| Ten Tips For Creating Advocates For Your Library
Library Directors and/or senior staff take the lead to:
- Create library services and programs that meet the needs of the community; then promote them vigorously.
- Make sure Trustees and Friends know the “benefits” library services and programs provide to their target markets.
- Establish clear roles and responsibilities for the Trustees and Friends of the Library and support their advocacy efforts.
- Make sure Trustees, Friends and Staff are familiar with the library funding sources and the timing of the budget cycle.
- Know the key decision makers in the community.
- Develop “advocacy messages” and “analogies,” i.e. sound bites for your Trustees, Friends and Staff to use when communicating with community decision makers, members of civic and professional associations, family and friends.
- Collect “positive” stories about users’ library experiences and share them with Trustees, Friends and Staff, via web sites and newsletters.
- Organize diverse teams to visit and/or write to elected officials on behalf of your library.
- Establish partnerships and collaborations with other agencies, civic and professional groups that share the library’s mission.
- Develop an annual Advocacy Plan.
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