Tag Archives: #EveryLibrarianAnAdvocate

The 10-Minute Library Advocate #50: Celebrate Success

The 10-Minute Library Advocate #50: Celebrate Success

Advocacy is not always easy.

Through this series, we have shared 50 ideas of what you can do in 10 minutes to become a more effective advocate.

Together, that’s over eight hours of activity.

Of course in reality you may spend longer in order to think, plan, and do things, and to meet the medium-term (see Exercise #44) or long-term goals (see Exercise #7) you’ve set yourself, using your measures of success (see Exercise #46).

With all that work, you deserve a moment to rest and congratulate yourself.

So for our 50th and final 10-Minute Library Advocate exercise, celebrate success!

Think about how things have changed, and how you have affected this. Think also about what else you want to do in the future!

Good luck – you deserve it!

 

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

The 10-Minute Library Advocate #49: Say Thank You

The 10-Minute Library Advocate #49: Say Thank You

Advocacy is about building support.

It relies on convincing other people of the need to speak, and to act, for libraries.

They, in turn, are the ones who can make a difference for you in your work.

Successful advocacy may rely on a whole network – from those in power (see Exercise #6) to journalists (see Exercise #14) and other partners (see Exercise #8).

It may even involve your friends, who have helped you refine your message (see Exercise #21) or repeat it around them (see Exercise #43).

These people make a difference, and it’s important to recognise this.

So for our 49th 10-Minute Library Advocate exercise, say thank you!

You can send a card or note – hand-written makes it even more personal – or just make sure you show your gratitude when you see them.

You could even make a wall of fame for library friends!

Good luck!

 

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

The 10-Minute Library Advocate #48: Think of a Slogan

The 10-Minute Library Advocate #48: Think of a Slogan

Advocacy is about getting noticed and staying noticed.

You need something that will stay in the head of the person you’re talking to.

We’ve already talked about surprising facts (Exercise #46) or statistics (Exercise #4), but you also need your message to stick.

Advertisers and politicians have long known this when planning a campaign.

A short, attractive phrase to sum up what you do can be really powerful.

So for our 48th 10-Minute Library Advocate, think of a slogan.

Try to make it brief and catchy – even something that would fit on a badge or pin.

You could test it on colleagues and friends too!

Good luck!

 

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

The 10-Minute Library Advocate #47: Bookmark Useful Websites and Resources

The 10-Minute Library Advocate #47: Bookmark Useful Websites and Resources

Advocacy is stronger when it comes with references!

Being able to back up what you’re saying with stories, statistics or studies makes you more convincing.

We’ve already talked about individual elements – an example (Exercise #9), a fact (Exercise #46) a number (Exercise #4), or a quote (Exercise #17).

But given that you may need to use different references in different situations, it’s best to have a few.

So for our 47th 10-Minute Library Advocate, bookmark useful websites and resources.

When you see something you can use, either save it in your browser, or keep your own list. There are several free online tools to do this: Start.meRaindrop.io, Google Bookmarks, are just some of them. Use the comments section if you have other suggestions to share!

If you have a collection, you can start to organise it, for example by each of the Sustainable Development Goals. IFLA’s Library Map of the World SDG Stories are a good place to start, and here is an example of how you can collect and organise your bookmarks!

You can then use them when you are preparing letters, blogs or presentations.

Good luck!

 

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

The 10-Minute Library Advocate #46: Think about how to measure success

Text: the 10-Minute Library Advocate #46: Think about how to measure success. Image: a person standing next to a graph, with a ruler on the side, indicating measurementThe need for library advocacy is clear. But it’s not always easy to tell how effective it has been.

Changes in opinion or levels of support are not always easy to count.

But it’s far from impossible!

When you set goals, it’s worth taking a few minutes at least to look at how you know if you’re going in the right direction.

So for our 46th 10-Minute Library Advocate, think about how to measure success.

What indicators are there of whether you have reached your long-term goal (Exercise #7) or your milestones (Exercise #44)?

You could use analytics on social media, or count quotes in the media.

You can simply ask people, or use anecdotal evidence!

You can find out more about measurement in the SDG Storytelling Manual.

Good luck!

 

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

The 10-Minute Library Advocate #45: Learn a Striking Library Fact

The 10-Minute Library Advocate #45: Learn a Striking Library Fact

To have an impact in your advocacy, you need to be memorable.

Decision-makers will have lots of people coming to see them, making them to do things.

You need to ensure that what you say and do remains in their minds, and so that they bear you in mind when making choices about laws or funding.

There are various ways of doing this – using a prop or support (Exercise #33), having a great opening line (Exercise #30), or having a positive or negative scenario (Exercise #40).

One way to do it is to offer them information that they can then use in their own conversation – something interesting (or even amusing!) on a personal level.

This can be a great way of getting – and keeping – attention!

So for our 45th 10-Minute Library Advocate exercise, learn a striking library fact.

Examples include the fact that more people go to libraries than to Premier League football, the cinema, or the top-10 tourist attractions combined in England.

Or that there are more libraries than McDonalds in America.

See what you can find out about libraries in your country. Use the stories and data on IFLA’s Library Map of the World to look for inspiration.

Good luck!

 

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

The 10-Minute Library Advocate #44: Define Milestones

The 10-Minute Library Advocate #44: Define Milestones

Advocacy can take time to achieve success.

A combination of actions may be necessary in order to meet your objectives.

You could have to hold a number of meetings and events, contact partners, journalists or other influencers more than once.

In order to structure your work, you need to think both about a long-term goal (see Exercise #7) about shorter-term objectives.

So for our 44th 10-Minute Library Advocate, define milestones for your advocacy work.

You can do this by working backwards from your overall goal. What steps, in what order, will take you to this point? Who do you need to convince to support you? What materials do you need to prepare to convince them?

Defining such steps will not only help you keep momentum, but also to identify successes along the way and help you keep motivated.

Good luck!

 

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