I sat in on the Leadership & ALSC Meeting this morning, which was overall informative and inspiring. Jenna Nemec-Loise gave a presentation entitled “It’s How You Say It: Using Value-Based Language for Elevator Speech Awesomeness.” She spoke about the importance of how we advocate for our programs and services at the library.
Jenna stated that we should be using the Elevator Speech method with not only our patrons, but our administration and board of directors too. The purpose is two-fold. We want the people we are pitching to say:
- Tell me more!
- How do you do that?
She then spoke about something called Value Based Language (VBL), which is language that shifts emphasis away from the programs and services that we do and put it on to the kids and families that we impact.
Here’s the formula for writing a good VBL:
I help (insert audience) (insert verb phrase) at the library so that (insert proven/expected positive outcome for target audience).
So when someone asks you what you do all day as a librarian, instead of saying something like “I do storytime.” say, “I help parents and caregivers promote Kindergarten readiness at the library so that their young children can start school ready to learn.” Doesn’t that sound much better?
What are some other good examples of Elevator Speeches for librarians?