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
Measures that Matter Part Two: Detailing the Data-based Story of Public Libraries
Webinar / Last Modified: 18 April 2018
Part two in a three-part webinar series about Measures that Matter, a project from IMLS and COSLA, surveying the current state of public library data, assessing current strengths and weaknesses and formulating a plan for future action.
Data that Jumps Off the Page
Document / Last Modified: 18 April 2018
Try this exercise to sharpen your recognition of effective data visualization.
Voter Perceptions of Libraries: Getting From Awareness to Funding in 2018
Webinar / Last Modified: 17 April 2018
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: 10 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.
Digging into Assessment Data: Tips, Tricks, and Tools of the Trade
Webinar / Last Modified: 10 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.
User-centered Assessment: Leveraging What You Know and Filling in the Gaps
Webinar / Last Modified: 10 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.
New National Study Reveals Voter Perceptions of Libraries
News / Last Modified: 06 April 2018
The Public Library Association, a division of the American Library Association, and the ALA Office for Library Advocacy, in partnership with OCLC, today released the report, From Awareness to Funding: Voter Perceptions and Support of Public Libraries...
Webinar Series: Evaluating and Sharing Your Library's Impact
News / Last Modified: 28 March 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...
The Engaged and Embedded Library
News / Last Modified: 22 February 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...
Measures that Matter: A View into the Current Public Library Data Landscape
Webinar / Last Modified: 16 October 2017
Part one in a three-part webinar series about Measures that Matter, a project from IMLS and COSLA, surveying the current state of public library data, assessing current strengths and weaknesses and formulating a plan for future action.
