Maureen Ambrosino's keynote presentation from the 12/04/09 LYRASIS Public Library Symposium

1. Whose Job Is It Anyway? Library Advocacy from the Frontlines Maureen Ambrosino Youth Services Consultant and “Raging Library Activist” Central Massachusetts Regional Library System

2. My Journey as an Advocate School Library Journal, January 2008 : Metamorphosis: Or How I Went from Quiet Bystander to Raging Library Activist

3. “Active support of a cause or course of action.” What is Advocacy?

4. Legislative Library Administrators Trustees Friends Grassroots Frontline Librarians and library support staff Types of Advocacy

5. Frontline library advocacy: Library staff-initiated action to: Articulate the value of their respective libraries and their value to their communities. Connectors- Improve the quality of resources and services in their library environment. Frontline Advocacy (cont.)

6. Involving Frontline Library Staff in Advocacy We all must advocate for the value of our libraries. All of usmust also be able to articulate our value as library employees.

7. Connection

10. Focus on legislators/elected officials/decision-makers. Library Administration

11. Identifying Frontline Staff to Deliver the Library Message Should everyone be involved in frontline advocacy?

13. Identifying Frontline Staff (cont.) Building an advocacy team: Determine the extent of frontline staff involvement. Involve librarians and library staff in brainstorming.

15. Provide scripts and/or “cheat sheets.”

16. Work with staff for input on process and delivery.

17. Staff members deliver the message.

18. Meet to assess outcomes.Empowering Frontline Staff as Advocates

19. 52 Ways and 23 Things http://www.cmrls.org/pdf_documents/advocacy52.pdf (20 pages) http://www.cmrls.org/pdf_documents/advocacy23.pdf (3 pages)

20. Levels of Advocacy

21. Library Advocacy? It’s Everybody’s Job! Every Voice Makes a Difference.

22. Anyonewho thinks they’re too small to be effective… has never been in bed with a mosquito.

23. www.camilaalire.com www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/advocacy/ advocacyuniversity/ More to come…….

24. Thank You!