1. Libraries from Town Hall to Washington, DC: Have Your Message Heard! A Presentation for the New Jersey State Library Trustees Presenter: Stephanie Vance

2. Topics What Influences Elected Officials Tips and Techniques for Breaking Through the Chaos Practice Makes Perfect! The Top Ten List of Things Elected Officials and Staff Hate to Hear The One Little Thing That Makes ALL the Difference

3. Is Government Broken? Number of bills introduced in a Congressional session Percentage of bills that pass Number of bills related to the renaming of post offices and federal buildings Number of legislators in the NJ Legislature Each member of the NJ House represents approximately how many people? Average time for a meeting with an elected official

4. Why is This Important? How Government Policies Affect YOUR Life ActivityGovernment Impact Wake up to the RadioFCC Regulation of Spectrum Have a Cup of CoffeeTrade Tariffs on Coffee Beans Drive to WorkGovernment Building of Roads Check E-mailGovernment Regulation of Telephony Services

5. How Government Policies Affect YOUR Life (Continued) ActivityGovernment Impact Restroom BreakLocal Combined Sewer Overflow Regulations Pick up Kids at DaycareLocal Business Licensing Regulations Stop at Grocery Store – pick up salad fixings Government Agriculture Regulations Go to SleepGovernment Regulation of Dreams (Kidding!)

6. How Government Policies Affect Libraries ActivityGovernment Impact Provide access to technology services LSTA grants Support for public libraries Funding initiatives in the New Jersey legislature and locally Fair use and copyright issues Federal and state policies

7. Factors that Influence Elected Officials What factors do YOU think influence an elected official?

8. Potential Factors: Personal _______________ – Friends – Staff – Family Jobs / ____________ Issues in Their Districts The _______________ ___________________??? The ________________ Their Own ____________ and Passions MOST IMPORTANT Their Constituents Representative Democracy reflects and amplifies the POWER of the Grassroots

9. What Doesn’t Influence Elected Officials (you might be surprised!) Logic Polls Irrelevant statistics Policy requests tied to campaign contributions

10. Why Should YOU Advocate? The POWER of Grassroots Elected officials pay attention to the people who elect them, but only if those people know how to use their “Power of Constituency” This is why YOUR voice is so important

11. But don’t just take my word for it!

12. How to Have Your Message Heard! What do you want? Who should you ask? How should you ask? How should you follow-up?

13. What Do You Want? You must “Make the Ask”

14. Two Kinds of Asks: Policy Related and Relationship Building Policy-related – Support for a bill – Support for funding initiative – Support for change in policies Relationship Building – Newsletter Article – Public Statement – One minute or five minute speech – Site visit – Website statement

15. Where can you find this out?

16. Who Should You Ask? Key Questions  Who do they care about? Why are you relevant?  What does the elected official care about?  How can you frame the message?

17. Tips on Dealing With Staff What Are They Looking For? Remember, Your Issue Is One of Many Staff Contact Has Advantages Over Member Contact Institutional Memory in an Elected Official’s Office Can Be Short Expect (and Appreciate) Youth

18. How Should You Ask? Follow the SPIT Rule Be Specific Be Personal (and Positive) Be Informative Be Trustworthy Oh, and be brief!

19. Let’s Practice!

20. The Top Ten List: What Staff & Elected Officials Hate to Hear 10. But I thought my appointment was with the Council member! 9. Here’s some reading material for you – our 300 page annual report 8. How much of a campaign contribution did your boss get to vote against (or for) this bill? 7. I assume you know all about bill number 1234

21. The Top Ten List, Continued 6. No, I don’t have an appointment but I promise I’ll only take ½ hour of your time. 5. No, I don’t really need anything specific. 4. What you’re telling me can’t be right. I heard Jon Stewart from the Daily Show say otherwise. 3. We have ten (or more) people in our group. 2. What do you mean we have to stand in the hall?

22. … And the number one item? No, I don’t represent anyone from your district. I just thought you’d be interested in what I have to say.

23. The One Little Thing That Makes ALL the Difference Persistence

24. Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and Determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan “Press On”, has solved and will always solve the problems of the human race. Calvin Coolidge

25. Or, for the more “Zen” oriented… Persistence can grind an iron beam down into a needle.

26. What can you do to be more persistent? Ask, ask and ask again until you get an answer If you get an answer you don’t like, ask a different question Utilize all the resources at your disposal (NJSL, NJLA and the NJLTA as well as the ALA and other acronyms!) Find out this afternoon about more advocacy techniques – and maybe even create your own campaign! Learn more about advocacy… Where can you find more resources?

27. Where else?

28. The Five Minute Action Plan Based on everything we’ve discussed, what three things will you do in the next six months to advocate for library issues in New Jersey?

29. The Advocacy Pledge Repeat after me…

30. Contact Information Stephanie Vance Advocacy Associates 1640 19 th St., NW Second Floor Washington, DC 20009 (202) 234-1353 www.advocacyassociates.com info@advocacyassociates.com