>> WE ARE VERY EXCITED TO BE COLLABORATING WITH ARSL, THE
ASSOCIATION FOR RURAL & SMALL LIBRARIES.
IF YOU ARE NOT YET AWARE OF ARSL, THIS IS ONE OF THE BEST
BANGS FOR YOUR BUCK IN LIBRARY LAND.
IT'S AN EXCELLENT WAY TO CONNECT WITH OTHERS WHO WORK OR
VOLUNTEER IN SMALL OR RURAL LIBRARIES.
YOU AS A MEMBER RECEIVE ALL SORRIES OF WONDERFUL BENEFITS IN
INCLUDING QUARTERLY MEMBERS' NEWSLETTER, A VERY ACTIVE AND
VERY SUPPORTIVE MEMBERS-ONLY LISTSERV.
AND YOU ALSO GET A DISCOUNT ON THE ANNUAL CONFERENCE, WHICH
IS UNDENIABLY THE BEST LIBRARY CONFERENCE AROUND.
WE ARE BIG FANS OF THE ARSL CONFERENCE.
AND THIS LAST YEAR'S CONFERENCE WAS HELD IN VERMONT.
AND YOU CAN ALL ACCESS THE SLIDES AND PRESENTATIONS FROM
THAT CONFERENCE.
AND I HAVE POSTED THAT LINK TO CHAT AS WELL.
AND IT'S NEVER TOO EARLY TO GET THE NEXT YEAR'S CONFERENCE
ON YOUR CALENDAR COMING IN 2020, WE WILL BE GATHERING IN
WICHITA, KANSAS, AT THE END OF SEPTEMBER.
AND THESE CONFERENCES SELL OUT VERY, VERY QUICKLY.
SO START NOW PLANNING AND GETTING YOUR TEAM ON BOARD TO SEND
YOU TO WICHITA AND DON'T MISS OUT ON THIS WONDERFUL CHANCE
TO CONNECT WITH MORE COLLEAGUES OUT THERE.
AND WE DO HAVE A LEARNER GUIDE FOR TODAY'S EVENT.
I'M SORRY.
I DIDN'T UPDATE THAT ON THIS SLIDE.
BUT WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO CONSIDER REVIEWING THE GUIDE EITHER
ALONE OR WITH OTHERS ON YOUR TEAM.
THIS IS AN EXCELLENT WAY FOR YOU TO EXTEND YOUR LEARN, ON
TODAY'S TOPIC.
THE GUIDE IS POSTED TO TODAY'S EVENT PAGE.
AND THERE ARE A HANDFUL OF QUESTIONS AND ACTIVITIES THAT OUR
PRESENTERS TODAY HAVE HELPED TO COME UP WITH.
THIS IS ESPECIALLY HELPFUL IF YOU ARE TAKING THIS LEARNING
TO YOUR TEAM OR PERHAPS YOUR BOARD.
YOU CAN CUSTOMIZE THE GUIDE AND MAKE IT YOUR OWN AND TAKE
THAT LEARNING ON INTO YOUR NEXT STEPS WITH ADVOCACY.
I'M EXCITED TO INTRODUCE OUR PRESENTERS TODAY.
WE HAVE LISA SHAW, WHO IS THE RURAL AND SMALL LIBRARIES
SPECIALIST AT THE MAINE STATE LIBRARY, AND SHE ALSO IS THE
CURRENT CHAIR OF ARSL'S ADVOCACY COMMITTEE.
ALSO A MEMBER OF THE ADVOCACY COMMITTEE, WE HAVE KATE
BRUNNER, WHO COMES TO US AS THE CHILDREN'S SERVICES MANAGER
AT THE PINE RIVER LIBRARY IN COLORADO, AND SHE ALSO WORKS
WITH THE COLORADO STATE LIBRARY IN THE SOUTHERN REGION AS
THE REGIONAL LITERACY SPECIALIST.
SO WELCOME TO BOTH LISA AND KATE.
YOU ALL ARE IN FOR A REAL TREAT.
AND I AM GOING TO GO AHEAD AND SHIFT ON OVER TO HAVE LISA
GET US STARTED.
AND I WILL LET LISA UNMUTE HERSELF AND WELCOME LISA.
>> Lisa: HELLO.
CAN EVERYBODY HEAR ME OK?
>> Jen: YEAH, YOU SOUND GREAT.
>> Lisa: AWESOME.
IF YOU HEAR WHAT'S STEEL DRUMS IN THE BACKGROUND, I SWEAR I
AM NOT COMING TO YOU FROM THE CARIBBEAN SOMEWHERE.
THAT'S THE SOUND OF OUR HEATING SYSTEM COMING ON.
SO THAT TELLS YOU HOW THE WEATHER'S GOING HERE TODAY.
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR TAKING OF TIME OUT OF YOUR DAY TO
COME JOIN US TODAY.
I WANT TO SEND A WELCOME INTO THE FUTURE FOR SEVERAL PEOPLE
I KNOW THAT REGISTERED BUT WERE UNABLE TO ATTEND LIVE AT
THIS TIME.
DUE TO SCHEDULING CONFLICTS.
WELCOME TO YOU IN THE FUTURE AS WELL.
SO GLAD TO HAVE YOU HERE.
WHO HERE IS SUPER CONFIDENT, A RAGING EXTROVERT, ALWAYS HAS
THE RIGHT WORDS AND ADVOCACY IS NOT A PROBLEM?
THAT'S WHO WE ARE GOING TO BE REACHING OUT TO DO THE NEXT
WEBINAR ON THIS.
PROBABLY IF YOU ARE HERE, THERE'S A GOOD CHANCE THAT'S NOT
YOUR THING.
SO WE WANT TO BE CLEAR ABOUT SOMETHING RIGHT OUT OF THE GATE
FOR YOU.
WHAT ADVOCACY IS AND WHAT IT AIN'T.
WHAT IT AIN'T IS LOBBYING IS PART OF ADVOCACY BUT IT'S NOT
JUST LOBBYING FOR DOLLARS.
A LOT OF TIMES WHEN PEOPLE HEAR THE WORD "ADVOCACY" THEIR
MINDS GO STRAIGHT TO LOBBYING.
AND THAT CAN FEEL VERY UNCOMFORTABLE.
YOU CAN AS A NONPROFIT, AS A 501-C THREE DO SOME LOBBYING.
THERE IS A TEST THE IRS HAS FOR HOW MUCH YOU CAN DO.
THAT'S NOT WHAT WE ARE GOING TO BE GETTING INTO TODAY.
THAT LINK TO GO TO THE IRS TO TEST HOW MUCH YOU CAN DO AT
LOBBYING AS PART OF YOUR ADVOCACY IS GOING TO BE IN THE
MATERIALS THAT ARE ON THE EVENTS PAGE.
AND IS ALSO BEING LISTED IN THE CHAT.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THAT.
LOBBYING ARE LIKE A SQUARE AND A RECTANGLE.
LIKEWISE, LOBBYING IS ADVOCACY BUT ADVOCACY IS NOT ALWAYS
LOBBYING.
SO IT'S KIND OF IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THE
DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE TWO.
AND THAT WE ARE GOING TO BE FOCUSING ON THE NONLOBBYING
ASPECTS OF ADVOCACY HERE TODAY.
AND WHAT IT IS IS, YOU ARE GOING TO FIND IT'S A LOT OF STORY
TELLING.
AND IT'S ALSO A LOT OF PRACTICE IN GETTING COMFORTABLE WITH
RELATIONSHIPS.
SO AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS, JENNIFER MENTIONED THAT I AM
THE ADVOCACY CHAIR FOR THE ASSOCIATION FOR RURAL & SMALL
LIBRARIES.
I JUST TOOK THAT ON FAIRLY RECENTLY FROM MARY IN NORTH
DAKOTA WHO DID A GREAT JOB.
I'VE ALSO WORKED WITH THE MAINE LIBRARY ASSOCIATION.
I'VE WORKED WITH MY REGIONAL ROTARY WITH MY HOMELESS SHELTER
BOARD, WITH MY KENNEDY PLANNING BOARD.
I'M ON THAT RIGHT NOW.
REGIONAL WORK FORCE DEVELOPMENT AND SOME BROADBAND
COALITIONS.
THOSE ARE THINGS THAT I HAVE DONE.
AND IT'S TAKEN ME YEARS TO DO AND TO GET TO BUT THAT'S NOT
WHAT I AM.
WHAT I AM IS A PRETTY SHY, ACTUALLY, INTROVERTED PERSON WHO
HAS BEEN HOMELESS, WHO IS CLINICALLY DEPRESSED, WHO
STRUGGLES FINANCIALLY AND I HAVE FACE BLINDNESS WHICH MEANS
I AM INCAPABLE OF RECOGNIZING PEOPLE OUT OF CONTEXT BY THEIR
FACES ALONE.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF THINGS ABOUT ME THAT ARE NOT NATURAL
ADVOCATES.
AND I HAVE HAD TO WORK AT IT OTHER TIME.
AND SO I'M HERE TO TELL YOU THAT IT TAKES A LITTLE PRACTICE,
IT TAKES A LOT OF PASSION.
BUT YOU CAN GET THERE AND THE MORE YOU DO IT THE BETTER YOU
ARE GOING TO GET WITH IT.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE ARE HOPING TO DO IS TO MAKE YOU
COMFORTABLE WITH THIS.
YOU'RE FOREMOST IMPORTANT ADVOCACY TOOLS THAT YOU ARE GOING
TO HAVE IS, IN THIS ORDER OF IMPORTANCE.
FIRST OF ALL, RELATIONSHIPS.
THAT'S JUST GETTING TO KNOW PEOPLE ONE AT A TIME.
WHO IS IT THAT YOU ARE TRYING TO SPEAK TO?
ADVOCACY IS GIVING A VOICE TO SOMETHING, AND IT'S ALSO
SPEAKING TO SOMETHING.
SO YOU ARE GIVING A VOICE TO YOUR SMALL RURAL LIBRARY, AND
THE COMMUNITY THAT THAT REPRESENTS.
AND YOU ARE ALSO SPEAKING TO AUDIENCES THAT NEED TO HEAR
WHAT IT IS THAT YOUR LIBRARY DOES FOR THE COMMUNITY AND HOW
IT'S HELPING TO SOLVE SOME OF THE SAME PROBLEMS THAT YOUR
POLICYMAKERS AND YOUR FUNDERS ARE ALSO TRYING TO SOLVE.
