August Is for Advocacy
Summer is a critical time to
invite elected leaders into your library
American Libraries: 7.24.2019
by Emily Wagner
Here’s the truth about the
dog days of summer: August is prime time for advocacy. With members of Congress
on recess, it is the perfect time to invite legislators to visit your library
and let them see for themselves all the ways libraries bring value to their
communities.
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Inviting your elected
leaders—at the state, local, or national level—is not difficult. Here are a few
steps to get started:
➧ Call your congressional member’s district office. Ask
who handles meeting requests for their district and how they prefer to receive
them.
➧
Write your request and tailor it to your elected leader, paying special
attention to library services that intersect with their interests. For example,
if your US representative is on the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs,
invite them to visit programs that serve the needs of veterans in your community.
➧ If
your member of Congress is not available, invite a staffer to visit your
library. Often they will enjoy the tour so much they will want their boss to
see it.
➧ Once
the meeting is set up, put together supporting materials for the visit. The American
Library Association’s Public Policy and Advocacy Office
can coordinate with you to make sure you have the resources you need.
➧ When
you conduct the tour, remember that your elected officials want to hear from
you—your feedback is
critical to their work. There is no need to feel intimidated.
➧ The
visit is a wonderful photo opportunity for them. Be sure to ask ahead of time
if they would like to take a picture or video inside the facility. Remember to
ask permission to use images on your social media platforms (most officials
will appreciate the visibility).
There are several steps you
can take afterward that will multiply the impact of your decision maker’s
visit, including:
➤
Follow up with the staffer to say thank you and ensure all their questions are
answered.
➤
Promote your library’s value by highlighting the leader’s visit on
social media.
➤ Write a letter to the editor expressing
gratitude for the official’s visit and urging support for your library.
ALA is eager to learn about
your congressional visits. Share your library tour using the hashtag #ALAadvocacy so
that ALA can amplify your work and inspire others to host elected
leaders. READ MORE >>
RESOURCES
How valuable is your local
library?
Use this handy Library Value
Calculator, created by the Massachusetts Library
Association.
2019 One-Pagers
One Pager: Libraries and Your Community
Leave-Behind: Federal Funding for Libraries
Talking Points: Federal Funding for Libraries
