Advocating for libraries: Tips for talking to legislators
District
Dispatch: 1.23.2018 by Shawnda Hines
The FY
2019 federal budget proposal will be released in the coming weeks:
what’s your strategy to help #FundLibraries? Year-round
advocate and Idaho State
Librarian Ann Joslin offers valuable tips for effectively engaging your members of Congress.
Few
legislators will go on record saying they don’t like libraries, so enlisting
legislative support should be simple, right? But engaging with elected
officials doesn’t always equate to consistent support for libraries and library
issues. With members of Congress heading back to their districts soon for the
holiday break, what are the most effective ways to talk with them about
libraries?
I
have been Idaho’s state librarian since 2005 and held several positions in the
state library agency for 26 years before that. The Idaho Commission for
Libraries—the state’s library development agency—relies on a mixture of state
and federal funding to execute its mission of assisting the more than 850
public, school, academic, and special libraries in Idaho. And with Idaho
libraries being as varied as the state’s landscape in terms of size,
remoteness, and relevance in their community, creating effective statewide
library programs and services remains challenging.
Speaking
to Idaho’s legislators was not easy or comfortable at first, but through
repetition and years of practice, I’ve learned some things that have increased
my effectiveness:
Don’t
overestimate what legislators know (or understand) about your cause.
Be
ready to educate them each legislative session, and do so in engaging ways.
Legislators are busy people who get a lot of information thrown at them, often
about unfamiliar subjects and issues.
Research
your legislators.
Focus
your efforts on senators and representatives whose stated goals and interests
align the best with the library mission.
Tailor
your message.
Find
out what messages might resonate with the people who have control over the
purse strings and tailor a pitch to each one.
READ
MORE >>
If
you haven’t already, register here for
National Library Legislative Day 2018
May 7-8
– you can come to Washington or
participate from home!
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