EITHER WITH THEMSELVES OR WITH SOME OTHER AGENCIES.
SO RELATIONSHIPS IS NUMBER ONE.
OF YOUR MOST IMPORTANT ADVOCACY TOOLS.
NUMBER TWO IS CONCLUSION.
START FORMING SOME RELATIONSHIPS.
START SOME CONVERSATIONS.
AND THOSE CONVERSATIONS ARE PERFECT FOR INTROVERTS LIKE US
BECAUSE THEY REALLY INVOLVE A LOT OF LISTENING.
I HEARD A SAYING ONCE THAT YOU'RE A LITTLE WELCOME AT ANY
TABLE IF YOU ASK PEOPLE TO TALK ABOUT THEMSELVES.
AND SO IF YOU ARE WILLING TO GO INTO A CONVERSATION TO DO A
LOT OF LISTENING, TELL ME ABOUT WHAT YOU ARE WORKING ON.
TELL ME ABOUT THE PROBLEMS THAT YOU ARE TRYING TO SOLVE.
YOU ARE GOING TO BE ABLE TO PICK UP A LOT OF INFORMATION
ABOUT WHERE YOU CAN COME IN WITH YOUR LIBRARY TO HELP SOLVE
SOME OF THESE PROBLEMS.
MAYBE YOU'RE ALREADY DOING IT.
MAYBE YOU HAVE TOOLS ALREADY OR PROGRAMS IN PLACE OR
CONNECTIONS IN PLACE THAT WILL HELP THIS.
AND SO THE MORE INFORMATION YOU CAN GATHER, THE MORE
MEANINGFULLY YOU CAN SPEAK TO SOME OF THOSE ISSUES THAT SOME
OF THE PEOPLE THAT YOU SPEAK WITH ARE TRYING TO SOLVE.
THE RELATIONSHIPS FIRST.
CONVERSATIONS SECOND.
AND THEN YOU START GATHERING, NUMBER 3, YOUR STORIES.
AND THE STORIES ARE THE WAY THAT YOU RELATE WHAT'S HAPPENING
IN YOUR LIBRARY AND WHAT CHANGES THAT YOU ARE MAKING FOR THE
GOOD, HOW YOUR LIBRARY IS TRANSFORMING YOUR COMMUNITY IN A
WAY THAT'S GOING TO BE UNDERSTOOD BY YOUR AUDIENCE.
IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING THAT'S VERY RELATABLE TO THEM, THAT'S
A STORY THAT'S GOING TO STRIKE HOME WITH THEM IF IT'S, YOU
KNOW, CHILDREN'S LITERACY THAT THEY ARE INTERESTED IN, YOU
WILL HAVE A STORY AROUND THAT.
HERE'S AN ANECDOTE ABOUT HOW SOMEBODY'S LIFE WAS CHANGED
BECAUSE OF THAT SERVICE YOU PROVIDE.
MAYBE IT'S WORK FORCE DEVELOPMENT.
MAYBE IT'S JUST BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER AND IN AN AREA THAT
HAS CHRONIC ISOLATIONISM AND A LOT OF LONELINESS JUST
BECAUSE PEOPLE LIVE FAR APART FROM EACH OTHER.
AND JUST DON'T HAVE MANY CHANCES TO INTERACT.
SO YOUR STORIES ARE GOING TO BE A SUPER IMPORTANT TOOL ONCE
YOU FORM SOME RELATIONSHIPS AND START SOME CONVERSATIONS.
KIND OF SQUIRREL THOSE STORIES AWAY AS YOU GO.
TELL THEM OVER AND OVER AGAIN AND YOU CAN KIND OF GET THEM
NAILED DOWN SO YOU HAVE GOT THEM READY TO GO WHEN YOU MEET
PEOPLE.
RELATIONSHIPS, CONVERSATIONS, STORIES.
AND THEN NUMBER 4, BACK UP THOSE STORIES WITH DATA.
AND THAT'S SOMETHING THAT WE'RE PRETTY GOOD AT COLLECTING IN
LIBRARIES ANYWAYS.
I BELIEVE MOST OF US ARE FILLING OUT THAT WONDERFUL ANNUAL
REPORT TO THE FEDS EVERY YEAR ON OUR CIRCULATION STATISTICS
AND THINGS LIKE THAT.
BUT THE MORE DATA THAT WE CAN COLLECT TO BACK UP THOSE
STORIES, THE MORE THAN MEANINGFUL THAT THAT'S GOING TO BE.
AND I REALLY LIKE THIS QUOTE FROM BRENÉ BROWN THAT STORIES
ARE JUST DATA WITH A SOUL.
THERE'S ANOTHER QUOTE THAT I THINK IS FROM KIMBERLY SUGG
THAT SAYS, YOU NEED BOTH STORIES AND DATA, THAT STORIES MAKE
THE DATA MATTER AND DATA MAKES THE STORIES REAL.
I GOT THAT A LITTLE BACKWARDS BUT THAT QUOTE IS GOING TO BE
IN THE HANDOUTS THAT YOU WILL GET, TOO.
, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A PLACE FOR BOTH.
AND WE'LL EXPLORE THAT A LITTLE BIT FURTHER IN THE NEXT
COUPLE OF SLIDES.
BUT YOU WANT TO HAVE SOME DATA BUT YOU REALLY WANT TO LEAD
WITH THOSE STORIES.
THERE'S ANOTHER INTERESTING NOTE FROM DAVID LINCAS.
ALLOW ME TO WIN YOU OVER TO HIM.
I HAVE HEARD PAT WAGNER WHEN SHE GIVES SOME OF HER WEBINARS,
TALK ABOUT THIS AS WELL.
AND THE QUOTE THAT DAVID HAS IS, WE MUST FRAME OUR CASE IN
THE COMMUNITY'S INTERESTS USING THE COMMUNITY SITUATION AND
ASPIRATIONS AS OUR STARTING POINT."
AND HOW DO WE KNOW THE COMMUNITY'S ASPIRATIONS?
GOES BACK TO THOSE FOUR THINGS AGAIN.
WE'VE TALKED WITH THEM.
WE'VE HEARD THEM.
AND WE ARE ABLE TO USE THEIR LANGUAGE.
SO WHEN YOU ARE HAVING THOSE CONVERSATIONS, YOU'RE
LISTENING, YOU'RE UNDERSTANDING WHAT THE LANGUAGES ARE THAT
PEOPLE ARE USING.
WHAT ARE THE TERMS THAT THEY ARE USING?
IS IT FAMILY LITERACY?
IS IT DIGITAL EQUITY?
IS IT TELEHELP?
THE MORE YOU LISTEN, THE MORE YOU CAN USE THAT LANGUAGE AS
YOU GO.
SO START COLLECTING YOUR LIBRARY STORIES.
AND THIS IS GOING TO MEAN GATHER, SOME IMPACTFUL IMAGES.
MAYBE YOU HAVE GOTTEN SOME PICTURES OF PROGRAMS AND
OBVIOUSLY YOU GOT PERMISSION TO USE THESE AS YOU WENT.
QUOTE THE WAY, QUOTES THE SAME WAY YOU GATHER USAGE
STATISTICS.
SO WHEN YOU ARE PUTTING YOUR STATS TOGETHER FOR WHAT
HAPPENED IN YOUR LIBRARY, OVER THE COURSE OF A MONTH OR A
YEAR, IF YOU DO A MONTHLY REPORT TO YOUR BOARD OR YOUR
COUNCIL, YOU ARE GATHERING SOME IMAGES, HOPEFULLY, AT THE
SAME TIME.
IT MAY BE AN IMAGE OF A NOTE SOMEBODY SENT YOU.
OR IT COULD BE A PICTURE OF A PROGRAM THAT'S TAKING PLACE IN
YOUR LIBRARY.
AND KEEP A DIARY OF THE STORIES THAT YOU'RE HEARING OR
THINGS THAT YOU OBSERVE AROUND AND ABOUT YOUR LIBRARY.
HOW WAS SOMEBODY HELPED THAT DAY?
WHAT REALLY EXCITED SOMEBODY THAT YOU WERE ABLE TO DO AND
MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN THEIR LIFE?
WE HAVE MANY GOOD STORIES ABOUT WHAT LIBRARIES DO IN GENERAL
THAT KIND OF GET PUBLISHED AND SHARED AROUND ON SOCIAL
MEDIA.
BUT A LOT OF TIMES YOUR FUNDERS AND YOUR POLICYMAKERS WANT
TO HEAR WHAT'S GOING ON SPECIFICALLY INSIDE YOUR LIBRARY
THAT'S AFFECTING YOUR COMMUNITY.
SO IF YOU CAN REALLY PERSONALIZE THAT, THAT'S GOING TO HAVE
SOME REAL IMPACT WITH THE PEOPLE THAT ARE MAKING DECISIONS
ABOUT HOW YOU GET FUNDED.
SO WHO HERE HAS LEFT EITHER A SELECT BOARD MEETING, A
COUNCIL MEETING OR MAYBE IT WAS EVEN A BOARD MEETING, AND
YOU HAD TO PRESENT AND DEFEND YOUR BUDGET, AND YOU LEFT
THERE FEELING LIKE YOU WANTED TO DRIVE OFF A BRIDGE?
LIKE I'M HOPING IT'S NOT JUST ME.
BUT AT THE SAME TIME, I'M HOPING IT'S NOT THAT BAD FOR
EVERYBODY, TOO.
WE'VE ALL HAD THOSE PRESENTATIONS WHERE YOU JUST FELT LIKE
YOUR AUDIENCE WASN'T GETTING IT, THEY WEREN'T UNDERSTANDING
WHAT YOU'RE DOING.
AND LIKE WHY AM I DOING THIS?
AND EVERY MONTH, WHEN I WAS THE DIRECTOR OF A LIBRARY IN
NORTHERN MAINE FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS, I WOULD DO A REPORT TO
OUR COUNCIL.
THE DIFFERENT DEPARTMENTS PUT THEIR REPORTS TOGETHER, SENT
IT TO THE CITY MANAGER.
HE PUT IT IN A PACKET.
WENT TO THE COUNCIL.
AND THIS -- THERE'S ONE THING I'VE LEARNED ABOUT PACKETS
GOING TO DIFFERENT BOARDS AND COUNCILS IS THAT MOST OF THE
TIME, PEOPLE DON'T READ THEM.
