Advocacy
Being able to demonstrate the impact your library is having on the community can convince decision makers, funders and voters to support your library. Find resources to help gather evidence, use data, and tell the stories that demonstrate the value of the library and show the return on investment it brings to the community. Learn how to amplify your library's value so that you may continue to make a difference in people's lives.
Explore the Advocacy in Action section to learn more about the vital role of public libraries and how to educate the public about the critical funding issues many libraries face. Materials, resources and support are available to libraries who want to engage the support of local community members through fun and innovative campaigns.
Self-paced courses and webinar recordings on this topic are freely available in the WebJunction Course Catalog.
Most Recently Added
Getting Unstuck: Help Your Board, Staff, and Town Talk about Library Funding
Webinar / Last Modified: 18 June 2018
A webinar hosted in collaboration with ARSL and EveryLibrary to grow skills for talking about library budgets with staff, boards, and other stakeholders in your community and to secure funding.
Core Library Value: Tools for telling it over and over
News / Last Modified: 22 May 2018
With all of the library advocacy tools and efforts in play, one might hope to never again read an op-ed piece that claims the library is a dying institution in this age of Google and smartphones. However, the message has not reached everyone in spite...
Geek the Library: Impact and Outcomes
Webinar / Last Modified: 22 May 2018
Join us for this webinar to learn about the impacts and outcomes of Geek the Library, the national public awareness campaign that has increased public support and funding for libraries around the country.
Recognize and Target the Appropriate Audience
Document / Last Modified: 22 May 2018
Probable supporters don't fall into any specific demographic group and may not be frequent visitors to the library, so in order to reach them we recommend a multi-pronged marketing approach.
Telling the Library Story
Webinar / Last Modified: 22 May 2018
Archive and related resources for a webinar presented on August 23 by Jamie LaRue which focuses on turning the evidence of our daily patron encounters into short, compelling, and memorable messages that build support.
Geek the Library Final Report
Document / Last Modified: 21 May 2018
This brief report summarizes the purpose and key activities of the Geek the library project, its reach and participation rates, and its outcomes, including analysis from the project evaluators.
User-centered Assessment: Leveraging What You Know and Filling in the Gaps
Webinar / Last Modified: 24 April 2018
Part one of a three-part series on evaluating and sharing your library's impact, beginning with planning the evaluation and taking inventory of known and needed assessment data.
Webinar Series: Evaluating and Sharing Your Library's Impact
News / Last Modified: 23 April 2018
Ensure your library's programs and services are meeting patrons' needs and exceeding expectations by using evaluation techniques that demonstrate results. This three-part webinar series on user-centered assessment and evaluation will help you go from...
Digging into Assessment Data: Tips, Tricks, and Tools of the Trade
Webinar / Last Modified: 23 April 2018
Part two of a three-part series on evaluating and sharing your library's impact, focused on exploring tools and methods for collecting and analyzing the data.
Take Action: Using and Presenting Research Findings to Make Your Case
Webinar / Last Modified: 23 April 2018
Part three of a three-part series on evaluating and sharing your library's impact, focused on presenting data to make the case for how your library plays a critical role in your community.
