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
Always Be Listening: How Public Libraries are Approaching Community Engagement as a Mindset
News / Last Modified: 16 July 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...
Great Ideas for Innovative Community Engagement
News / Last Modified: 26 June 2019
A recent Huffington Post article tells of a Facebook experiment that spawned over 150 community-generated ideas on the future of Miami's libraries. Rebecca Fishman Lipsey and Francine Madera, in 100 Great Ideas for the Future of Libraries -- A Ne...
Engaged Planning: Ask What You Can Do For Your Rural Community
Webinar / Last Modified: 26 June 2019
A webinar presented in collaboration with ARSL outlining the steps of an engaged planning process, to align library capabilities with community needs and aspirations.
Getting to the Heart of the Community Through Discovery
Webinar / Last Modified: 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.
Voter Perceptions of Libraries: Getting From Awareness to Funding in 2018
Webinar / Last Modified: 02 May 2019
A webinar presenting the results of a new study investigating voter perceptions and support for public libraries, with comparisons to similar research conducted 10 years ago.
Take Action: Using and Presenting Research Findings to Make Your Case
Webinar / Last Modified: 17 January 2019
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.
The Engaged and Embedded Library
News / Last Modified: 19 December 2018
Civic engagement is not a new concept for libraries, which have long been active community hubs. However, in this age of library transformation, it is time to escalate the scale of community engagement. On one level, it is survival; it is also the na...
Small Libraries, Big Thinking
News / Last Modified: 31 October 2018
Library Journal's annual Best Small Library in America Award, cosponsored by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, was created in 2005 to discover and reward exemplary work by libraries serving populations under 25,000, and to showca...
Webinar Series: Evaluating and Sharing Your Library's Impact
News / Last Modified: 18 October 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...
Revitalizing Library Volunteer Engagement
Webinar / Last Modified: 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.
