National Library Legislative Day

Have you spoken to your elected representatives lately? It's very easy for them to forget that we exist, especially when it comes time to allot money for libraries and archives. If they forget we exist, or that people even go to "those old things," they certainly haven't set foot in a library since they were reading the Bobbsey Twins some time in the middle of the last century. Nor do they have any idea what in the world librarians do, why it's important, or what libraries need in order to be successful at their mission.

This isn't entirely your representative's fault. They're busy folks with a lot of people vying for their attention. Which is why complaining about how no one understands what we do isn't enough--we have to educate. Fortunately, the ALA backs a yearly reminder (and call to arms) to do just such a thing.


So what CAN you do to raise awareness about libraries?

• Introduce yourself and your institution. Does your representative know you're there, or what you do? 
• Invite your representatives (especially from local government) to visit/tour the library. Do they have a library card? Do they want to speak at the library, and connect with their constituents? 
• Remind them of your accomplishments. No one wants to support a "losing" or "obsolete" institution. Let them know how MUCH you are doing with what little you have. 
• Let them know of ONE specific area they can help you in. Just saying "we need three million dollars so we don't have to lay anyone off" may be very true, but it may be a little too big for your representative to make an immediate impact on. Being able to say "we need X amount of dollars to keep our senior book van operating until the end of the year" is much more manageable than solving the entire budgetary problem for your institution in a time when EVERYONE has had to cut back. 
• Let them know (briefly) your plans and hopes for the future, to help people and stay active and vibrant. Again, if you can include your representative in any of these plans, all the better. Flattery will get you everywhere. 
• Keep it short, sweet and to the point. They have a LOT of people looking for their five minutes. 
• Don't be a stranger. If you have opportunities to attend functions where your representatives will be present, take the time. Introduce yourself and remind them of what your pretty face looks like, who you are and who you represent. This isn't another opportunity to advocate, so much as reminding them of your presence and existence, networking, and using the opportunity to, perhaps, build a relationship with your representative. 
• Continue to remind them (and their staff) in paper form of your existence--a holiday card, a newsletter, a press release to show them what you're doing and how vital you are.
• Make sure you're friendly and communicative with their staff--they are busy and their staff do a lot of research and decision-making on their behalf. Irritating, dismissing, or refusing to deal with the staff is a surefire way to be sure your requests land on the bottom of the pile. 
• KEEP DOING GOOD WORK. Keep up the high quality work within your community. Keep promoting yourself and being present. How often do libraries make a big deal about a particular issue, then slink back into quiet complacency in a corner somewhere, once that issue or crisis has passed? Sometimes I believe we have this attitude where we don't want to be noticed. If they don't notice us, they can't give us more support. However, I think many institutions' gut reaction is to not be noticed so that nothing is taken away, and the library is not drawn into controversy, either. Even controversy can be a good thing--it gives us a platform and face-time with the public to explain what it is we do, and how we do it. It also provides an opportunity to address specific concerns, either by explaining why said concerns should not be of worry to anyone, or by taking the opportunity to address, review or fix the problem, if the situation warrants.
• Connect with other libraries and organizations to make your voice heard. More organizations behind a message can be a very good thing--it shows dedication, solidarity, and that the message or concern is a shared one, and not the product of one crazed librarian crying out in the wilderness.

Check out the ALA's web page for Legislative Day, to see if there are any ways for you to get involved today, throughout the rest of the year, and getting a jump start on next year. EFFECTIVE advocacy is a great tool. Make sure you use all of the tools available to you in order to be as effective as possible! The future of libraries depends on what we do today--a clear, unified message now will see us well into the future. 

Got a story about successful advocacy? Let us know! We love to learn from first-hand experience!