AND I WAS PUTTING ALL THESE STATISTICS TOGETHER AND THIS IS
OUR TABLE COUNT AND THIS WAS OUR DOOR COUNT.
AND THIS IS HOW MANY PROGRAM ATTENDEES WE HAD, ET CETERA, ET
CETERA.
AND I REALIZED THAT EVEN I WAS BORED BY THIS INFORMATION.
SO IF I'M KIND OF BORED BY IT AND I'M NOT READING IT,
THERE'S ABSOLUTELY NO REASON TO BELIEVE THAT MY COUNCIL IS
GOING TO BE READING IT EITHER.
SO ONE DAY, I JUST DECIDED, I'M GOING TO START PUTTING SOME
PICTURES IN THERE.
I'M GOING TO START DOING SCREEN CAPTURES FROM SOCIAL MEDIA
WHEN PEOPLE POST.
AND AS YOU CAN SEE, I WOULD TAKE OUT ANYTHING THAT WAS TOO
PERSONALLY IDENTIFYING.
AND PUT THOSE THINGS IN THE PACKET SO I WOULD HAVE A FEW
STATISTICS, HOPEFULLY IN SOME SORT OF A VISUALLY APPEALING
MANNER.
BUT ALSO JUST SOMETHING THAT KIND OF CAPTURED THEIR
ATTENTION A LITTLE BIT MORE.
A CASE WHERE SOMEBODY WAS HELPED, A LETTER SOMEBODY SENT TO
THE PAPER, A NOTE, SOMETHING POSTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
AND THERE WAS ONE REALLY INTERESTING EXAMPLE WHERE I HAD ONE
OF THE COUNCILORS SAY IN A MEETING THAT HE DIDN'T THINK
ANYBODY WAS COMING TO OUR TOWN BECAUSE OF THE LIBRARY.
AND BY THE NEXT MONTH, IT WAS GETTING INTO THE WINTER, WE
ACTUALLY HAD A VISITOR, AN ASTRO PHYSICIST WHO CAME TO OUR
TOWN FROM WALES, THE COUNTRY, SPECIFICALLY FOR THE LIBRARY
AND A COUPLE OTHER THINGS HE WAS DOING Z HE POSTED THIS ON
HIS FACEBOOK PAGE.
I'M IN THIS BEAUTIFUL TOWN, VISITING THEIR LIBRARY AND TOOK
A PICTURE OF IT.
IT WAS AWESOME.
AND YOU CAN BELIEVE THAT I SCREEN CAPTURED THAT AND STUCK
THAT IN THE NEXT COUNCIL REPORT.
I NEVER HEARD NOBODY WAS COMING TO OUR TOWN BECAUSE OF THE
LIBRARY AGAIN.
THAT WAS JUST AN ABSOLUTE CASE IN POINT.
WHICH IS ANOTHER IMPORTANT THING, TOO.
SOME OF YOU YOUR HARDEST, YOUR HARSHEST CRITICS ON THESE
BOARDS OR THESE COUNCILS, THIS IS HARD ADVICE TO HEAR.
BUT I PROMISE YOU IT'S WORTH IT.
WHEN YOU CAN CALM YOURSELF DOWN AND, I DON'T KNOW, TAKE A
DRINK OF WHATEVER IT IS YOU NEED TO DO TO GET THROUGH IT,
THINK ABOUT WHAT THEY SAID.
IS THERE SOMETHING YOU CAN PULL FROM THAT?
WHAT CAN YOU COME BACK WITH THE NEXT TIME?
I HAD ONE PERSON ON THAT COUNCIL WHO JUST, IT DIDN'T MATTER,
YOU KNOW, IT'S LIKE THAT OLD SAYING A, YOU CAN GO OUT AND
WALK ON THE WATERS OF THE POTOMAC AND THE NEXT LINE THE
HEADLINES WOULD SAY, YOU CAN'T SWIM.
IT'S THE SAME THING.
WE COULD WALK ON WATER BUT IT WAS JUST THAT WE COULDN'T
SWIM.
I WAS VERY TEMPTED TO WE ARE A LETTER TO THAT COUNCILOR TO
SAY, THANK YOU, YOU MADE ME STRONGER.
YOU DIDN'T KILL ME, YOU MADE ME STRONGER.
I I DIDN'T BUT YOU CAN PULL A LOT OF VALUE SOMETIMES FROM
THE PEOPLE THAT ARE PICKERRING AT YOU THE MOST IF YOU CAN
JUST AS, I HAVE HEARD SOME PEOPLE SAY IN THE PAST, GROW A
SECOND SKIN AND SAY, OK, THIS IS GOING TO ROLL OFF ME.
I CAN REBOUND.
AND LET'S GO BACK AND TRY THIS AGAIN.
AND THAT'S A LOT OF WHAT ADVOCACY IS.
NOW, I'M SURE WE ALL KNOW THAT ADVOCACY CAN HAPPEN IN EVERY
DAY PLACES, USUALLY IF YOU ARE IN THE GROCERY STORE, THAT'S
LIKELY WHERE SOMEBODY IS GOING TO RECOGNIZE YOU AS THE
LIBRARIAN.
AND ASK YOU, YOU KNOW, WHILE YOU ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF
SELECTING SOUP OR WHATEVER, LIKE IF YOU HAVE A PARTICULAR
ITEM IN YOUR COLLECTION.
LIKE YOU ARE GOING TO KNOW THAT OFF THE TOP OF YOUR HEAD.
I THINK THE STRANGE HE IS PLACE THAT I EVER -- STRANGEST
PLACE I EVER HAD SOMEBODY ADDRESS ME IN MY LIBRARY MODE WAS
AT A FUNERAL.
ONE OF THE WOMEN THAT WORKED FOR THE CITY THAT I WORKED FOR
A FEW YEARS AGO, HER HUSBAND PASSED AWAY.
AND SEVERAL OF US WHO WERE EMPLOYEES OF THAT CITY WENT TO
THE CALLING HOURS AND THE WAKE AND WE WERE GOING THROUGH THE
LINE OFFERING OUR CONDOLENCES.
AND THIS DEAR SWEET LADY AND LOOKED AT ME AND SAID, OH, I'M
SO SORRY.
I HAVE GOT SOME OVERDUE LIBRARY BOOKS.
I WILL GET THOSE BACK TO YOU AS SOON AS I CAN."
THAT'S NOT WHY I AM HERE.
I AM HERE TO PAY MY CONDOLENCES BUT PEOPLE SEE YOU AND YOU
CANNOT REALLY SEPARATE YOU FROM YOUR ROLE SOMETIMES.
IT JUST KIND OF FALLS INTO IT.
I'M INTERESTED IF ANY OF YOU WANT TO PUT IT IN THE COMMENTS
SO I CAN GO BACK AND READ THEM, IN THE CHAT, LIKE WHAT'S THE
STRANGEST PLACE YOU'VE EVER BEEN APPROACHED AS A LIBRARIAN?
LIKE WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN DOING WHERE SOMEBODY CAME UP AND YOU
AND ASKED YOU SOMETHING OR MADE A COMMENT IN YOUR LIBRARY
ROLE?
I THINK THERE'S SOME PRETTY FUNNY STORIES OUT THERE.
I THINK THAT THERE NEEDS TO BE AN ENTIRE SECTION LIKE A
GROUP OR SOMETHING FOR PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN APPROACHED AT
FUNERALS.
BECAUSE I REALLY ACTUALLY HEARD THAT STORY NUMEROUS TIMES.
BUT ADVOCACY CAN AND WILL AND MUST ALSO HAPPEN IN SOME
FORMAL SETTINGS.
AND THIS IS GOING TO BE THE PLACES WHERE YOU ARE TALKING
WITH I COULDN'T POLICYMAKERS TALKING WITH YOUR FUNDERS.
WHERE YOU MAY BE HAVING AN ASK FOR EITHER A POLICY CHANGE
THAT YOU NEED OR, AGAIN, DURING THAT ADDITIONAL FUNDING.
A SLEEP STUDY.
THAT'S EXCELLENT.
I HAVE NOT HEARD THAT ONE BEFORE.
YES, PLEASE TELL ME.
PLEASE PUT IN THE CHAT WHERE YOU HAVE BEEN APPROACHED AS A
LIBRARIAN.
THESE ARE GREAT.
I AM GOING TO WRITE A BOOK SOME DAY, I SWEAR.
SO EVERYDAY ADVOCACY HAPPENING IN FORMAL SETTINGS MEANS THAT
WE HAVE GOT TO BE PREPARED TO DROP OUR STORIES AND THESE ARE
GOING TO BE PEOPLE THAT ARE BEING BOMBARDED WITH REQUESTS
AND OTHER ADVOCATES FOR OTHER THINGS.
AND SO THIS IS WHERE YOU WANT TO HAVE YOUR STORIES SHORT,
CONCISE, READY TO GO.
AND DAVID HAS ANOTHER GREAT POINT ON THIS.
HE SAYS TO UNDERSTAND AND RESPOND TO WHAT IS IMPORTANT TO
THOSE WHO MAKE POLICY, FINANCIAL OR PARTNERSHIP DECISIONS,
WE MUST GET INTO CONVERSATION WITH THEM.
LISTEN TO WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY.
THEN WE REFLECT BACK TO THEM THE WAYS IN WHICH WE MATCH
THEIR PRIORITIES.
AND AGAIN THAT QUOTE FROM HIM IS GOING TO BE IN THE HANDOUTS
IF THAT'S SOMETHING THAT RESONATES WITH YOU.
TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT MATTERS TO THOSE PEOPLE.
YOU MAY NOT ALWAYS KNOW.
YOU MAY BE MEETING A POLICYMAKER FOR THE FIRST TIME, AND YOU
DON'T KNOW THEM FROM ADAM.
AND THAT MAY BE AN OPPORTUNITY TO KIND OF LOOK OVER REAL
QUICK.
PEOPLE WILL WEAR SOMETHING SOMETIMES LIKE A PIN OR SOMETHING
THAT REFLECTS SOME VALUE THAT THEY HOLD DEAR.
LAST SPRING, OUR STATE LIBRARY HAD A DAY AT THE CAPITOL IN
OUR HALL OF FLAGS.
THAT'S THE DAY THAT LIBRARIES FROM AROUND THE STATE
INCLUDING THE STATE LIBRARY WERE ABLE TO GO IN, SET UP OUR
TABLES, AND KIND OF CATCH LEGISLATORS ON THE FLY AS THEY
WERE MOVING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN SESSIONS.
