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 45^th 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!

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!