Transcript Don’t Let Democracy Get You Down: How to Advocate for Your Library’s Future (and Have Some FUN Doing It!) A Presentation for the New.

Don’t Let Democracy Get You
Down: How to Advocate for Your
Library’s Future (and Have Some
FUN Doing It!)
A Presentation for the New Jersey
Libraries
Presenter: Stephanie Vance
Topics: Creating a Grassroots
Campaign
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What Do You Want?
Who Can Give it To You?
How Should You Ask Them?
Who’s Going To Deliver the Message?
How Are You Going to Deliver the Message?
How Long Will it Take?
But Before We Get Started, Let’s Have
Some Fun!
Venues: Where are Policy Decisions
Made?
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Federal
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Congress
Agencies
Supreme Court
President
State
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Legislature
State Agencies
Courts
Governor
Initiatives (state-wide)
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Local
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City council
County Commission
Regional Planning
Commission
Agencies
Citizen Initiative
Venues: Local Venues Specific to
Library Policy and Funding Decisions
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City Council
County Commission
Local / Regional Planning
Public Schools / School District
School Board
Parks and Recreation Commission
Others?
True or False: Do you need to go to DC to
make a difference?
Where to Start: What do You Want?
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Define the Goal
– Repair / replace
facilities
– More computers
– More staff (for more
hours)
Expressing that Goal
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Specific and measurable
What’s YOUR Goal?
Who Can Give That To You?
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How can you achieve your
goal?
Who makes the decisions?
Is there more than one
avenue?
What You Need to Know About the “Who”
Once you’ve figured out the chain of command, you’ll
know who your audience is. Now you need to figure
out:
•What
(or who) influences them?
•How did they get into office?
•What jurisdiction do they serve?
•What are their personal interests?
•Personal relationship to libraries
How? Try Google!
What Will You Say to Them?
The Magic Formula
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Hello, my name is [] and I’m from [] (establishes
relevancy)
I am here to talk to you about [policy / relationship
ask]
Knowing of your interest in [info about your
audience] we think you’ll be interested as well
This is important to me because [personal story]
That’s why I really hope you’ll [ask]
I’d like to follow-up by [follow-up ideas]
Can I get contact information for all the appropriate
people in your office?
Who Will Ask?
Building Networks and Coalitions
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Who is best to deliver your message?
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Based on knowledge of audience and message
Do you need to “tweak” the message based on who is
delivering?
Types of partners (individual and coalitions)
Getting Started
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Identifying
Approaching
Activating
Brainstorm about potential partners!
How Will You Deliver the Message?
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Meetings
Phone Calls
Written Communications
Hearings
Media
Site Visits
Focus on Three Techniques
Media, Site Visits and
Town Hall Meetings
Media Events: Process
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What’s the hook?
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What’s the venue?
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Hint: personal and thoughtful works here as
well
Who will deliver the message best?
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Print?, TV?, Radio?, Internet?
Develop the message
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Connections to outside events / already
newsworthy items
When to use public officials
Following up
Message Delivery: Media Options
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Press releases
Press conferences
LTEs / Op Eds
Editorial Boards
Columns
Events
Local radio / TV
Site Visits / District Meetings: Benefits
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Home style vs. DC style
Makes the issue “real”
Shows the impact on the district
Often easier to get their attention
Easier for you to arrange
Site Visits / District Meetings: Process
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Decide who to invite
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Don’t Forget Staff
Potential Pitfalls
Decide what to show them: You’ll be
surprised at what interested them
The invitation process
Who should attend on your end (“real”
people)
Logistics, logistics, logistics
Recording the event
Participating in Town Hall Meetings:
Why?
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Raises your profile
Increases your credibility
If you engage an elected
official, requires them to
take a public stance
Participating in Hearings: How?
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When Are They?
Understanding the Venue
Understanding the
Audience
Develop Your Message
Practice, practice, practice
Following Up
Now It’s Your Turn
The Five Minute Action Plan
Based on everything
we’ve discussed, what
three things will you do in
the next six months to
advocate for libraries in
New Jersey?
Contact Information
Stephanie Vance
Advocacy Associates
1640 19th St., NW
Second Floor
Washington, DC 20009
(202) 234-1353
www.advocacyassociates.com
[email protected]