WE ENTICED THEM OVER TO OUR TABLE WITH MUFFINS AND SCONES
WHEN WE COULD AND COFFEE.
SOMETIMES YOU COULD SEE THEY WERE TALKING ON THE PHONE.
MAYBE JUST PRETENDING TO TALK ON THE PHONE TO SORT OF DODGE
US BUT WE WOULD ENGAGE THEM IN CONVERSATION WHEN WE COULD.
AND THERE WAS ONE LEGISLATOR WHO CAME BY AND HE HAPPENED TO
BE WEARING AN AUTISM AWARENESS PIN ON HIS SUIT.
AND I WAS REMINDED WHEN I SAW THAT OF SOME WORK THAT THE
NEVADA LIBRARIES ARE DOING AROUND EXTENDED REALITY, AND SOME
WORK WITH AUTISM.
AND IT WAS ESPECIALLY SET UP TO FILL IN SOME PROBLEMS WITH
WORK FORCE DEVELOPMENT.
BUT THEY WERE FINDING THAT THEY WERE GETTING SOME 
UNEXPECTED, SURPRISING AND WONDERFUL BREAK THROUGHS WITH
NEURODIVER GENERAL SEE WITH SOME PEOPLE WHO WERE FAR ALONG
ON THE SPECTRUM AND COMMUNICATION WAS VERY HARD.
SO I HAPPENED TO GRAB THIS GUY ON THE WAY BY.
HEY, I SEE YOU HAVE GOT AN AUTISM AWARENESS PIN.
THAT'S REALLY NEAT.
HE TOOK A FEW MINUTES TO TELL ME THE STORY OF HIS NEPHEW.
I WAS ABLE TO TELL HIM WHAT THESE OTHER LIBRARIES IN ANOTHER
STATE ARE DOING AND THAT WE ARE HOPING TO BE ABLE TO DO AT
SOME POINT, TOO.
THAT WAS VERY PERSONAL FOR HIM.
THAT RESONATED SO MUCH THAT HE SAID, WHATEVER YOU GUYS ARE
ASKING FOR, HE DIDN'T EVEN KNOW, REALLY THE SPECIFIC REASON
WE WERE THERE, HE'S LIKE, I'M GOING TO MAKE SURE YOU GET IT.
AND I WOULD LIKE TO SAY THAT THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED.
IT ISN'T.
IT'S A LONG STORY.
WE DID HAVE A GOOD OUTCOME BUT NOT SPECIFICALLY THE ONE WE
WERE ASKING FOR IN THE END.
BUT THE MAIN THING THERE WAS A RELATIONSHIP THAT DEVELOPED
THAT DAY.
WE FOUND SOMETHING THAT RESONATED WITH HIM AND WE WERE ABLE
TO CONNECT WHAT IT IS THAT WE DO WITH WHAT IT IS THAT HE
CARES ABOUT.
AND WE GAINED A NEW ALLY AND WE GAINED A NEW FRIEND.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT WHEN WE'RE TALKING
ABOUT EVERYDAY ADVOCACY, WHETHER IT'S AT THE FUNERAL HOME OR
A SLEEP STUDY OR WHETHER IT'S HAPPENING IN THE STATEHOUSE.
AND LEGISLATORS ARE ALSO VERY GOOD ABOUT LETTING US KNOW
WHAT DOES AND DOES NOT WORK WITH THEM.
AND I THINK THAT YOU WILL FIND THAT THESE THINGS THAT
THEY'VE TOLD US WILL RESONATE WITH MOST ANY PUBLIC SERVANT,
ANYBODY THAT'S HOLDING ANY KIND OF OFFICE THAT YOU'RE
DEALING WITH.
AND WHAT THEY HAVE SAID -- THIS IS A PANEL PRESENTATION THAT
I ACTUALLY ATTENDED FOR ANOTHER CONFERENCE THAT I WENT TO
RECENTLY.
AND WHEN PEOPLE ARE APPROACHING THEM ASKING THEM FOR
SOMETHING OR, YOU KNOW, JUST TALKING ABOUT THEIR INSTITUTION
OR WHAT IT IS THAT THEY'RE TRYING TO DO THAT THEY'RE LOOKING
OUT FOR, THEY HAD SOME VERY SPECIFIC THINGS.
DIDN'T MATTER WHAT PARTY AFFILIATION THEY HAD, IT DIDN'T
MATTER WHETHER THEY WERE HOUSE OR SENATE OR WHAT IT WAS.
THESE WERE THINGS THAT THEY ALL AGREED ON.
AND THEY SAID, WHEN YOU TALK TO THEM, THEY WANT TO HEAR YOUR
STORY.
THAT'S REALLY WHAT THEY'RE INTERESTED IN.
THE ISSUE THAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT THAT YOU ARE PRESENTING
ON, THAT YOU'RE WRITING ABOUT, WHETHER IT'S EMAIL OR A
LETTER OR PHONE, THEY WANT TO KNOW, OR IF YOU ARE SAYING IN
PERSON TALKING TO THEM, THEY WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOUR STORY
IS.
HOW DOES THIS IMPACT YOUR LIFE?
HOW DOES THIS IMPACT THE COMMUNITY THAT YOU SERVE?
YOUR EVERYDAY WORK?
THEY WOULD LIKE IF THE DATA IN WRITING.
SO THEY ARE INTERESTED IN THE DATA BUT THEY DON'T WANT TO
HEAR ANYBODY STAND BEFORE THEM AND USE WHAT TIME THEY HAVE
TO SPEAK TO THEM RATTLING OFF STATISTICS.
STATISTICS ARE IMPORTANT.
BUT PUT IT IN WRITING.
THEY WILL LOOK AT IT LATER.
YOU'RE THERE.
THEY WANT TO HEAR WHAT YOU HAVE TO SAY.
AND THEY WOULD LIKE IT TO BE SINCERE AND HOPEFULLY WE ARE
ANYWAYS.
I DON'T THINK ANY OF US IS IN THIS INDUSTRY FOR THE BIG
BUCKS.
I THINK WE'RE HERE BECAUSE WE CARE.
BECAUSE WE'RE COMPELLED TO HELP.
AND THAT WE CARE ABOUT LIBRARIES IN THE COMMUNITIES THAT WE
SERVE.
AND THAT SINCERITY, THAT'S THE TIME FOR THAT TO SHINE
THROUGH.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE ELOQUENT.
YOU DO NEED TO BE SINCERE.
AND THEY WOULD LIKE YOU TO BE RESPECTFUL, WHICH I THINK WE
WOULD ALL APPRECIATE.
IF YOU 100% DISAGREE WITH THIS PERSON ON EVERYTHING ELSE,
TRY TO FIND ONE THING, ONE THING SOMEWHERE THAT YOU AGREE
ON.
IT MAY BE THAT THEY SUPPORT VETERANS OR IT MAY BE THAT THEY
SUPPORT, YOU KNOW, EARLY LITERACY BECAUSE IT WILL MAKE A
STRONGER EMPLOYEE DOWN THE ROAD.
BUT TRY TO FIND THAT COMMON THING.
AND IF NOTHING ELSE AT LEAST THANK THEM FOR TAKING THE TIME
TO SERVE.
IF NOTHING ELSE.
BUT BE RESPECTFUL.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO REMIND THEM THAT YOU ARE A TAXPAYER.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO REMIND THEM THAT YOU ARE A STITCH.
THEY KNOW THIS WHEN YOU ARE CONTACTING THEM.
AND THEY REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY, REALLY HATE FORM
LETTERS, WHERE IT'S JUST THE SAME ONE THAT'S COMING THROUGH
OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
HAVING SAID THAT, THEY UNDERSTAND WHY THAT HAPPENS.
BECAUSE SOMETIMES THEY NEED THE NUMBERS TO BACK UP THEIR
DECISIONS, LIKE, YOU KNOW, 500 PEOPLE SIGNED THIS DOCUMENT
OR SENT ME THIS DOCUMENT SAYING THIS IS HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT
IT.
SO OF COURSE I'M GOING TO VOTE THIS WAY.
BUT WHAT THEY REALLY WANT ARE THOSE PERSONAL CONNECTIONS,
THOSE PERSONAL STORIES FROM SOMEBODY IN THEIR STITCHSY.
THE STICHSY CONSTITCH WENT SEE, THAT TOUCHES WHAT YOU ARE
DOING.
THEN FINISH STRONG.
WHATEVER THE FINAL POINT IS THAT YOU WANT TO MAKE, MAKE SURE
THAT'S WHAT YOU END WITH.
MAKE SURE YOU END WITH WHAT YOU WANT THEM TO REMEMBER THAT'S
WHAT THEY ARE LOOKING FOR WHEN THEY ARE TALKING TO THE
LEGISLATORS.
WHEN YOU DO THAT, ANOTHER THING TO DO IS MAKE IT PERSONAL.
THERE ARE AGAIN ALL KINDS OF STATISTICS AND YOU CAN SEE THAT
WE DID, IN FACT, INCLUDE THEM HERE IN WRITING.
WHAT THIS IS IS A DOCUMENT THAT WE MADE UP AT THE STATE
LIBRARY FOR EACH LEGISLATOR.
AND LET ME TELL YOU, THERE'S 151 HOUSE DISTRICTS IN MAINE.
THIS WAS A LONG PROJECT.
AND 50 SENATE DISTRICTS.
SO THE LAST PAGE SHOWS THE USAGE STATISTICS FROM THE LIBRARY
OR LIBRARIES IN EACH PERSON'S DISTRICT.
AND THE FORMULA THAT WE USE IS SOMETHING THAT CAME FROM THE
MASSACHUSETTS LIBRARY ASSOCIATION.
AND THAT SPREADSHEET IS GOING TO BE INCLUDED WITH THE
DOCUMENTS THAT YOU WILL HAVE.
SO WE PUT IN WHAT THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT WAS BASED ON
USAGE FOR THE LIBRARIES IN THEIR DISTRICT.
HOW MUCH FIBER THEY HAD COMING TO THE DOOR THAT'S PROVIDED
BY THE STATE LIBRARY.
A PICTURE OF THEIR LIBRARY.
AND THEN WHAT TURNED OUT TO BE ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT
THINGS IS A PICTURE OF THAT LEGISLATOR ON THE FRONT COVER.
THIS IS YOU.
