Libraries In Action: How to Advocate from Your School Board to Washington, DC

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Libraries In Action How to Advocate from Your
School Board to Washington, DC

• A Presentation from Stephanie Vance, the Advocacy
  Guru

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Topics

• What is Advocacy?
• Why Advocate?
• Factors of Influence
• The Basics of Effective Advocacy
• Building Your Local Advocacy Plan

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But first a short quiz (with fabulous prizes!)

• How many times is the phrase School Libraries
  mentioned in bills in the 96th session of the
  Illinois General Assembly?
• How many bills total are normally introduced in
  an Illinois General Assembly session?
• What percentage pass?
• How many people does a member of the Illinois
  House typically represent?
• How long is the typical meeting with an elected
  official?

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What is Advocacy?

• When in doubt, turn to Wikipedia
• Advocacy is the pursuit of influencing outcomes
  including public-policy and resource allocation
  decisions within political, economic, and social
  systems and institutions that directly affect
  peoples current lives. (Cohen, 2001)

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Why is This Important?How Government Policies
Affect YOUR Life
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How Government Policies Affect YOUR Life
(Continued)
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Most important impact?

• There are at least three ways that effective
  advocacy can help you get more funds for school
  libraries
• Direct request to elected officials at ALL levels
  (local, state and federal)
• Assistance with your grant requests
• (Most important) Being at the table

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Your Role

• Are you thinking but, Im not allowed to
  advocate this cant apply to me?
• Well, stop!

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Factors of Influence

• Given this context, what factors do you think
  influence an elected official?

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Factors of Influence
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Potential Factors

• Personal _______________
• Friends
• Staff
• Family
• Jobs / ____________ Issues in Their Districts
• The _______________
• ___________________???
• The ________________
• Their Own ____________ and Passions

• MOST IMPORTANT
• Their _____________
• Representative Democracy reflects and amplifies
  the POWER of the Grassroots

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But dont just take my word for it!
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Breaking Through the Chaos Four Keys to
Successful Advocacy

• What do you want?
• Who should you ask?
• How should you ask?
• How should you follow-up?

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What Do You Want? Make the Ask!
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Two Kinds of Asks Policy Related and
Relationship Building

• Policy-related
• Support for a bill
• Support for funding initiative
• Support for change in policies

• Relationship Building
• Newsletter Article
• Public Statement
• One minute or five minute speech
• Site visit
• Website statement

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The Spectrum of Asks

• Will you come to a lunch?
• Low cost
• Low opposition
• Self benefit

• Will you make a statement?
• Some cost
• Limited opposition
• Some self benefit

• Will you vote for this controversial bill?
• High cost
• High opposition
• ? Self-benefit

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The Hardest Asks
Hard
HARDEST
Hard
Hard
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Policy Asks (Examples)

• Support funding for school libraries
• Demonstrate support for school library leaders
  through resolutions
• Ensure that laws designed to protect children
  (lead laws, e.g.) are both reasonable and
  effective
• Provide additional resources for Web 2.0
  applications in schools

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Relationship Building Asks

• Campus Visit
• Statement in Congressional Record
• Local (District or State) meeting
• Newsletter Article
• Website statement / photos
• Helping out with case work

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Does this work?
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Who Are You Asking Know Your Audience!

• Relevance Why Are You Relevant?
• Interests / Passion What Are They Interested
  In?
• Position What Position Do They Hold?
• Politics What Are Their Politics?

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Tips on Dealing With Staff

• Talk to the Right Person
• Remember, Your Issue Is One of Many
• Staff Contact Has Advantages Over Member Contact
• Institutional Memory in an Elected Officials
  Office Can Be Short
• Expect (and Appreciate) Youth

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How Should You Ask? Follow the SPIT Rule

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The Message Formula

• Hello, my name is and Im from (establishes
  relevancy)
• I am here to talk to you about policy /
  relationship ask
• Knowing of your interest in info about your
  audience we think youll be interested as well
• This is important to the people I represent
  because personal story
• Thats why we really hope youll ask
• Id like to follow-up by follow-up ideas
• Can I get contact information for all the
  appropriate people in your office?

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Its Practice Time (More Fabulous Prizes are
Forthcoming)
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The Top Ten List What Staff Elected Officials
Hate to Hear

• 10. But I thought my appointment was with the
  member!
• 9. Heres some reading material for you our
  300 page annual report
• 8. I know you probably wont listen to me
  because I didnt contribute to your campaign, but
  Im supposed to ask you for more money
• 7. I assume you know all about bill number 1234

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The Top Ten List, Continued

• 6. No, I dont have an appointment but I
  promise Ill only take ½ hour of your time.
• 5. No, I dont really need anything specific.
• 4. What youre telling me cant be right. I
  heard Jon Stewart from the Daily Show say
  otherwise.
• 3. We have ten (or more) people in our group.
• 2. What do you mean we have to stand in the
  hall?

