What’s so great about children’s library services? For one caregiver, storytime is so valuable that some days she is “too tired NOT to come!” In one of Thursday afternoon’s virtual institute sessions, “Stories Speak Louder than Numbers: Making the Case for Youth Services,” we heard from Hanna Lee, Nina Lindsay, and Jenna Nemec-Loise about how to talk about outcomes, not just outputs, when advocating for youth services.
Outputs (circulation, attendance, etc.) are relatively easy, but we should also think about measuring the results of our efforts against strategic goals and patron needs- in other words, look at outcomes. A quick poll showed that most of our libraries are measuring outputs, and not many are formally measuring outcomes- but we want to be! Outputs are clearly a hot topic right now, as many people reported that there are rumblings in their libraries about how to do this. So… how?
The short answer is: through stories! Look for and tell stories from your library that are RELEVANT, RESONANT and REAL. Avoid telling stories that are one-dimensional, static, or identical no matter who our audience is. (Some people definitely want to hear how many bodies you have in your library every day, but some people would rather hear about how the library matters to those bodies!) Maybe you have a program with low attendance, but that program has made a huge difference in one patron’s life. Maybe you offer a program that doesn’t bring new people into the library, but it creates more informed users who get more value out of your services. Maybe the results of your reading campaign are higher circulation numbers, and your outcomes and outputs work together!
I’m giving myself some homework after this session. We were encouraged to easily advocate for youth services by changing small things like how we tell people about the work we do. Instead of saying, “I facilitate an after-school tween book club, writing club, and craft,” maybe I can start saying something like, “I give students a safe and comfortable place to spend time outside of school where they can create things, talk about books, use the internet, and pursue hobbies and passions.” I’m going to keep working on that to make it a little more succinct, but that’s the idea. Practice practice practice.
Does your library measure outcomes? What are the ways you collect the stories that showcase your impact? Will you join me in doing the homework I gave myself?