THIS IS YOUR NAME.
THIS IS THE DISTRICT YOU ARE SERVING.
THIS IS WHERE YOU ARE FROM.
THIS IS YOUR LIBRARY.
SO IT WASN'T JUST, HERE'S A LIBRARY, LIBRARIES IN GENERAL,
THEY'RE ALL AWESOME.
THIS IS YOU AND THIS IS YOUR LIBRARY AND THIS IS THE
DIFFERENCE THAT YOU MADE IN YOUR COMMUNITY AND WHAT YOUR
LIBRARY IS DOING FOR YOUR COMMUNITY.
PEOPLE LIKE IT PERSONAL.
NO MATTER HOW QUIET YOUR VOICE IS, NO MATTER WHAT YOUR
PREFERRED METHOD OF COMMUNICATION IS, PLEASE KNOW YOUR VOICE
IS IMPORTANT.
ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS TO QUOTE, AND I USE IT OFTEN, AND
IT'S ON THE WALL IN MY OFFICE IS, GANDHI'S MODEL FOR CHANGE.
WHEN YOU GO TO ADVOCATE FOR YOUR LIBRARY.
"FIRST THEY EGG MOTHER YOU.
THEN THEY LAUGH AT YOU.
THEN THEY FIGHT YOU.
THEN YOU WIN."
I WOULD BE INTERESTED TO KNOW WHERE SOME OF YOU ON THAT
MODEL WITH YOUR POLICYMAKERS AND YOUR FUNDERS.
ARE THEY IGNORING YOU?
ARE THEY LAUGHING AT YOU?
I'VE BEEN THERE, TOO.
LET ME TELL YOU.
IT'S GREAT -- NOT!
THEN THEY FIGHT YOU.
THEN YOU WIN.
STICK IT OUT.
WHERE ARE YOU ON THAT MODEL RIGHT NOW?
AND THEN YOU KNOW WHAT'S COMING NEXT IF YOU JUST KEEP AT IT.
I AM A SUPERNATURAL FAN.
IF MY CAMERA WERE ON, YOU COULD SEE THAT I HAVE LIFE SIZED
STAND YEES OF BOTH CASTIEL AND DEAN WINCHESTER IN MY OFFICE
BEHIND ME.
I LOVE CASTIEL AND ONE OF THE QUOTES FROM THAT CHARACTER IS
"OUR GREATEST EMPLOYER IS NOT IN NEVER FALLING BUT IN RISING
EVERY TIME WE FALL."
YOU KNOW YOU'RE GOING TO FALL.
YOU ARE GOING TO MISS SPEAK.
YOU ARE GOING TO SAY SOMETHING AND GO HOME AND GO, I WISH I
HADN'T SAID THAT OR I WISH I HAD SAID THIS INSTEAD.
BUT YOU GET BACK UP THE NEXT DAY AND YOU TRY IT AGAIN AND
YOU GET BACK UP THE NEXT DAY AND YOU TRY IT AGAIN.
AND I PROMISE YOU, OH, ANOTHER FAN.
I PROMISE YOU.
IT GETS HE IS EASIER.
THERE HAVING AWKWARD MEETINGS I HAVE GONE THERE AND I'VE
BEEN THE ONLY LIBRARIAN HERE AND PEOPLE ARE WONDERING WHY
I'M THERE AND THIS IS ABOUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, THIS ISN'T
ABOUT BOOKS.
BUT THE MORE I'VE GONE, THE MORE I KEPT SHOWING UP, THE MORE
I ASKED THEM, WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON?
HERE'S SOMETHING WE CAN DO TO HELP YOU.
THE MORE WELCOMING THAT WE GOT EACH TIME.
AND NOW WE HAVE ACTUAL FRIENDSHIPS ACROSS SECTORS THAT WE
WOULDN'T HAVE HAD BEFORE.
AND FEWER AND FEWER AND FEWER PEOPLE ARE SAYING, WHAT'S THE
STATE LIBRARY DOING HERE OR WHAT'S THE LIBRARY DOING HERE?
AND NOW THEY'RE LIKE, WE'RE SO GLAD YOU'RE HERE.
SO STAY WITH IT.
IT'S GOING TO BE DISCOURAGING SOMETIMES.
BUT THAT'S WHY YOU HAVE THIS COMMUNITY.
AND IF ALL ELSE FAILS, AND YOU FEEL ALONE, REACH OUT TO ME.
HERE'S MY CONTACT INFORMATION.
I USE MY GMAIL FOR ARSL STUFF.
YOU CAN FIND ME ON TWITTER OR LINKEDIN.
IF THERE ARE NO PARTICULAR QUESTIONS FOR ME RIGHT NOW, I
WILL GIVE THAT A COUPLE OF SECONDS.
THEN I AM GOING TO HAND THIS OVER TO KATE.
>> Kate: FANTASTIC.
THANK YOU SO MUCH, LISA.
I HAVEN'T SEEN ANY, AS YOU SAID, SPECIFIC QUESTIONS COMING
THROUGH.
IF PEOPLE DO HAVE QUESTIONS, BE SURE TO POST TO ALL
PARTICIPANTS SO THAT OUR PANEL SEES THEM.
AND I JUST WANTED TO REITERATE SOMEONE REALLY LIKED YOUR
ADVICE ON LISTENING TO WHAT OUR DETRACTORS ARE SAYING AND
NOT JUST DISMISS IT AS BEING OUT OF HAND.
I CONDITION OCCUR WITH THAT AS WELL.
THAT WAS EXCELLENT ADVICE.
>> Lisa: THANK YOU.
>> Kate: ALL RIGHT.
I WILL PASS THE BALL ON OVER TO KATE.
AND WE WILL HAVE YOU TAKE US FROM HERE, KATE.
THANK YOU.
>> Kate: GREAT.
THANK YOU.
MY NAME IS KATE BRUNNER.
AND I GREW UP IN THE D.C. AREA.
I WAS A MILITARY BRAT WHO THEN WENT ON TO SERVE IN THE
MILITARY.
AND I HAVE LIVED AND TRAVELED ALL OVER THE WORLD AND LANDED
IN RURAL SOUTHWEST COLORADO.
AND AFTER YEARS OF HOME SCHOOLING MY KIDS I END UPPED
BECOMING A LIBRARIAN WHEN MY KIDS HEADED TO MIDDLE AND HIGH
SCHOOL.
I CURRENTLY WORK PART TIME AS THE CHILDREN SERVICES LIBRARY.
AND I ALSO WORK PART TIME AS THE EARLY LITERACY SPECIALIST
FOR THE COLORADO STATE LIBRARIES GROWING READERS TOGETHER
PROJECT.
I AM ONE OF THEE FOR -- THREE FOR THAT PROJECT.
SO IN ADDITION TO BEING A MEMBER OF THE ACTUAL ADVOCACY
COMMITTEE, I AM A MEMBER OF THE VOSS AND LEGISLATION
COMMITTEE.
AND I JOINED BOTH OF THOSE COMMITTEES AFTER THE EXPERIENCES
THAT I AM GOING TO SHARE ABOUT WITH YOU TODAY.
BECAUSE THESE EXPERIENCES BROUGHT HOME FOR ME IN A VERY
PERSONALLY IMPACTFUL MEANING THE IMPORTANCE OF ADVOCACY FOR
LIBRARIES AND LIBRARIANS.
AND SO I DECIDED I WANTED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT IT AND GET
BETTER AT DOING THIS.
SO AS A CHILDREN'S LIBRARIAN, I ARE THOUGHT I WOULD START
WITH A LITTLE BIT OF ADVOCACY STORY TIME.
PINE RIVER LIBRARY, AS LIKE I SAID, AS YOU CAN SEE HERE IS A
SINGLE BRANCH DISTRICT.
WE ARE SITUATED IN THE BEAUTIFUL SAN JUAN MOUNTS OF
COLORADO.
WE HAVE A 12,000 SQUARE FOOT PUBLIC LIBRARY SERVING OVER
9,000 AREA RESIDENTS.
THEY ARE SPREAD ACROSS A WIDE REGION AND THE LIBRARY HAS
BEEN A PART OF THE COMMUNITY FOR PROBABLY OVER 80 YEARS AT
LEAST.
THE BAYFIELD READING CLUB WAS FOUNDED IN THE '30s.
THEY WERE THE ORIGINAL LIBRARY BOARD OF DIRECTORS.
THE LIBRARY WAS OPERATED OUT OF A DRUGSTORE ON MILL STREET
FOR YEARS.
THE PINE RIVER LIBRARY DISTRICT WAS FINALLY FOUNDED IN 1972
AND BEGAN RECEIVING TAX DOLLARS TO FUND OUR OPERATIONS FROM
THAT POINT ON.
SO SINCE 1999, OUR DISTRICT PROPERTY TAX MILL LEVY WAS SET
AT 2.5 MILLS.
WITH THE PRESENCE OF A ROBUST OIL AND GAS DRINK IN THE AREA
WE BUILT THIS FAT.
YOU CAN SEE HOAR ON THE SCREEN, IN 2004.
AND THEN ALSO EXPANDED IT FOOTPRINT TO ITS CURRENT
DIMENSIONS IN 2013.
WE ALSO ESTABLISHED A 24-BED, 17,000 SQUARE FOOT COMMUNITY
GARDEN WHICH YOU CAN'T SEE ON THE PICTURE BUT IT'S ON THE
LEFT SIDE OF THE LIBRARY AND WE BUILT A CART AND A
PARTNERSHIP WITH THE LOCAL PARKS AND REC AS WELL.
SO BY 2018, OUR ANNUAL LIBRARY VISITS WERE OVER 160,000 IN A
YEAR.
WE WERE CIRCULATING OVER 70,000 PHYSICAL ITEMS AND OVE20,000 DOWNLOADS CONDUCTING OVER 800 PROGRAMS IN A CALENDAR
YEAR, WHICH KIND OF BLOWS MY MIND WHEN I SEE IT IN PRINT
LIKE THAT.
WE'RE ALSO THE ONLY PUBLIC ACCESS TO HIGH-SPEED FIBER OPTIC
IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE HAVE SUBSTANTIAL VOLUME OF PUBLIC COMPUTER USE SESSIONS
AND PUBLIC WI-FI LOGIONS.
WE LEAVE OUR WI-FI ON 24 HOURS A DAY.
