Ensuring the Future
The Library Board and Effective Advocacy
Wendy Newman
Faculty of Information
University of Toronto
OLA SuperConference
January 2014
Proposed agenda
Advocacy and Influence101: their reasons,
or our reasons?
 Dynamics of library support (not use):
who supports libraries, and why?
 Advocacy as a way of life: the right
message, the right person, the right time

Questions for participants
Do you have a written advocacy plan for
your library?
 A strategy, but it is not written?
 No plan and no strategy?
 A plan to plan for this election year?

More Questions
Whose job is the advocacy plan re Council?
Board
Senior staff
Board/senior staff team
And more
Whose job is the advocacy plan re CAO?
Board
Senior staff
Board/senior staff team
Why advocacy?
Competition
 Perceptions
 Stewardship and trust

Why not?
Too busy
 Not my job
 Shouldn’t have to
 Afraid
 Too political (ugly, distasteful) for me
 Looks hopeless
 Don’t know how

Advocacy acts - examples
Telling a story (“springboard”)
 Enabling others to act
 Expanding awareness

The point: let’s be prepared.
The Basics
People do things for their reasons, not our
reasons.
2. Understand, respect, and address their
reasons.
3. Cultivate relationships of credibility and
trust.
1.
Haycock: Successful advocacy is planned,
deliberate, and sustained over time. It is
not an emergency response.
Their reasons
Who are “they”?
 What do they care about?
 For what are they accountable?
 Who influences them?
 What motivates them?
 How do we find out?

Then . . .
How are libraries relevant to their
priorities or accountability?
Bridge the gap!
Research: Who supports libraries?
It’s about attitude, NOT use!
 Belief in transformational impacts.
 Library supporters: well-connected, active
in community.
 “Passionate” librarians involved in the
community engage support.

Relationships and Influence
Develop relationships of respect,
credibility, and trust.
 Consider impacts of stereotypes.
 Haycock: Like a bank account: deposits
before withdrawals.
 Everyone’s job!

Robert Cialdini on Influence
Social psychologist
Relevance in library advocacy:
Haycock summarized in Follett Lecture.
http://www.worlib.org/vol19no1-2/haycockprint_v19n1-2.shtml
Stenström applied in dissertation.
http://eprints.qut.edu.au/59510/1/Cheryl_Stenstrom_Thesis.pdf
Robert Cialdini on Influence
Reciprocation
(feel obliged to return
favors)
Authority (look to experts)
Commitment/Consistency (with
commitments and values)
Scarcity (less available, more we want it)
Liking (if we like, we want to say yes)
Social Proof (what others are doing)
Messages: content




“Zoom zoom”.
Building “sound bites”.
Key = what matters to targets.
Benefits and impacts, not processes, stock, or
transactions.

Good examples here:



http://podcast.cbc.ca/spark/plus-spark_20100608_gerrymeek.mp3#
http://www.cla.ca/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Advocacy&Template=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&Co
ntentID=13784
http://www.ala.org/advocacy/advocacy-university/public-library-resources
Developing key messages
Asset
Sound Bite
• Openness to newcomers
Toronto Public Library is
where newcomers go to
become Torontonians.
& earning their trust
- former Mayor David Miller
• Staff expertise & resources
for people in employment
transition
• 24/7 digital access
Recession sanctuary.
Fast, friendly, self-service.
Developing key messages
Asset
Sound Bite
Physical space
• Staff expertise & resources
The third place.
Your partners in
knowledge.
•
We sweat the details so
you don’t have to. [Ulla de
Stricker]
•
Children’s services &
resources
Libraries grow good kids.
•
Library as place
The community’s living
room.
[Strathcona County PL]
Thanks to Prof. Alvin Schrader
What are my key messages about
my library and . . .?
Preschoolers and reading readiness
 Economic development
 Diversity
 Literacy
 Distance learning
 School-age children
 Small business
 Access to governments
 Employment

Messages: delivery
Good spokespersons: passionate,
knowledgeable, credible to the target,
prepared.
 They have the relationships in place.
 All can be advocates in their networks, if
messages are consistent.

Summary
Advocacy is planned, deliberate, sustained.
 Planning is as essential as passion.
 Cultivate relationships.
 Show respect.
 Address priorities of targets.
 Match messengers and targets.
 It’s a way of life.

Shush THIS!
MOOC
Massively Open Online Course
Free!
Starts 24 February, 2014.
wendy.newman@utoronto.ca