For School Library Programs

 Advocacy  An on-going process of building partnerships so that others will act for and with you, turning passive support into educated action for the library program  Public Relations  A one-way communication to deliver a message  Marketing  A planned and sustained process to assess the customer’s needs and the to select materials and services to meet those needs: $$$$

 It begins with a vision and a plan for the library program* that is then matched to the agenda and priorities of stakeholders  The school library is a PROGRAM NOT just a facility NOT just a curriculum NOT just FTE’s  The school library program should link directly to major school improvement initiatives Loertscher, David V., and Valerie Diggs. “from library to learning commons a metamorphosis.” Teacher Librarian 36:4(2009) Professional Development Collection. EBSCO. Web 10 Feb. 2010“from library to learning commons a metamorphosis.”

 Who is your target audience?  What is important to your target audience?  What are the priorities of your target audience?  How can the library program priorities match the target audience priorities? In their eyes… It’s not about us; it’s about meeting their needs!

 Don’t confuse the audience with our jargon!  Learn to translate our terminology into the language of the audience. For example, we have talked for years about Information Literacy: do parents know what that is? How would they understand it better?

 Teacher librarians must use advocacy skills  Teacher librarians must collaborate and build partnerships  Teacher librarians must share success stories in an honest and compelling way  Teacher librarians must reveal the links to student academic success

 Needs of the target audience  Priorities of the target audience  Language of the target audience  Links to their agenda  How to build partnerships  How to collaborate*  Advocacy is built over time

CooperationCoordinationCollaboration Short termLonger termLong term Informal RelationsMore formal relationships More pervasive relationship No clearly defined mission Understand missionCommitment to a common mission No defined structureFocus on a specific effort or program Results in a new structure No planning effortSome planningComprehensive planning Individuals retain authority Authority still retained by individuals Collaborative structure determines authority

A vision A plan

 The Elevator Speech The Elevator Speech  Planned for unplanned encounters  Short, persuasive statements  Describe project, benefits, skills  30 seconds or 100 words in length  Nine ‘Cs’ ConciseConceptualClear ConcreteCompellingCustomized CredibleConsistent(non)Confrontational