Public library advocacy is support given to a public library for its financial and philosophical goals or needs. Most often this takes the form of monetary or material donations or campaigning to the institutions which oversee the library. Originally, library advocacy was centered on the library itself, but current trends show libraries positioning themselves to demonstrate they provide "economic value to the community".Miller, Ellen G. (2009). "Hard Times = A New Brand of Advocacy." Georgia Library Quarterly. 46:1.
History
Forms
Letter-writing campaigns Letter writing campaigns are chiefly intended to inform law makers, library officials, and citizens about the ramifications of decisions regarding public libraries and to promote library-related causes.ALA. (2010). Ways to Communicate. Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/advocacy/advocacyuniversity/toolkit/workingwithgovernmen/communicate.cfm
Letter writing has been a valuable form of communication among public library advocates. A well-timed and hand-crafted email or strategically sent letter can be a potent mechanism used to sway the decisions of elected officials and the masses. Letters are practical because they can be distributed to many individuals and can serve as representation for public library advocates who cannot attend crucial meetings or rallies.(2009). ALA sends letter to Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee in support of Federal Research Public Access Act. Retrieved from http://www.wo.ala.org/districtdispatch/?p=3810
Programs Public libraries frequently use programming to increase awareness of the valuable services and resources that they offer to the community. Some of these programs offer information and educational resources for library advocates and librarians while others are directed towards increasing public knowledge of library services and resources. Library Card Sign-up Month is celebrated in September as a part of The Smartest Card campaign. During Library Card Sign-up Month, the library card is frequently promoted as the most important card that individuals can have in their wallets. Library Card Sign-Up Month is a popular program across the United States. The ALA logo for the Smartest Card campaign is, “The Smartest Card. Get it. Use it. @ your library”.Get the Smartest Card (2010). Retrieved September 29, 2010, from @your library: The campaign for America’s Libraries: http://www.atyourlibrary.org/get-smartest-card "Turning the Page: Building Your Library Community" is an advocacy education and training program funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Courses are available both online and in person and are designed to give library advocates access to the training, skills, and resources to better advocate for their library’s funding needs.”Turning The Page: Building Your Library Community. (2010). Retrieved September 29, 2010, from Public Library Association: A division of the American Library Association: http://www.pla.org/ala/mgrps/divs/pla/plaadvocacy/turningthepage/index.cfm Toolkits: Frontline Advocacy is an ALA toolkit that provides librarians and library workers with the advocacy tools and support they need to advocate for their own libraries and the profession. It is intended for public, school, academic, and special libraries. The Frontline Advocacy for Public Libraries Toolkit offers a variety of helpful resources including information about blogging, speech making, and data collecting.U ALA Frontline Advocacy University. (2010). Retrieved October 5, 2010, from American Library Association: http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/advocacy/advocacyuniversity/frontline_advocacy/frontline_public/index.cfm Advocating in a Tough Economy is a response to difficult economic situations when the library is simultaneously increasing patronage while losing tax based funding. Its toolkit contains, “resources and tools, including news clips, op-eds, and statistics to help library supporters make the case for libraries in tough economic times.”Advocating in a Tough Economy Toolkit. (2010). Retrieved October 5, 2010, from American Library Association: http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/advocacy/advocacyuniversity/toolkit/index.cfm The CLA also provides a Copyright Grassroots Advocacy Kit to address Bill C-32, An Act to amend the Copyright Act.CLA Copyright Grassroots Advocacy Kit. (2010). Canadian Library Association. Retrieved November 3, 2010, from http://www.cla.ca/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&TEMPLATE=/CM/ContentDisplay.cfm&CONTENTID=10318 The contents of this kit are "a list of 8 key messages, a sample form letter to your MP, a guide for holding an in-person meeting, and a link to find contact information for your MP. The kit also contains background information, including the latest CLA Position Statement “Protecting the Public Interest in the Digital World: the views of the Canadian Library Association/Association canadienne des bibliothèques on Bill C-32, An Act to amend the Copyright Act." The Australian Library and Information Association offers the Every Member An Advocate kit beginning in September 2010 to complement their Every Member An Advocate workshops, which offers advocacy tools and approaches in all sectors. Banned Books Week takes place every year during the last week of September and brings attention to the library’s mission of supporting intellectual freedom and the importance of the First Amendment. “Observed since 1982, this annual ALA event reminds Americans not to take this precious democratic freedom for granted.” Since 2006, the Canadian Library Association has surveyed library resources and policies challenges. In September 2010, libraries in the United Kingdom joined together to celebrate intellectual freedom by creating and publicizing Banned Books