WE HAVE FOLKS IN OUR COMMUNITY WHO DON'T HAVE HOME INTERNET
ACCESS BECAUSE OF BROADBAND INFRASTRUCTURE ISSUES.
THEY OFTEN COME PARK IN OUR PARKING LOT EVEN AFTER HOURS AND
USE OUR WI-FI.
AS I SAID PRIOR TO 2014 A SIGNIFICANT PART OF OUR INCOME WAS
COMING FROM THE OIL AND GASSES INDUSTRY.
OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS THAT HAS DROPPED PRECIPITOUSLY AS
THE INTERESTS HAVE PULLED OUT OF THE AREA.
AND IN 2017, WE HAD A $1 HUNDRED 70,000 REVENUE HIT IN ONE
YEAR.
SINCE THAT TIME THE BOARD OF TRUST ES HAS BEEN PROVIDED
DISBURSEMENTS FROM THE RESERVES BECAUSE WE WERE RECEIVING
GOOD QUALITY REVENUE FROM OIL AND GAS.
BUT IT WAS PREDICTED TO BASICALLY RESERVES WOULD BE
EXHAUSTED BY 2022.
THE BOARD OF TRUST ES LAST YEAR DECIDED TO REQUEST A LEVY
REQUEST ON THE 2018 BALLOT.
THIS IS THE FIRST MILL LEVY REQUEST IN OVER 19 YEARS.
AND BASED ON THE PERCEPTION OF OUR LIBRARY'S PROBLEM PEW
LARRITY IN THE COMMUNITY WE WERE PRETTY CONFIDENT ABOUT
SECURING THAT NORSE.
HOWEVER, WE LOST BY NINE VOTES.
IT WAS MUCH CLOSER ELECTION THAN WE THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO
BE.
AND AS A RESULT OF THAT FAILED BALLOT MEASURE, WE UNDERWENT
INITIAL OPERATING BUDGET CUT OF $65,000 FOR THIS YEAR.
AND THEN CUT OPERATING HOURS, CUT OUR EMPLOYEES'S HEALTH
INSURANCE BENEFIT, FROZE STAFF WAGE, CUT PROGRAMMING BUDGET,
ET CETERA.
THE BOARD STILL APPROVED SOMEWHAT OF A DISBURSEMENT FROM THE
RESERVE FUND FOR THE FISCAL YEAR BUT WARNED AGAIN THAT BY
2020, WE WOULD NO LONGER BE ABLE TO DO THAT.
SO WE REALIZED WE HAD REALLY RELIED ON THE FEEDBACK AND
ENCOURAGEMENT OF THE PATRONS WHO ARE ALREADY USING AND
SUPPORTING OUR LIBRARY.
SO WHEN WE WENT OUT AND TALKED TO PEOPLE WE TALKED TO
CURRENT COMMUNITY PARTNERS.
WE HAD A FAIRLY SMALL ELECTION COMMITTEE IN 2018.
THEY OFFERED YARD SIGNS TO SUPPORTERS AND PRETTY MUCH DID
ALL THE THINGS WE THOUGHT A SMALL RURAL LIBRARY OUGHT TO DO
WHEN WE ARE ON THE BALLOT.
IT TURNS OUT THOSE THINGS WEREN'T REALLY AS EFFECTIVE AS WE
EXPECTED THEM TO BE.
SO I THOUGHT ABOUT IT AFTER OUR, ELECTION DAY 2018, AND
REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT HOW COULD I REFRAME HOW I WAS LOOKING
AT ADVOCACY?
AND GOT INVOLVED IN DIFFERENT COMMITTEES AND STARTED DOING
SOME READING AND LISTENING TO OTHER PEOPLE'S STORIES.
AND SO WHAT I LEARNED FROM THE LAST YEAR REALLY IS THAT
ADVOCACY ISN'T ONLY FOR ELECTION YEARS.
AND IT'S NOT ONLY ABOUT THE LIBRARY.
AND IT'S NOT ONLY ABOUT YOUR DEFICITS.
SO IF I HAD TO SAY THESE ARE THE THREE BIGGEST LESSONS THAT
I THINK THAT I LEARNED AS PART OF A LIBRARY THAT WENT
THROUGH THIS EXPERIENCE OVER THE LAST YEAR.
SO I DIED DECIDED TO TAKE A LOOK AT WHAT I COULD TAKE, WHAT
ROLE I COULD PLAY WITHIN THE LIBRARY, AND WITHIN THE GREATER
COMMUNITY AS FAR AS ADVOCACY FOR PINE RIVER LIBRARY.
AND SO I DO WANT TO SAY THAT AS FAR AS HOW TO GET STARTED,
MOST LIKELY YOU ALREADY HAVE.
SO ONCE YOU KIND OF SHIFT YOUR PERSPECTIVE ON ADVOCACY,
ASSIST SOMETHING DONE ALL THE TIME, YOU REALIZE IT'S NOT
ONLY DONE AT THE STATEHOUSE.
IT'S NOT ONLY FOCUSED ON DURING ELECTION YEARS AND YOU
REALIZE HOW MUCH YOU PROBABLY ARE DOING.
SO THE GOAL HERE IS TO NOT REALLY START SOMETHING COMPLETELY
NEW.
AND THIS IS THE PROCESS THAT I THINK WE COULD GO THROUGH.
BECAUSE WE DIDN'T NEED TO ADD MORE WORK TO ALREADY,
ESPECIALLY WHEN OUR HOURS WERE CUT AND EVERYTHING ELSE.
BUT WE WENT THROUGH A PROCESS OF TAKING SIMILAR OF WHAT WE
ARE -- INVENTORY OF WHAT WE ARE DOING.
AND BRINGING INCREASED INTENTION LALITY TO THAT ADVOCACY
WORK.
RECOGNIZING THERE WERE OPPORTUNITIES TO KICK IT UP A BIT
HERE AND THERE AND LOOKING FOR THE MOST EFFICIENT WAYS
POSSIBLE TO DO THAT.
SO I AM GOING TO KIND OF SHARE A FEW OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF
THOSE WITH YOU ALL TODAY.
AND ONE OF THE TOOLS THAT I HAVE ACTUALLY BECOME A BIG FAN
OF IS THIS IDEA OF ASSET MATCHING OR ASSET INVENTORY.
AND THIS IS FROM ASSET-BASED COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT THEORY
BASICALLY WHICH IS SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT THEORY
FROM McKNIGHT AND KRESSMAN THAT CAME OUT IN THE EARLY
'90s.
IT'S A PERSPECTIVE THAT THINGS ARE ALREADY EXISTING OR
HAPPENING WITHIN ANY COMMUNITY.
I USED TO EXTEND THAT TO ANY COMMUNITY AND ANY LIBRARY.
WHAT YOU ARE DOING IS IDENTIFYING RESOURCES THAT CAN
POTENTIALLY BE LEVERAGED IN BUILDING ON OUR FURTHER
DEVELOPING A COMMUNITY AROUND A PARTICULAR ISSUE.
I LIKE TO THINK OF THIS AS DOING AN INTERNAL INVENTORY OR
MAP AND AN EXTERNAL.
AND WHEN YOU DO THIS INTERNAL INVENTORY, YOU ARE JUST
LOOKING AT WHAT'S ALREADY HAPPENING.
WHAT DO WE ALREADY HAVE?
SO WE'RE INVENTORYING PREEXISTING RELATIONSHIPS.
WHO DOES THE LIBRARY ALREADY HAVE A RELATIONSHIP?
WHO ARE OUR OUTREACH PARTNERS?
WHAT COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS ARE OUR STAFF ALREADY INVOLVED
IN?
WHAT PROGRAMS ARE WE ALREADY DOING?
WHAT DISPLAYS ARE WE HOSTING FOR DIFFERENT PEOPLE?
ANYTHING YOU CAN THINK OF THAT RELATES TO THE RELATIONSHIPS
THAT THE LIBRARY HAS ALREADY BUILT WITHIN YOUR COMMUNITY.
AND THEN ALSO TAKING A LOOK AT YOUR CURRENT EFFORTS IN THREE
PARTICULAR HE WAS.
YOUR DISTRICT SERVICE WORK, YOUR LEGISLATIVE WORK AND WHERE
YOU SERVE IN THE COMMUNITY AS AN EXPERTS OF SOME KIND.
I TOOK THESE THREE DOMAINS FROM DR. NAVSARIA'S ASK
PRESENTATION.
I INCLUDED THAT BECAUSE HE GOES INTO A GREAT DETAIL AROUND
ADVOCACY, CREATIVE MESSAGING, AND MEDIA ENGAGEMENT ACROSS
ALL THREE OF THESE DOMAINS AS HE CALL THEM AND IT'S REALLY
WORTH YOUR TIME TO READ THROUGH THIS PDF WITH ALL HIS NOTES
AND HIS SLIDES.
AND SOY THEN GETTING OUTSIDE THE LIBRARY AND DOING SOME
EXTERNAL MAPPING, I HAVE LEARNED ABOUT THIS TOOL CALL THE
COMMUNITY WALK AROUND OR THE COMMUNITY DRIVE AROUND.
AND BY ENGAGING THIS TOOL IT REALLY CHANGED MY PERSPECTIVE
AROUND MY COMMUNITY.
AND I HAVE BEEN LIVING HERE AND DRIVING BACK AND FORTH TO
WORK, GOING TO THE GROCERY STORE, GOING TO THE GAS STATION,
WHATEVER.
AND ENGAGING THIS TOOL REALLY CARVED OUT TIME WHERE I CAME
AT MY COMMUNITY WITH FRESH EYES.
AND THEN ENGAGING OTHER PEOPLE, OTHER STAFF MEMBERS,
VOLUNTEERS, OR TEAMS OR OTHER PEOPLE FROM OTHER DEMOGRAPHICS
IN MY COMMUNITY TO SORT OF DO THE SAME THING WITH ME AND
POINT STUFF OUT.
OH, HEY, I DIDN'T KNOW THAT WE HAD THIS BUSINESS HERE?
I DIDN'T KNOW WE HAD THIS THING HERE?
OR I DIDN'T KNOW THERE WAS A PARK TUCKED BACK IN HERE.
SO SOMETIMES JUST THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME BACK AROUND AND
SEE YOUR COMMUNITY AND YOUR LIBRARY AND HOW YOUR LIBRARY IS
SITUATED IN YOUR COMMUNITY FROM A FRESH PERSPECTIVE IS
REALLY, REALLY A VERY POWERFUL THING.
