates.blogspot.com/

SPEAKER OF THE MINNESOTA HOUSE OF

REPRESENTATIVES

Who is Kurt Zellers?

Taking Part

http://mnlibraryassociation.org/committees-subunits/legislative-committee/

In the House?

Do you know who represents you?

In the Senate?

Empowering Yourself as an Advocate

◦ Create your message

◦ Match the message with the venues and delivery methods

◦ Create scripts and/or “cheat sheets”

◦ Practice

Day-to-Day

Know your library’s issuesKnow what you can say about the issues—Know your opportunitiesKnow your patrons!Respond and follow-up with patrons’ interestLearn to tell your story

Prepare to Meet a Powerbroker

Make appointmentDefine meeting goalsHave a lead spokespersonDetermine the messageHave data that supports your messagePrepare information packet

At the Meeting

Introduce those presentHave spokesperson provide brief summary of

why you are hereExplain your library messageAsk powerbroker to share their views &

willingness to helpQ &A

Who are these people?And what are they doing?

Rep. Jim Davnie & his constituent jenny sippel on Legislative Day 2011

After the Meeting

Provide any promised follow-upWrite thank you notes

Thanks are important. It is not always about asking!

Other Ways to Advocate

LettersCallsEmailsInvitations to library events

THE KEY IS TO DO IT

AND

DO IT OFTEN

You know this

MICHELLE L. FISCHBACH

Who is President of the Minnesota Senate?

Weak Excuses

“My library (public, school, college/university, special) doesn’t allow me to lobby.”

“I’m shy.”

“I don’t know what to say.”

More Excuses

“My library job doesn’t put me in direct contact with library customers.”

“What difference could I make?”

“There are already people who do this.”

FOR ALL LIBRARIESFOR SYSTEMS

FOR THEIR LIBRARYFOR THEIR STAFFBUT MOST OF ALL

Leaders Advocate

FREE ACCESS TO INFORMATION

RESOURCESBUILDINGSINTERNETTRAINING

MORE

For their Users

IT’S EVERYBODY’S JOB!

EVERY VOICE MAKES A DIFFERENCE.

Library Advocacy?

Over to you

At your tables – come up with a list of your local stakeholders - between eight and ten individuals or organizations

On your own – write your elevator pitch

20 minutes for both exercises

The elevator pitch

An elevator pitch is an overview of your service and is designed to just get a conversation started

Keep it short – around 200 to 250 wordsHave a hook, e.g. an interesting statistic that you

can compare to something easy to understand Make it clear – no acronyms or jargonEnsure it is credible – how can you add value?Practice so you remember it

What should you say?

Write your elevator speechPrepare your pitch:

What have you done locally What would you like to do? What can the person you are talking to do to help?

Be clear about what you are asking them to do, e.g. increase (not cut) library/system funding, ELM, new building, more staff…..

Feedback

One person per table – share the list you can take with you to get you started

One elevator pitch at random from each table

MICHAEL SCOTTMSCOTT@SELCO.INFO@MSCOTTMN

ANN WALKER SMALLEYANN@METRONET.LIB.MN.US@ANNWS

The end