activities. Amnesty International, a human rights organization "directs attention to the plight of individuals who are persecuted because of the writings that they produce, circulate or read."Amnesty International USA. (2010). Retrieved November 1, 2010 from http://www.amnestyusa.org/events/banned-books-week/page.do?id=1721019 El Día de los Niños is a celebration of children, families and reading that is held on April 30. This celebration “emphasizes the importance of advocating literacy for children of all linguistic and cultural backgrounds.”Dia de los Ninos. (2009). Retrieved October 9, 2010, from American Library Association: http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/initiatives/diadelosninos/index.cfm "Every Child Ready to Read @ Your Library" is a joint project of the Public Library Association and the Association for Library Service to Children Programs, which helps provide parents with tools to help them in, “their critical role as their child’s first teacher."Every Child Ready to Read @ Your Library. (2007). Retrieved October 5, 2010, from American Library Association: http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/alsc/ecrr/index2.cfm
Summer reading programs meet in many public libraries to support education and literacy while children are on summer breaks from school. Benefits of a Summer Reading Program include “encouragement that reading become[s] a lifelong habit”, “[influencing] reluctant readers [to] be drawn in by the [library's] activities”, “[helping] children keep their [academic] skills up [during the summer break]”, and “[generating] interest in the library and books.”Library Summer Reading Programs: ALA Library Fact Sheet 17. (2010). Retrieved October 10, 2010 from, American Library Association: http://www.ala.org/ala/professionalresources/libfactsheets/alalibraryfactsheet17.cfm Summer Reading Programs generate important parent and child involvement with libraries and literacy. Canadian Library Month is sponsored by the Canadian Library Association/Association canadienne des bibliothèques.Canadian Library Association/Association canadienne des bibliothèques (2010). CLA at Work: Advocacy. Retrieved November 1, 2010 from http://www.cla.ca/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Advocacy&Template=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=8282
Public demonstrations Public demonstrations for libraries often take the form of rallies, protests, and read-ins.
Rallies
Rallies in support of public libraries are usually positive events designed to bring people together and raise awareness of issues facing public libraries. They are generally organized by professional library staff or by organizations such as the American Library Association (ALA). Effective rallies are well-organized and paint a clear and compelling picture of the issues facing a library and specific actions to be taken to reach specific goals. Typical rally activities include musical performances and public speeches. Rally organizers will frequently distribute fliers containing brief statements of facts supporting the objective of the rally that are designed to be quickly digested by interested passers-by. Rally participants typically signify solidarity by wearing the same t-shirt or dressing in similar colors. Rally organizers often have stickers, leaflets, or other promotional items to give to participants and passers-by to help publicize the issue at hand.American Library Association, Issues and Advocacy. (2010). How to organize a rally Chicago: Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/advocacy/advocacyuniversity/toolkit/stagingarally/organizearally.cfm
On June 29, 2010, more than 1600 supporters showed up for the Library Advocacy Day Rally organized by the American Library Association. Speakers included authors, members of Congress, and the ALA Executive Director.American Library Association, (2010). Library advocacy day Chicago: Retrieved from http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/advocacy/libraryadvocacyday/index.cfm
Public protest
Whereas rallies are generally a positive event to achieve a goal, protests are usually held in reaction to a negative event, such as drastic changes in library services, staff lay-offs, or branch closings. They are often organized by Friends groups,Wen, Patricia. (2010, March 29). Disquiet outside Boston public library. The Boston Globe, Retrieved from community members,Eberhart, G. (2004). Providence Library Layoffs Spark Protests. American Libraries, 35(7), 14-15. Retrieved from Library, Information Science & Technology Abstracts database. or library unionsMoore, Cory. (2010, April 23). Employees protest cuts to Los Angeles libraries. Southern California Public Radio, Retrieved from http://www.scpr.org/news/2010/04/23/employees-protest-cuts-los-angeles-libraries/ and are usually last-ditch efforts to stop a proposed action. Most public protests for libraries involve picketing the legislative body that made the final or proposed decisions, in hopes that a large public outcry will cause elected officials to reconsider. Others involve picketing outside a library branch or in a place with high traffic to draw the public’s awareness to the issues at hand.
Read-ins
A particular type of public demonstration almost exclusively used to support libraries, read-ins can take two different forms. The simplest one is when supporters of a library simply meet en masse and read their own books. Usually this type of read-in is held at or near the supported library or the targeted legislative body. Indianapolis library lovers organized a read-in during July 2010 to protest drastic budget cuts that would have closed 6 branches.Tricia L Nadolny. (2010, July 14). Read In today to support libraries. Indianapolis Star, p. B.1. Retrieved October 20, 2010, from Indianapolis Star. (Document ID: 2080045071).