Tag Archives: Library advocacy

The 10-Minute Library Advocate #22: Draw an Influence Map

The 10 Minute Library Advocate #22: Draw an Influence Map

The route to success in your advocacy isn’t always simple.

To influence one person – say a mayor, a law-maker or a funder – there can be various routes.

As mentioned in previous 10 Minute Library Advocate exercises, it can be powerful to work through someone else – a journalist or a partner.

To plan how best to use your time, you need a way to work out how to focus your effort.

So for the 22nd 10-Minute Library Advocate exercise, draw an influence map.

Visualise who has an influence on who, and how they do it.

Think about how you can, in turn, influence them most effectively. Are they already friendly to libraries? Do they understand the arguments? Is it easy to get them to influence others?

Think also about where there may be difficulties – people who think libraries are unnecessary, or who oppose any publicly funded service.

This will help you decide where to focus your advocacy, and how. You can find examples of influence mapping in libraries here, or this example from broader development policy here.

Good luck, and don’t forget to share images of your influence maps!

 

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

The 10-Minute Library Advocate #21: Test Your Arguments on a Friend

10 Minute Library Advocate Number 21 - Test out your arguments on a friend. Image: two people talking to each otherIt’s not always easy to prepare good arguments.

You need to get both the substance, and the style right.

But finding the right way to make your point, in the simplest, most convincing way possible can take time.

You don’t need to do this alone though.

To make sure you’re on the right path, it can be good to get the opinion of another person.

So for our 21st 10-Minute Library Advocate Exercise, test out your library advocacy arguments on a friend!

See if they’re convinced about the value of libraries, or of how you help tackle social and cultural issues.

They can offer you feedback or suggestions, point out where you can be clearer, or stronger, as well as congratulate you on your successes.

Make sure your friend knows to be objective and – if needed – critical. Your arguments will be better for it!

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!

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!

The 10-Minute Library Advocate #18: Find and Use Hashtags and Handles on Social Media

10 Minute Library Advocate - Find and use hashtags and handles on social mediaAdvocacy is about getting attention.

You can produce great ideas, messages and materials, but how to ensure that you are heard?

Especially on social media many accounts get few followers. Even popular ones don’t always reach the people that matter.

It is possible to target what you’re doing on social media.

You can also make sure that your message appears when people are following key debates.

So for our eighteenth 10-Minute Library Advocate exercise, find and use relevant hashtags and handles.

Look on key social networks for the you’re aiming for, and write down their handles (for example @library_minister) or the hashtags used in impotrant discussions (for example #GlobalGoals).

By using these, you can ensure that your target audience – politicians, influencers, journalists – are notified about your messages.

You can also get your posts included in search results on popular topics.

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!

The 10-Minute Library Advocate #17: Find and Remember a Great Library Quote

Image: Find and learn a great library quoteWhen you advocate, it’s important to choose your words.

Finding a great way of expressing the importance of libraries can make the difference when you’re trying to convince someone.

But it’s not always easy to find these – not all of us are poets!

You don’t always have to choose your own words through. Many famous people have said supportive things about libraries.

So for our Seventeenth 10-Minute Library Advocate exercise, find a great library quote and learn it.

You can then use this when you’re talking with people, post it on social media, or even print it on a piece of paper (or if you’re feeling brave, a t-shirt!).

There are plenty of sites with quotes on the internet – you should look for the one or more that you feel comfortable using.

Share your favourites here!

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!

The 10-Minute Library Advocate #15: Develop Your Elevator Pitch

The 10-Minute Library Advocate Number 15: Develop your elevator pitch

Sometimes, you need to be convincing, quickly.

While a lot of advocacy is about patient effort over time, you might have an opportunity to spend a minute with a key decision maker – a mayor, a minister, a funder.

They’re likely to be busy, with many other things on their mind.

But if you can get them on your side, you can make major progress.

These moments can happen at any moment – at a reception, a public event, in a lift (or elevator!). You need to be ready!

So for the 15th 10-Minute Library Advocate exercise, prepare your ‘elevator pitch’.

This is the term for a very short speech you give which convinces someone else of your point of view – and in this case, of the importance of libraries.

Something you can deliver in an elevator between floors!

You need to focus your arguments, get rid of unnecessary information, and ensure you say what needs to be said, in the simplest, most convincing way possible.

Try writing out your speech, and then editing it, word by word, until it is as short as it can be.

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!

The 10-Minute Library Advocate #14: Find a Journalist Who Can Write about Libraries

The 10-Minute Library Advocate Number 14: Find a Journalist Who Can Write about Libraries

When you’re advocating, you don’t need to do it alone.

Sometimes, it’s even more powerful when you have someone else speaking for you.

And there are few more powerful voices than those in the media.

When a journalist speaks about libraries – and the great work they are doing – they can reach thousands, even millions of people.

So for our fourteenth 10-Minute Library Advocate exercise, find a journalist who can write about libraries.

They can work for a local newspaper or news-site, in print, on radio or on TV – whatever is most appropriate in your area or country!

You could do a search using a news aggregator like GoogleNews or similar to find out who may already be writing about libraries. They’ll often be keen to receive more good ideas for stories!

Let us know about your successes!

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!