The 10-Minute Library Advocate #20: Do Your Background Research

 

The 10 Minute Library Advocate Number 10 - Do Your Background Research. Image: Person in a Magnifying Glass

In advocacy, the personal touch is important.

If you’re trying to convince a politician or other decision-maker to support you, you need to adapt to them.

And of course politicians and decision-makers are human beings, with interests, priorities and preferences.

If you can find a way of linking your message to their personal experience, you have a stronger chance of success.

So for our 20th 10-Minute Library Advocate Exercise, do your background research!

Before you meet someone, try to find out more about them.

Do particular issues matter more for them than others? You can then bring in how libraries help in that field.

Where do they come from? You can find an example from the library in their home-town.

Elected officials in particular will have campaign material you can use to find this out, for example.

Good luck!

 

See the introduction and previous posts in our 10-Minute Library Advocate series and join the discussion in social media using the #EveryLibrarianAnAdvocate hashtag!