AND IF YOU CAN ENGAGE OTHERS IN THIS, THE PARTICIPATORY
PROCESS REALLY HELPS YOU ENHANCE ANY PREVIOUSLY EXISTING
RELATIONSHIPS OR POSSIBLY START TO BUILD NEW ONES.
WE ENDED UP BEING ABLE TO CREATE SORT OF LIKE AN INVENTORY,
A SPREADSHEET OF ALL THE BUSINESSES IN THE AREA.
AND CONTACT INFORMATION FOR THEM AND HOW WE COULD CONNECT
WITH THEM AND SEE WHAT'S HAPPENING WITH THEM AND HOW THE
LIBRARY COULD BE SUPPORTIVE OF THAT.
SO THIS WAS A REALLY AMAZING TOOL.
AND IT WAS INTRODUCED TO ME AS PART OF THE FUTURE READY WITH
THE LIBRARY PROGRAM THAT IS A JOINT ARSL PROJECT.
THAT'S WHERE I LEARNED ABOUT THIS TOOL AND WE WERE ABLE TO
USE IT FOR THE PROJECT BUT ALSO IT BECAME A TOOL AS FAR AS
ADVOCACY AS WELL.
AND THEN WITH ALL THAT INFORMATION, WE REALLY SORT OF SHIFT
ODDER PERSPECTIVE.
INSTEAD OF ASKING PEOPLE TO SUPPORT THE LIBRARY, WE WERE
ASKING PEOPLE TO HELP THE LIBRARY SUPPORT THE COMMUNITY.
AND IT WAS SORT OF BOTH A SMALL SHIFT AND A LARGE SHIFT AT
THE SAME TIME.
SO BY CENTERING THE COMMUNITY, IT SORT OF SHIFTED THE
CONVERSATION, SHIFTED THE DIALOGUE.
AND AGAIN, ONCE AGAIN, ENHANCED THAT RELATIONSHIP BUILDING.
SO ONE OF THE THINGS WE DID WAS, OUR DIRECTOR HELD A
DOUGHNUTS WITH THE DIRECTOR SEVERAL TIMES.
AND SO YOU CAN SEE THE FLYER WE HAD FOR THAT HERE FOR THAT
PROGRAM.
BUT WE CREATED JUST THE OPPORTUNITIES BOTH INSIDE THE
LIBRARY AND OUT IN THE COMMUNITY TO LISTEN TO PEOPLE.
WE WERE TALKING ABOUT THAT A LITTLE BIT.
WE WERE TALKING ABOUT LISTENING TO YOUR DETRACTORS JUST AS
MUCH, REALLY LISTENING TO PEOPLE.
AND NOT JUST LISTENING TO PEOPLE ABOUT THE LIBRARY BUT ABOUT
THE COMMUNITY AS A WHOLE.
WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE COMMUNITY'S BIGGEST ASSETS?
WHAT DO YOU SEE AS THE COMMUNITY'S BIGGEST CHALLENGES?
HOW COULD THE LIBRARY PARTICIPATE IN THESE?
SO LIKE ALL OF THOSE SORTS OF OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE AS
OPPOSED TO OPPORTUNITIES TO SORT OF SELL THE LIBRARY TO
PEOPLE.
AND THEN THE OTHER THING WE WE DID, STAFF THOUGHT ABOUT
WHERE THEY COULD LOOK TO GET THE LIBRARY A SEAT AT THE TABLE
AND PERHAPS PLACES WHERE THEY HADN'T NECESSARILY HAD THAT
BEFORE.
AND FOR ME TIGHTS THE CHILDREN'S LIBRARIAN, ONE OF THOSE
PROCESSES WAS MAKING SURE THAT WE, I ATTENDED THE EARLY
CHILDHOOD COUNCIL MEETINGS ON A REGULAR BASIS.
AND BY PARTICIPATING IN THAT I WAS ABLE TO CONNECT WITH
OTHER GROUPS AND ORGANIZATIONS RELEVANT TO CONCERNS AROUND
EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND EDUCATION IN OUR COMMUNITY.
THAT JUST INCREASED PEOPLE'S OUR WEARNESS OF THE LIBRARY,
AWARENESSES OF THE LIBRARY'S ROLE IN EARLY LITERACY IN OUR
COMMUNITY AND EARLY CHILDHOOD.
AND SO JUST THINKING ABOUT HOW CAN THE LIBRARY BE A PART OF
THOSE SORTS OF TOPICAL COMMUNITY NEEDS-BASED CONVERSATIONS?
AND THEN THE LAST PART THAT BECAME PART OF MY LESSONS
LEARNED IN ADVOCACY WAS TO LOOK FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO
EXERCISE DAILY ACTS OF ADVOCACY.
SO I HAVE SORT OF STARTED VIEWING MY DAY AT WORK THAT IF I
HAVEN'T ENGAGED IN SOME KIND OF TINY ACT OF ADVOCACY MY WORK
PROBABLY ISN'T DONE FOR THAT DAY.
WE DID THIS WITH LITTLE THINGS.
WE WERE A LOT OF US WORKING PART TIME, CUT HOURS.
ALL THOSE THINGS.
ALL THOSE CHALLENGES.
WE JUST LOOK FOR SMALL THINGS WE COULD DO.
THESE ARE A COUPLE OF EXAMPLES WHAT I MEAN BY DAILY ACTS OF
ADVOCACY.
ON MICROSOFT PUBLISHER WE CREATED A TET OF -- SET OF
BOOKMARKS.
WE DID THESE "DID YOU KNOW" BOOKMARKS ON DIFFERENT
DEPARTMENTS IN THE LIBRARY AND FILLED IN INFORMATION ABOUT
SERVICES WEAVER OR TECH IN THE LIBRARY OR COLLECTIONS.
SO WE CREATED THOSE, PRINTED THEM OUT, CUT THEM OUT AND OUR
FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY AND OUR VOLUNTEERS AND OURSELVES AND
ANYONE ELSE WHO WAS INTERESTED IN DOING SO HELPED SORT OF
DISTRIBUTE THESE THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.
SO THE OTHER THING WE DID WAS WE BOUGHT A WHITE BOARD AND
START THE LISTING WHAT WE WERE DOING IN OUR YOUTH PROGRAM,
WHAT WE WERE LEARNING ABOUT IN THIS SPACES.
AND THAT REALLY SHIFTED PEOPLE'S PERSPECTIVE AROUND CHILDREN
AND YOUTH PROGRAMMING IS FREE BABY-SITTING, THAT THEY
SHOULDN'T HAVE TO PAY FOR VERSUS EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
FOR ALL THE COMMUNITY'S CHILDREN.
THAT WAS A REALLY JUST A SMALL THING WE DID.
BUT IT SEEMED TO HAVE A VERY IMPACTFUL EFFECT ON PEOPLE.
AND THEN WE ALSO LOOKED AT WHERE TO PUT A COMMUNITY BOOK
SHELVES.
WE HELD A PATRONS PICKS DISPLAY SO PATRONS HELPED US BUILD
DISPLAYS IN CERTAIN AREAS IN THE COMMUNITY.
THEN WE ALSO DID LIBRARY CARD REGISTRATION AT COMMUNITY
EVENTS WHEREVER WE COULD.
I AM HAPPY TO SAY THAT AFTER ALL OF THIS IN THE LAST YEAR,
ON TUESDAY, WE DID INDEED WIN OUR MILL LEVY BALLOT
INITIATIVE AND WE WON BY OVER 550 VOTES LAST YEAR.
THAT WAS A REALLY BIG THING.
WE WERE REALLY, REALLY EXCITED.
IT WAS QUITE A PARTY.
AND LOTS OF CELEBRATING ON WEDNESDAY MORNING IN THE LIBRARY.
LOTS OF DANCING THROUGH STACKS AND WHAT NOT.
SO IT WAS REALLY, REALLY A STRUGGLE FOR A FULL YEAR BUREAU
ALSO AN INCREDIBLE LEARNING EXPERIENCE.
AND WE WILL CONTINUE TO DO LOTS OF THESE THINGS.
ESPECIALLY THESE LITTLE THINGS.
WE WILL JUST CONTINUE TO FOLD THESE INTO HOW WE ARE
LIBRARIANS IN OUR COMMUNITY.
AND HOPEFUL LETHAL JUST CONTINUE TO BUILD RELATIONSHIPS AND
SUPPORT WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY.
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT LISA AND I THOUGHT WOULD BE FUN TO DO
ALSO IS TO ASK YOU ALL IF THERE WAS ANY OF THESE SORTS OF
THINGS THAT YOU WOULD LIKE -- OH, THANK YOU, EVERYBODY.
I'M JUST SEEING CHAT NOW.
YES, WE WERE VERY EXCITED.
IT WAS A BIG TURN AROUND.
IF ANYBODY HAS ANY PARTICULAR ADVOCACY WORK IN THEIR LIBRARY
THAT THEY'RE DOING, THINGS LIKE THAT, OR WHAT IF YOU HAVE A
PARTICULAR LESSON LEARNED THAT YOU CAN BOIL DOWN FOR US WHEN
IT COMES TO ADVOCACY THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH
EVERYONE.
BECAUSE I AM SURE LIKE AS WE ARE ALWAYS REFINING OUR
PRACTICES AS LIBRARIANS, WE ARE ALL ALSO OUT THERE DOING
AMAZING THINGS AT THE SAME TIME.
IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO SHARE, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO USE THE
CHAT BOX TO DO SO.
>> FANTASTIC.
WHILE WE SEE SOME OF THOSE COME THROUGH, THERE WAS A GREAT
QUESTION IN TERMS OF THE COMMUNITY MAPPING PROCESS, SOMEONE
ASKED HOW DO YOU COMMUNITY MAP WHEN YOU SERVE HALF A COUNTY?
THERE ARE 19 MUNICIPALITIES IN THE SERVICE AREA.
SO I DON'T KNOW IF YOU AND LISA MAYBE WANT TO CHIME IN ON
THAT.
>> Kate: I CAN DEFINITELY SEE THE CHALLENGE IN THAT.
I CAN ALMOST MAP BY COMMITTEE, IF YOU COULD.
THAT'S SORT OF, I DON'T KNOW IF THAT'S POSSIBLE.
I DON'T WANT TO -- EVERY COMMUNITY IS SO UNIQUE.
