Advocacy is about being convincing.

As mentioned a few times in our series (exercises 14 and 36), it can be more powerful when your message comes from someone other than you.

You can try to get a celebrity to speak on your behalf.

But you don’t have to focus on public figures. Your own visitors can be great ambassadors for you!

So for our 43^rd 10-Minute Library Advocate exercise, tell a friend to tell a friend.

Encourage someone who comes to your library to make sure that the people they know hear about why they appreciate it so much.

Indeed, hearing this from a friend may be more convincing than from someone who is famous, but whom you don’t know personally.

You can do this through talking with users, but also through a poster or other reminder.

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!

When someone makes a judgement, they tend to care about what other people think.

This is why, when you buy a book, there are usually quotes from reviewers.

Or when you look for products online, other customers’ views are provided.

We naturally tend to want to agree with other people! And if they are positive, then you are more likely to be positive too.

You can use the same technique for your library.

So for our 41^st 10-Minute Library Advocate exercise, collect, and use, feedback.

You can do this through a simple comments box or form.

Not only does this show that you are listening to your users but, as long as you ask permission, you can then use positive examples in your advocacy.

This will help show how much you community cares about your work – and why decision-makers should also!

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!

Advocacy is about creating empathy.

It is important to make the person you are talking with imagine what supporting the library will mean.

Not just in terms of statistics or specifics, but in terms of how the lives of communities and their members will change.

Or, of course, to imagine the consequences of not acting.

This will allow them to think about how this will affect them, their communities, their voters.

So for our 40^th 10-Minute Library Advocate Exercise, describe a positive (or a negative) scenario.

Try to create an image in their heads! Try to make it as real as possible, so that they can really picture what impacts their actions will have.

What will it mean for individuals, for societies as a whole?

Generally, try to be positive! But in some cases, a negative scenario – of what is lost when libraries are not supported – can help to focus minds.

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!

Advocacy is powerful when you are offering solutions.

The people you are likely targeting – politicians, funders, others – spend a lot of their time trying to solve problems.

And there are plenty out there – social, political economic.

Of course, libraries also need things from decision-makers – funding, laws, other support.

But lawmakers may well be more likely to listen harder when you focus on how this could help them solve other challenges.

So for our 39^th 10-Minute Library Advocate exercise, think of a problem, and then think about how you can present libraries as the solution.

Make sure it’s a problem that a decision-maker might care about. You can try with more than one of course.

For example, unemployment, lack of skills, a lack of integration.

If you practice your arguments, you’ll be better placed to influence others!

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!

Some of the most powerful advocacy comes from showing what you’re doing, not just talking about it.

It’s natural for someone to believe more what they experience for themselves, than what they are told.

They’ll also remember it better!

This is as true for people in positions of power as for anyone else. Moreover, it’s possible that they haven’t visited a library in years.

So for our 38^th 10-Minute Library Advocate exercise, send an invitation to visit your library!

Find someone you want to influence (see exercise #6!), and then write an invitation that gets them interested. Think about what they might want to see or say, and adapt to this (see our exercise #24!). Could there be a media opportunity for them?

Clearly the visit – and its preparation – will take more than 10 minutes, but the invitation doesn’t need to be long.  Indeed, something shorter may indeed have more power!

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!

One way of advocating successfully is to become familiar with key decision-makers or influencers.

If you have a close connection, it is easier to share your arguments.

But how to build this connection up when you first come across them.

A good way to build familiarity is to avoid awkward questions about who they are by being able to address them immediately by their name.

Politicians at least tend to appreciate when people know who they are from the first moment. But this isn’t always easy in a public meeting.

So for our 37^th 10-Minute Library Advocate exercise, memorise some names and faces.

If you know you might see them at a meeting, look them up online, and see if there are images available of them.

Try to remember them so that if you do end up meeting them, you can say hello immediately, and get straight into making your arguments!

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!

Sometimes in advocacy, it’s not what you say, but how you say it.

Even the best arguments and the strongest evidence still need to be presented well in order to have an impact.

Sometimes this is a question of the vocabulary you use.

Sometimes it’s about your tone, or how fast you are speaking.

So for our 35^th 10-Minute Library Advocate Exercise, get your delivery right!

Bear in mind that you are a little like an actor, who adapts how they speak and act to have a greater effect.

For example, make sure you’re not using library jargon that others may not understand.

Be sure to speak clearly, keep your sentences short, and focus on the message you want to send.

And of course smile and be as warm as appropriate – it’ll make people think more positively about your message!

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!