1.0ALSC Bloghttps://www.alsc.ala.org/blogALSC Advocacy and Legislation Committeehttps://www.alsc.ala.org/blog/author/alsc-advocacy-and-legislation-committee/rich600338<blockquote class="wp-embedded-content" data-secret="w4A9BcDBDz"><a href="https://www.alsc.ala.org/blog/2018/02/advocacy-challenge-ask/">Advocacy Challenge: Ask “Why?”</a></blockquote><iframe sandbox="allow-scripts" security="restricted" src="https://www.alsc.ala.org/blog/2018/02/advocacy-challenge-ask/embed/#?secret=w4A9BcDBDz" width="600" height="338" title="“Advocacy Challenge: Ask “Why?”” — ALSC Blog" data-secret="w4A9BcDBDz" frameborder="0" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" scrolling="no" class="wp-embedded-content"></iframe><script> /*! This file is auto-generated */ !function(d,l){"use strict";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&"undefined"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!/[^a-zA-Z0-9]/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret="'+t.secret+'"]'),c=new RegExp("^https?:$","i"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display="none";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute("style"),"height"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):"link"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute("src")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener("message",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll("iframe.wp-embedded-content"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute("data-secret"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+="#?secret="+t,e.setAttribute("data-secret",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:"ready",secret:t},"*")},!1)))}(window,document); //# sourceURL=https://www.alsc.ala.org/blog/wp-includes/js/wp-embed.min.js </script> Hopefully, many of you are feeling energized and refreshed after the Midwinter Meeting. Are you pumped about all the great things libraries are doing to help their communities grow and thrive, starting with our youngest citizens?    This month, I challenge you to take a look at the programs and services you currently offer, or want to offer, and ask yourself “why?” In my opinion, this is the first step in library advocacy. Library advocacy is supporting, and garnering support for, the library (including staff and departments), or a library product. To be successful, library advocates must understand the “why”, or else we’re just marketing services. Marketing is great, but you do not need to know why a program or service is important in order to entice people to attend the program, or use a service.   Let’s use a program, called “Play Date,” as an example. If I make a...http://www.ilovelibraries.org/librariestransform/sites/default/files/160818-librariestransform_twitter_sharedphoto-2.png