August Is for Advocacy
Summer is a critical time to invite elected leaders into your
library
American
Libraries: 7.24.2019 by Emily Wagner
Here’s
the truth about the dog days of summer: August is prime time for advocacy. With
members of Congress on recess, it is the perfect time to invite legislators to
visit your library and let them see for themselves all the ways libraries bring
value to their communities.
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Inviting
your elected leaders—at the state, local, or national level—is not difficult.
Here are a few steps to get started:
➧ Call your
congressional member’s district office. Ask who handles meeting requests
for their district and how they prefer to receive them.
➧ Write
your request and tailor it to your elected leader, paying special attention to
library services that intersect with their interests. For example, if your US
representative is on the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, invite them to
visit programs that serve the needs of veterans in your community.
➧ If
your member of Congress is not available, invite a staffer to visit your
library. Often they will enjoy the tour so much they will want their boss to
see it.
➧ Once
the meeting is set up, put together supporting materials for the visit. The
American Library Association’s Public Policy and Advocacy Office can coordinate
with you to make sure you have the resources you need.
➧ When
you conduct the tour, remember that your elected officials want to hear from
you—your feedback is critical to their work. There is no need to feel
intimidated.
➧ The
visit is a wonderful photo opportunity for them. Be sure to ask ahead of time
if they would like to take a picture or video inside the facility. Remember to
ask permission to use images on your social media platforms (most officials
will appreciate the visibility).
There
are several steps you can take afterward that will multiply the impact of your
decision maker’s visit, including:
➤ Follow
up with the staffer to say thank you and ensure all their questions are
answered.
➤ Promote
your library’s value by highlighting the leader’s visit on social media.
➤ Write a letter to the editor expressing gratitude for
the official’s visit and urging support for your library.
ALA
is eager to learn about your congressional visits. Share your library tour
using the hashtag #ALAadvocacy so that ALA can amplify your work and
inspire others to host elected leaders. READ
MORE >>
RESOURCES
How
valuable is your local library?
Use
this handy Library Value Calculator, created by the Massachusetts Library Association.
2019
One-Pagers
One
Pager: Libraries and Your Community
Leave-Behind: Federal Funding for Libraries
Talking
Points: Federal Funding for Libraries
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