Advocacy: The Big Picture

Course

Communications [4:15]

One way to ensure that you are able to develop stakeholders' awareness, understanding, and commitment to a program is to frame your communications by developing a core theme that aligns with your mission and goals, and use that theme in all the various vehicles that you use to communicate.

You can never overdo planning and preparation, or as Ben Franklin observed, if you fail to plan, you're planning to fail. One way to ensure that you are able to develop stakeholders' awareness, understanding, and commitment to a program is to frame your communications by developing a core theme that aligns with your mission and goals, and use that theme in all the various vehicles that you use to communicate. Think about how your theme can be conveyed and prep materials that you produced on your website or a blog, in podcasts, in videos, via social media that you utilize, and make sure you cross pollinate all of your communications, bearing in mind that you have to keep up with the messaging once you begin. You must commit to an ongoing effort to update and be responsive to feedback versus being seen as having out of date information or ignoring input. It's hard, but you can find your voice and be an effective spokesperson for your program by consciously resolving to always be prepared, make sure you personalize your message, write out what you will say, talk and don't speak at people, stay on message, be brief, provide attractive and succinct handouts, brochures, flyers, etc., invite questions and say thanks, and follow-up to say thanks again and provide additional information or links to such information.

And when allies and others step up to support and endorse you, make your learning community aware. Leverage outside recognition such as media attention or awards by expanding the coverage and sharing the good news with your stakeholders and publicizing it via your communication channels. And it's always powerful to also integrate the good things that others, students, teachers, parents have provided, as testimonials to the effectiveness of your program.

What is meant by staying on message? Again, to reiterate the importance of planning, develop key points and themes for your program that you consistently promote. Develop some catch phrases and buzz words to illustrate the theme or points that you want to make, and share them at every opportunity. Deliver your message over and over again. It's also important to solicit feedback from your users. Don't be afraid to revisit the strategy and make revisions. You won't necessarily succeed the first time, but if you do, follow-up quickly to cement your success.

We all know the power of story and helping people connect to an idea or a cause in a personal way. Each and every one of us should be able to identify compelling stories and best practices that help to illustrate the important points and messages we have to share.

While the written word is powerful, don't forget that the use of videos and other means of messaging can also help to convey relevance and meaning in a different sort of way. Think about student stories. Seek out testimonials from students about how the library helps them in their learning or in pursuing personal interests. There are also stories in the school. Document how your program has supported the school initiative, and ask your teacher colleagues to share how the program integrates with their instructional efforts through co-teaching and collaboration.

You also have a story. Share what it means to be a school librarian. There's an opportunity to raise awareness about the multiple roles we play as leaders, as teachers, information specialists, instructional consultants and as managers. Give a personal example of your efforts in each area. There are also stories that relate to the profession.

Leverage the contention that school librarians are the profession of the knowledge age by sharing quotes and observations from the myriad of authors, thought leaders, and celebrities who have spoken up to support librarianship. Point to examples of rock-star school librarians who are changing the image and include yourselves in the category.

Let the Students Tell Their Stories

Context:

Expanding on the discussion of branding in Lesson 4, Ballard emphasizes in this lesson the importance of consistent messaging across all communications from the school library. Selected testimonials from allies and stakeholders can contribute to the community's knowledge of the school library program. Compelling stories and research from the school library field are additional sources for building positive perceptions of the effects of the school library program.

Instructions:

Ballard suggests that librarians "seek out testimonials from students about how the library helps them in their learning or in pursuing personal interests."

1. Follow Ballard's lead and (in accordance with policies on documenting students via audio/video/photo) identify and invite a small group of students to offer their thoughts (individually) on a specific aspect of the library program or a library project. Be strategic in who you ask (after a class project or during a book event), or if a random sample of students is preferred, gather a baseline of their experience(s) with the library (e.g., visits, knowledge of services, etc.).

2. Ask each student the same question or questions about the library program, and document their responses. What did you learn? What feedback might support positive messaging about the school library?

MLA Citation

Morris, Rebecca J. "Advocacy: The Big Picture: Let the Students Tell Their Stories." School Library Connection, September 2017, schoollibraryconnection.com/Content/Course/1987469?learningModuleId=1980795&topicCenterId=2247903.

Entry ID: 2128121

Additional Resources

Annotated Bibliography
Words from the Wise: Advocacy Quotables.

About the Author

Susan D. Ballard, MS, is vice president of the National Collaborative for Digital Equity and a past president of AASL. She served on the Editorial Board for the AASL Standards and Guidelines Editorial Board, responsible for writing the National School Library Standards for Learners, Librarians and School Libraries. She is a current a member of the AASL CAEP Coordinating Committee involved in revision of the Standards for Preparation of School Librarians. Follow her on Twitter @nholb or email her at sdballard@comcast.net or sdballard@digitalequity.us.

MLA Citation

Ballard, Susan D. "Advocacy: The Big Picture. Communications [4:15]." School Library Connection, ABC-CLIO, November 2015, schoollibraryconnection.com/Content/Course/1987469?learningModuleId=1980795&topicCenterId=2247903.

View all citation styles

https://schoollibraryconnection.com/Content/Course/1987469?learningModuleId=1980795&topicCenterId=2247903

Entry ID: 1987469