Libraries Prosper with Passion, Purpose and Persuasion

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Libraries Prosper with Passion, Purpose and
Persuasion!

• The PLA Toolkit for Success

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Toolkit overview

• Provides the first step in developing a road map
  for effective library advocacy in your community.
• Increase understanding of the value of the
  library among various constituencies community,
  elected officials, even your staff!
• Build a support network from grassroots up!

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A three pronged approach

• Marketing
• Public Relations
• Advocacy

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Marketing

• Marketing-focuses on creating a transaction
  between a customer and the provider of a service,
  program or product.

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Public Relations

• Public Relations- focuses on creating mutually
  beneficial relationships between an organization
  and the audiences key to its success.

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Advocacy

• Advocacy-to support or urge support by argument,
  especially publicly.

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Who advocates?

• You
• All staff
• Customers
• Community Partners
• Friends
• Board members
• Volunteers
• Teachers
• Politicians
• Health professionals

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Passion Why is it so important?

• Why do I care about the library?
• What is needed in my community that I believe the
  library can provide?
• What are the most important examples of my
  librarys impact that I can think of?
• Who are the people who can be passionate
  advocates for the library?

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Purpose Setting goals

• What is the problem we want to address?
• What is the cause?
• How do we want to solve the problem?
• How will our solution address the broader needs?
• What is our goal?

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Persuasion

• People make decisions based on how they feel and
  then look for the data to rationalize their
  emotional choices.
• To persuade others you need proof that speaks
  to both the head and the heart.
• Successful library advocacy links the library
  with things your audience already values and
  wants to support like education, stable
  communities, health, economic vitality and value
  for the dollar.

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Targeting Your Audience

• Who can give us what we want?
• Who do we need to reach?
• Library Stakeholders-board, Friends, foundation
• Policymakers
• Community opinion leaders
• Who Influences this audience?
• What do they need to know to take action?

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Value themes

• Community vitality and stability
• Education /lifelong learning
• Health and well being
• Economic health/return on investment

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• Once the value theme is established clarify the
• Need
• Cost
• Benefit
• Then issue a call to action.

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Strategies

• Match the strategy to your audience
• Direct Outreach
• Grassroots outreach/partnership development
• Word of Mouth Develop talking points and fact
  sheets
• Media /online communication
• Collateral-print materials, posters
• Note people are persuaded by people, not
  posters

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Evaluate Your Efforts!

• Work from goals and objectives
• Sample process measures
• How much stuff did you create
• Where and to whom did you distribute your
  materials?
• Did you engage the media? With what frequency?

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Outcome Measures

• Did you achieve your goal?
• How many impressions did you generate-how many
  people saw your stuff?
• Did you receive positive media stories?
• Did you earn endorsements form other
  organizations? If so , whom?
• Who got involved? What did they do?
• This helps you assess what worked , what could be
  refined next time.

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Template section

• Sample press releases for value statements.
• Cost benefit analysis worksheet
• Community survey template and guidelines.

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Samples

• Sample Letters to the Editor.
• Sample opinion editorial.
• Sample letter to elected official.
• Sample partner involvement form

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Action Planning

• Planning templates for
• Direct outreach
• Grassroots outreach
• Word-of-mouth techniques
• Conducting media relations
• Online Communications

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How would you use this?

• Where are your librarys current areas of
  strength in its advocacy efforts?
• What areas do you want to increase your
  effectiveness in?
• Whats next for you?