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
Advocacy 101: When Advocacy Becomes Second Nature
Publish Date: Webinar / 7 November 2019
A webinar hosted in collaboration with ARSL on the basics of library advocacy and how to integrate advocacy into your everyday and into your community relationships.
Community Engagement as a Mindset
Publish Date: Webinar / 17 September 2019
Hear from three library leaders who are redefining community engagement.
Always Be Listening: How Public Libraries are Approaching Community Engagement as a Mindset
Publish Date: News / 27 June 2019
ALA Annual is always overflowing with sessions to help library staff take a step back and think about their libraries, services, and approach to their communities. This year was no exception, and there were many stand-out sessions dedicated to rethin...
Getting to the Heart of the Community Through Discovery
Publish Date: Webinar / 11 June 2019
This webinar presents tools, methodologies and strategies that can be used to gather input and uncover the heart and aspirations of your community.
Take Action: Using and Presenting Research Findings to Make Your Case
Publish Date: Webinar / 3 October 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.
Revitalizing Library Volunteer Engagement
Publish Date: Webinar / 18 September 2018
This webinar explores new trends in library volunteerism and presents practical steps to recruit skilled volunteers to help grow your community of library advocates and supporters.
Getting Unstuck: Help Your Board, Staff, and Town Talk about Library Funding
Publish Date: Webinar / 22 August 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.
From Awareness to Funding: 5 Probable Supporters and How to Reach Them
Publish Date: News / 16 August 2018
If you work or volunteer in a library, you may have heard about the report, From Awareness to Funding: Voter Perceptions and Support of Public Libraries in 2018. If you haven’t read it, here’s the good news: compared to 2008, more voters thi...
Digging into Assessment Data: Tips, Tricks, and Tools of the Trade
Publish Date: Webinar / 14 August 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.
Are You Ready to Dig into Assessment Data?
Publish Date: News / 18 July 2018
Back in April, WebJunction and OCLC Research hosted the first webinar in a three-part series on assessing, evaluating and sharing your library’s impact. With nearly 300 attendees in the first session, we know that this topic is important to libraries...