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And the number one item?

• No, I dont represent anyone from your
  jurisdiction. I just thought youd be interested
  in what I have to say.

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The One Little Thing That Makes ALL the Difference

• Persistence
• Nothing in the world can take the place of
  Persistence. Talent will not nothing is more
  common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius
  will not unrewarded genius is almost a proverb.
  Education will not the world is full of educated
  derelicts. Persistence and Determination alone
  are omnipotent. The slogan Press On, has solved
  and will always solve the problems of the human
  race.
• Calvin Coolidge

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• Persistence can grind an iron beam down into a
  needle.

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Wondering How to Apply This In Your Own Life?

• Good. Cause thats what were going to do now

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Topics

• Venues for advocacy
• Developing your goal
• Learning about your elected officials
• Building coalitions
• Five critical message delivery techniques

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Venues Where are Policy Decisions Made?

• Federal
• Congress
• Agencies
• Supreme Court
• President
• State
• Legislature
• State Agencies
• Courts
• Governor
• Initiatives (state-wide)

• Local
• City Council
• County Commission
• School Board
• Agencies
• Citizen Initiative

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Where to Start Defining the Goal

• What do you want?
• Building repairs
• New resources for students
• Computers, staff, etc.
• Other?
• Expressing that Goal
• Specific request
• Specific timeframe
• Focus on benefits

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Plan of Action Audience

• The chain of command
• How can you achieve your goal?
• Who makes the decisions?
• Is there more than one avenue?

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Plan of Action Audience

• Once youve figured out the chain of command,
  youll know who your audience is. Now you need
  to figure out
• What (or who) influences them?
• How did they get into office?
• What jurisdiction do they serve?
• What are their personal interests?
• Personal relationship to school libraries
• How? Try Google!

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Coalition / Network Building Process

• Where do we find coalitions?
• Brainstorm based on issue who might benefit?
• Political considerations
• Are their groups we dont want to partner with?
• Identify coalition member strengths
• Message
• Contacts
• Advocates
• Coalition member tasks Being specific is
  critical
• Timeline for coordination (weekly, monthly,
  quarterly meetings?)

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Five Critical Delivery Techniques

• Site Visits / District Meetings
• Participating in Hearings
• Pushing Out Through Meetings, Letters and Phone
  Calls
• Utilizing the Media
• Web 2.0

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Site Visits / District Meetings Process

• Decide who to invite
• Dont Forget Staff
• Potential Pitfalls
• Decide what to show them Youll be surprised at
  what interested them
• The invitation process
• Who should attend on your end (real people)
• Logistics, logistics, logistics
• Recording the event

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Hearings Process

• What are the opportunities?
• Who can / should speak? Who is relevant?
• What do we know about the audience?
• What would we say (in 5 minutes or less)
• How would we follow-up?
• Lets practice!

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Pushing Out Through Meetings, Letters and Phone
Calls

• Meetings
• When is a meeting necessary?
• Who should deliver the message?
• How to arrange
• What will happen in the meeting?
• How to follow-up

• Written Communications
• Call to action
• Personal story
• Relevancy
• Keep it brief

• Phone Calls
• Prepping the advocates
• Pros and cons of scripts
• Always ask for a response!

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Message Delivery Media Options

• Press releases
• Press conferences
• LTEs / Op Eds
• Editorial Boards
• Columns
• Events
• Local radio / TV

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Media Events Process

• Whats the hook?
• Connections to outside events / already
  newsworthy items
• Whats the venue?
• Print?, TV?, Radio?, Internet?
• Develop the message
• Hint personal and thoughtful works here as well
• Who will deliver the message best?
• When to use public officials
• Following up

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Web 2.0 Outreach

• Virtual Townhalls and Meetings
• Using Linked-In for Research on Your Legislators
• Facebook, Twitter and Other New Tools
• Connect with other advocates
• Connect with your elected officials
• Use these resources for effective networking

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The Five Minute Action Plan

• What specific actions will you take in the next
  six months to advocate for school library
  programs?

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Go Forth and Advocate!

• Take the Advocacy Pledge

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Contact Information

• 1640 19th Street NW
• Second Floor
• Washington, DC 20009
• [phone]
• www.advocacyguru.com
• Vance_at_advocacyguru.com