Speaking Out, Speaking Up: the ACRL Advocacy Toolkits

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Speaking Out, Speaking Up the ACRL Advocacy
Toolkits

• Erika Linke - President,
• Association of College Research Libraries
• March 6, 2009

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Overview

• Background
• Context
• Purpose
• Principles
• Messaging
• Persuasion

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Background

• ACRL Leadership
• Breivik Every Librarian a Leader
• Alire Initiative Grassroots Library Advocacy

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Campus Outreach Advocacy Toolkit

• http//www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/issues/mark
  eting/ulsadvocacytoolkit/ulsdocs.cfm
• Developed by the University Libraries Section
• Institutional Profile
• http//staging.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/acrliss
  ues/marketingyourlib/ulsadvocacytoolkit/institutio
  nal-profil.pdf

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Institutional Profile Information for Campus
Advocacy

• General, incl. vision, mission, funding
• Programs Degrees
• Instructors, depts. Promotion criteria
• Students, incl. majors, admission criteria,
  demographics

• Student life, incl. services, clubs
• Administrative, incl. org structure, areas of
  excellence, concern, campus wide initiatives
• Library partners advocates

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Understanding Institutional Context

• Set the stage
• Develop the Institutional Profile
• Know the principles, the priorities, the
  preferences
• Know people Build relationships
• Learn what works
• Know when to press and when to step back
• Be strategic

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Advocacy Toolkit -The Power of Personal Persuasion

• http//www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/acrl/issues/mark
  eting/advocacy_toolkit.pdf

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Purpose Skill Development

• Define personal power and influence
• Recognize that personal power permeates all
  librarians and library top to bottom
• Articulate and implement the agenda through
  inclusion, institutional mechanisms and practical
  techniques
• Advance the academic library agenda through
  influence and persuasive strategies

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Principles

• Pervasive internal advocacy its everyones
  responsibility cultural change
• Achieved through
• Inclusion in job descriptions (and through
  personnel evaluations)
• Shared understanding (departmental, personal
  goals)
• Heightened awareness (Library communication plan
  include discussions in library meetings)

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Principles Continued

• Intentional outreach (through marketing, public
  relations)
• Knowledgeable workforce (professional development
  and opportunities)
• Funding (put your money where your mouth is)
• Scenario building (include role playing)

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Establish the Message

• What is the agenda
• Tailor messages to the target audience (strategy)
• Identify audience and characteristics
• Who connects with which audience
• Design messaging process

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Persuasion

• Built on the work of Dr. Robert Cialdini,
  Principles of Ethical Influence
• The ethical use of influence mans being honest
  maintaining integrity being a detective, not a
  smuggler or a bungler.

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Persuasion Continued

• Principle of Reciprocity
• Principle of Scarcity
• Principle of Authority
• Principle of Consistency
• Principle of Consensus
• Principle of Liking

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In Hard Times More to do

• Return on Investment
• Strategic Thinking
• Reciprocity/Partnerships