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Online Advocacy Toolkit

The changing political and economic landscape dictates that public libraries have a formal plan for creating a local base of support. Creating that support is advocacy, and failure to do so could result in an inability to achieve your long-term goals.

Libraries are only one of the many public services competing for a finite pool of tax dollars. To do so effectively, you should turn to the most convincing spokespeople for your library's programs and resources—those you serve on a daily basis. Their stories and support are powerful, but using those positive feelings to benefit the library does not happen automatically.

Libraries have at their disposal two distinct projects to help involve library users. The first is the "Speak Up for Your Library" campaign, through which people can sign up to lend their voice in times of need. The second is the "Libraries for Real Life" project, through which we collect and publish stories from the people whose lives are changed by libraries.

The resources below are the initial step to provide this online service. It is a work in progress and will evolve over time, so it's important that we receive your input. Let us know what is helpful, what isn't, and what is missing.

For more information about library advocacy, contact Mark Ibach.

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