Monthly Archive for August, 2019

The 10-Minute Library Advocate #33: Bring a Prop or Support

Advocacy shouldn’t just be about talking. For people who have lots of meetings, it may even be difficult to remember what happened in one particular conversation. So you need a way of giving the person you are talking to a way of remembering you, and your message. You need both […]

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The 10-Minute Library Advocate #32: Compare Notes and Share Ideas!

You don’t need to advocate alone! One of the key strengths of the library field is that there are institutions and professionals in cities, towns and villages around the world. And in them, there are people doing advocacy, each with their own strengths and questions. This means lots of potential […]

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The 10-Minute Library Advocate #31: Remember to take a Selfie

Advocacy needs to leave a trace. If you want to be able to build a relationship, it’s important to show what you have already done, and achieved. Having evidence that you’ve met a politician or other target makes it easier to follow up. And it’s great to have when talking […]

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Making the Book Chain Stronger – and Unique

In many countries, the series of actors – and actions – that take a book from idea to bookshelf is known as the ‘book chain’. The metaphor is attractive because of its simplicity, with a book to be published passed from writer, to publisher, to distributor, to bookshops and libraries, […]

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Libraries Transforming Education: Equity, Capability, Continuity

This year’s International Youth Day focuses on the need to transform education. As the United Nations’ own website underlines, the combination of the crucial role of education in delivering other Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), as well as the future role of young people themselves, makes this a vital area of […]

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The 10-Minute Library Advocate #30: Get Your Opening Lines Right!

Good advocacy can take place in seconds. This can be because you only have a very short period of time to talk with someone. But it can also be because the person you’re talking to starts to make up their mind very quickly. For someone busy, this is natural. You […]

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Sen and Sensibility: Why Libraries’ Universalism is Worth Protecting

Public libraries, as underlined in the IFLA-UNESCO Public Library Manifesto, have a clear mandate to serve their entire communities. As such, they can be described as ‘universalist’ – for everyone, not just a selected group. This is an increasingly unique characteristic of public services at a time of growing pressure […]

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