Whatever kind of library you work in, you’ve probably been called on to make a case for the importance of youth services in libraries – whether it’s to a library director who doesn’t understand why story time is important, a local business owner who is considering making a donation to support summer reading, a principal who is more concerned with test scores than with information literacy, or just a casual acquaintance who hasn’t used a library in years. How do you keep yourself ready to advocate for the importance of serving children in libraries? What tools can prepare you for that unexpected conversation that might lead to a new funding opportunity, a newly supportive manager, or a newly-enthusiastic library user?
Evaluation
You can probably rattle off the number of families who come to your Toddler Time every week, or the number of classes who visit your school library daily. But can you show what value those patrons had while they visited your library? With tools provided by PLA’s Project Outcome and IMLS’s Evaluation Resources, you can really up your evaluation game. Even a simple survey done after a program or two can give you a wealth of information about what your patrons love about their visits to the library, as well as giving you ideas about how you can improve and grow.
Community Support
We have a tremendous and supportive community of users visiting my Children’s Library, but how do we make that support visible? I’ve started asking my staff to record patron compliments and great patron interactions in our department slack channel. It’s both a nice pick-me-up to see the wonderful things patrons say about the library and our staff, and also gives me a record that I can turn to when I need a personal story to illustrate the work that we do every day. I also try to remind myself not to only hand out a manager’s card when a patron has a complaint – your manager would probably love to hear from a few patrons who are ready to sing the praises of the work you do! Some libraries have created videos where patrons describe their relationship with the library – these personal stories, like the ones below in a video from the Brooklyn Public Library can make very effective tools for advocacy.
Communication
Even if your depth of knowledge is unmatched, your programming evaluations are peerless, and you’ve collected those glowing anecdotes from patrons for years, you’re not going to be able to make your case without a strong communication style. Taking a public speaking class or brushing up on your persuasive writing skills can make a huge difference when it comes time to advocate for youth services in your library. If you feel uncomfortable speaking in public, you may want to reach out to your local Rotary Club or Toastmasters Club. And of course your library probably has resources available to give you a head start on some of these skills, from books on persuasive writing to public speaking videos on Lynda.com. Strong communicators are strong advocates, and feeling confident in your ability to state your case is one of the best things you can do to be ready when the times comes.
Laura Koenig is the Team Leader for Central Library Children’s Services at the Boston Public Library and a member of the Managing Youth Services Committee.