BUT IF -- CAN YOU RECRUIT A VOLUNTEER WITHIN EACH OF THOSE
MUNICIPALITIES TO KIND OF HEAD UP THAT COMMUNITY MAPPING AND
THEN SORT OF CONSOLIDATE YOUR FINDINGS TOGETHER?
AND SHARE WITH EACH OTHER?
IF THAT'S A POSSIBILITY.
BUT, YES, I CAN SEE HOW THAT WOULD BE VERY MUCH OF A
CHALLENGE TO COMMUNITY MAP WITH --
>> Lisa: I WAS GOING TO WEIGH IN ON THAT, TOO.
I CAN COMPLETELY RELATE TO TERRY'S QUESTION.
I IN ADDITION TO MY OTHER DUTIES WITH THE MAINE STATE
LIBRARY, I ELEISON TO TWO -- I LIAISON TO TWO OF OUR
COUNTIES OF 16.
ONE IS ARADIOS TOOK COUNTY.
AROOSTOOK, I THINK IT'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST COUNTIES IN THE
LOWER 48 GEOGRAPHICALLY.
IT'S, THERE'S PROBABLY I THINK, I CAN'T REMEMBER HOW PUBLIC
LIBRARIES I HAVE UP THERE.
BUT IF I WERE TO GO FROM ONE END OF THAT COUNTY TO THE OTHER
IT WOULD TAKE ME THREE HOURS OF DRIVE TIME JUST NONSTOP.
AND SO I WOULD SAY YOU HAVE GOT TO PIECEMEAL IT.
IF YOU HAVE GOT SOME LOCAL CHAMPIONS FOR CERTAIN THINGS,
SOME NATURAL NAVIGATORS OR AMBASSADORS FOR CERTAIN THINGS,
STAY IN CONTACT WITH THEM.
BUT THE OTHER THING I DO, TOO, IS JUST TRY TO PICK A TOWN
AND HIT A DIFFERENT ONE EACH TIME I GO.
I HAVE EDITING PRIVILEGES FOR THE STATE LIBRARY'S FACEBOOK
PAGE.
WHEN I VISIT A TOWN OR THEIR LIBRARY, I JUST TRY TO GET A
FEW PICTURES, NOTE SOMETHING INTERESTING THEY'RE DOING AND
PUT IT UP.
SO EVEN IF YOU CAN JUST PARTNER WITH SOME PEOPLE AND THEN,
YOU KNOW, WHAT'S SOMETHING THAT THEY'RE PARTICULARLY EXCITED
ABOUT, YOU ARE NOT GOING TO GET EVERYBODY WHEN IT'S IN A
HUGE GEOGRAPHY AREA.
OR AT LEAST YOU ARE NOT GOING TO GET THEM IN A SHORT AMOUNT
OF TIME.
I THINK IF YOU CAN PACE IT OUT AND AS KATE HAS SAID, TO TRY
TO DOUBLE DOWN ON A COUPLE OF THINGS IN PARTICULAR.
IT IS A HUGE CHALLENGE.
AND I ABSOLUTELY APPRECIATE WHAT YOU ARE UP AGAINST THERE.
>> Jen: THERE DEFINITELY ARE A LOT OF IDEAS OF WHAT PEOPLE
ARE ALREADY DOING.
I LOOK RECRUITING LIBRARY AMBASSADORS IN AN AMBASSADOR
PROGRAM TO HAVE FREQUENT USERS SHARE THEIR MESSAGE AND
IMPACT.
I KNOW THAT I THINK I AM TRYING TO REMEMBER AUSTIN HAS AN
AMBASSADOR TIME AND THEY SPEND TIME ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND THEY
ARE SAVVY IN THAT.
IF YOU FIND PEOPLE THAT ARE SAVVY IN THE WAYS OF THE 21st
CENTURY, ADVOCACY DEFINITELY TAP INTO THEIR EXPERTISE.
>> Lisa: I WAS WANTING TO JUMP IN TO SAUNA'S POINT.
THAT WAS SOMETHING I WAS INTERESTED IN HEARING TODAY IS HOW
MANY OF YOU ARE ONE OR TWO-PERSON LIBRARIES OUT THERE.
BECAUSE I KNOW, I TALK QUITE A BIT ABOUT GETTING OUT INTO
THE COMMUNITY AND DOING THINGS.
BUT I ALSO RECOGNIZE THAT IT'S EXTREMELY HARD, CERTAINLY WE
SEE A LOT OF THIS IN MAINE, WHERE IT'S HARD TO GET OUT OF
THE BUILDING BECAUSE YOU BUST BE THERE IF THE LIBRARY IS
OPEN OR THERE'S NOBODY THERE.
I AM VERY MINDFUL OF THAT.
AND SOMETIMES IT'S A MATTER OF, CAN YOU SEND AN EMAIL?
CAN YOU INTRODUCE TWO PEOPLE TOGETHER VIA EMAIL WHO YOU
KNOW?
AND YOU CAN BE A CONNECTOR TO HELP THEM HELP EACH OTHER.
CAN YOU SEND A THANK YOU NOTE TO A POLICYMAKER OR SOMEBODY
OR FUNDER TO SAY, HEY, THIS THING THAT YOU DID, I SUPER
APPRECIATE IT.
THIS IS HOW IT'S MAKING THINGS BETTER.
IT'S NOT ALWAYS EASY TO GET OUT THE THINGS WHEN YOU ARE VERY
TIGHT.
WE HAVE A LIBRARY HERE IN MAINE, IN MILLANOCKET AND THERE'S
ONLY ONE PAID STAFF PERSON THERE.
HE'S GOING THROUGH A CAPITAL REBUILD RIGHT NOW.
HE'S DONE SOME GREAT STUFF BUT HE'S HAD TO RELY ON HIS
VOLUNTEERS QUITE A BIT.
HE GETS OUT WHEN HE CAN AND THEN SOMETIMES HE JUST CAN'T.
AND SO I WILL BE INTERESTED TO HEAR, YOU KNOW, TO GET A
SENSE OF HOW MANY HERE ARE ONE OR TWO-MAN SHOWS, TOO.
>> Kate: I THINK BOTH --
>> Jen: BOTH OF YOU TALK ABOUT IT'S AN EVERY DAY THING.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU ARE LEARNING EVERY DAY AS WELL.
SO I THINK I KNOW THAT YOU HAVE GOT SOME GREAT IDEAS IN THE
LEARNER GUIDE FOR EVERYTHING FROM THE ASSESSMENT PIECE OR
THE COMMUNITY ASSESSMENT PIECE.
BUT I THINK YOU BEGAN, LISA, EVEN JUST TALKING ABOUT THE
CONVERSATIONS, STARTING WITH THOSE CONVERSATIONS ABOUT HOW
TO ADVOCATE ON BEHALF OF THE LIBRARY.
GET THE COMMUNITY INVOLVED IN HELPING TO THINK ABOUT YOUR
NEXT STEPS, IF YOU ESPECIALLY IF YOU ARE A ONE-PERSON OR
TWO-PERSON SHOP, FOR SURE.
AND EVEN JUST THAT CONVERSATION, HOSTING THOSE COMMUNITY
CONVERSATIONS WITH OTHER AGENCIES IN YOUR COMMUNITY, EVEN IF
IT'S NOT BEGINNING WITH AN ADVOCACY CONVERSATION.
SOMETIMES JUST HAVING A SAFE PLACE TO TALK ABOUT, YOU KNOW,
THE WAYS IN WHICH THEY'RE USING THE COMMUNITY SERVICES AT
LARGE, NOT JUST FOCUSED ON THE LIBRARY.
I THINK THEN SOMETIMES THE ADVOCACY NEEDS OF EACH OF THOSE
AGENCIES MAY MAYBE SERVICE AS WELL AND THEN YOU CAN
COLLABORATE WITH THOSE OTHER AGENCIES ON HOW TO ADVOCATE FOR
EACH OTHER.
SO IT'S ALMOST LIKE THE PRACTICE COMES IN MANY DIFFERENT
SERVICES.
IT'S NOT JUST THROUGH LIBRARIES.
SO BEING ABLE TO TALK ABOUT HOW YOU'RE SERVING THE COMMUNITY
IN MULTIPLE WAYS CAN BRING IT BACK TO THE LIBRARY 
EVENTUALLY.
>> Lisa: I'M SORRY.
I WAS JUST GOING TO SAY I CAN SPEND ALL DAY QUOTING DAVID
BUT ONE THING HE SAYS PEOPLE DO THINGS FOR THEIR REASONS,
NOT OUR REASONS.
>> Jen: EXACTLY.
EXACTLY.
DEFINITELY.
AND I THINK, TOO, THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE BOARDS, DEFINITELY
CONSIDER WATCHING THIS WEBINAR TOGETHER.
OR OTHER WEBINARS, OTHER LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES THAT YOU
COULD DO TOGETHER WITH THOSE FOLKS TO START THAT
CONVERSATION THERE.
SO I KNOW THAT'S A BIG PART OF YOUR RELATIONSHIPS, YOUR
ADVOCACY RELATIONSHIPS AS WELL.
ALL RIGHT.
WELL, A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO BOTH OF YOU.
AND FOR YOUR SERVICE ON ARSL.
ARSL IS A FULL VOLUNTEER SOARINGS.
SO A SPECIAL THANKS TO ALL WHO ARE HELPING TO BRING THE
GREAT WORK OF THE ASSOCIATION FOR RURAL AND SMALL LIBRARIES
TO THEIR LIBRARY COMMUNITIES.
AND A REMINDER THAT I WILL SEND YOU ALL AN EMAIL ONCE THE
RECORDING IS POSTED AND WE WILL ALSO SEND YOU TO A SHORT
SURVEY AS YOU LEAVE.
THIS IS A GREAT WAY FOR US TO COLLECT YOUR FEEDBACK.
WE'LL SHARE THAT WITH LISA AND KATE AND IT HELPS US PLAN OUR
ONGOING PROGRAMMING.
AND WE WILL HOST ANOTHER ARSL WEBINAR IN THE SPRING.
SO KEEP YOUR IDEAS FLOWING.
IF YOU HAVE OTHER TOPIC, YOU CAN SHARE THAT IN THE SURVEY AS
WELL.
SO, YES, I WILL SEND YOU ALL A CERTIFICATE WITHIN THE WEEK
FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT NEED CREDIT FOR ATTENDING TODAY.
THANK YOU ALL AND HAVE A FANTASTIC WEEKEND.