Understanding Advocacy

For this advocacy training curriculum, public library advocacy is defined as: The actions individuals or organizations undertake to influence decision-making at the local, regional, state, national, and international level that help create a desired funding or policy change in support of public libraries. 

Anyone can be an advocate for their public library. First, you need to know “who” you want to advocate to. Ask yourself “what” messages, facts, and library stories will be most effective to capture their attention and get them to focus on the library. Successful advocacy efforts by public libraries usually begin with the development of an advocacy plan and are a team effort. Ideally, all public library staff should feel comfortable advocating for their library.

Advocacy helps to:

• Inform public library users and the community as a whole about library services and their value
• Demonstrate how public library services—including access to the Internet—improve the lives of people in the community
• Ensure libraries have resources to continue offering these important services
• Secure a place at the table for library leaders where important funding and policy decisions are made

Think of advocacy as a journey, not a destination. The process breaks down into four basic areas: 

1. Learning: What are the challenges that face your community? How can the library help and what do you need to be successful? Who can help you meet those needs?
2. Planning: What are the milestones you need to reach in order to achieve your overall goal? What do your target audiences think and feel about the library? What evidence do you have of the impact the public library has on people’s lives?  What messages will persuade your audiences?
3. Implementation: How will you reach your target audiences with the messages they need to hear? Who in your community can help you? How can you measure progress along the way?
4. Evaluation: what was successful and what wasn’t? What should you change to be more successful in the future? Remember: advocacy is an ongoing process that will repeat as the environment, stakeholders, and advocacy goals change.

You can read an overview of the advocacy process in the Advocacy Training Implementation Guide.  Download