ADVOCACYFor School Library Programs

KNOW THE DIFFERENCES… Advocacy

An 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

Public RelationsA one-way communication to deliver a

message Marketing

A planned and sustained process to assess the customer’s needs and the to select materials and services to meet those needs: $$$$

ADVOCACY It begins with a vision and a plan for the library

program* that is then matched to the agenda and priorities of stakeholders The school library is a PROGRAM

NOT just a facility NOT just a curriculum NOT just FTE’s

The school library program should link directly to major school improvement initiatives

Loertscher, David V., and Valerie Diggs. “from library to learning commons a metamorphosis.” Teacher Librarian 36:4(2009) 32-38. Professional Development Collection. EBSCO. Web 10 Feb. 2010

“PEOPLE DO THINGS FOR THEIR OWN REASONS…” Who is your target audience? What is important to your target

audience? What are the priorities of your target

audience? How can the library program priorities

match the target audience priorities?

In their eyes… It’s not about us; it’s about meeting their

needs!

USE THE LANGUAGE OF THE AUDIENCE Don’t confuse the audience with our

jargon!Learn to translate our terminology into the

language of the audience. For example, we have talked for years about Information Literacy: do parents know what that is? How would they understand it better?

MAKE POWERFUL CONNECTIONS

Teacher librarians must use advocacy skills

Teacher librarians must collaborate and build partnerships

Teacher librarians must share success stories in an honest and compelling way

Teacher librarians must reveal the links to student academic success

TEACHER LIBRARIANS NEED TO KNOW: Needs of the

target audience Priorities of the

target audience Language of the

target audience

Links to their agenda

How to build partnerships

How to collaborate*

Advocacy is built over time

*CONTINUUM OF COLLABORATION

Cooperation Coordination Collaboration

Short term Longer term Long term

Informal Relations More formal relationships

More pervasive relationship

No clearly defined mission

Understand mission Commitment to a common mission

No defined structure

Focus on a specific effort or program

Results in a new structure

No planning effort Some planning Comprehensive planning

Individuals retain authority

Authority still retained by individuals

Collaborative structure determines authority

TEACHER LIBRARIANS

NEED:

A visionA plan

FOR ADVOCACY

AN ADVOCATE IS READY: ANYTIME, ANYWHERE The Elevator Speech

Planned for unplanned encountersShort, persuasive statementsDescribe project, benefits, skills30 seconds or 100 words in lengthNine ‘Cs’

Concise Conceptual Clear

Concrete Compelling Customized

Credible Consistent (non)Confrontational