Director's Notes
by Terry Dawson

Library Advocates

This has been a busy year for advocacy on library issues. Advocacy is a word which is getting a redefinition, or perhaps a new focus. For years, librarians have known that we need to work for budgets on the state, local and federal levels. Librarians expect to do this, but also rely on Boards of Trustees and Friends groups, especially on the local level. Indeed, local government is the most immediate and the most accessible, where citizens readily know that their voices make a difference. Librarians also work to market their services, to help people make the most of what the library has available, and understand how it can make a positive difference in lives.

Advocacy falls somewhere between marketing and lobbying. Library advocates work to help people understand how libraries can make a positive difference in communities. Advocates work to help libraries be more effective. In many ways, this is the same old wine of trustees and friends in a brand new bottle. But advocacy is also a way for different and complementary groups to work together.

A satisfied customer who shares a positive library experience is an advocate. A parent who brings their child to a library story hour and shares their experiences with a relative is an advocate. A library staff person who tells their neighbor about their pride in their work is an advocate. A donor who helps the library purchase materials or innovative technology is an advocate. A trustee who writes to a legislator about state library law is an advocate. A volunteer who helps clean up messy shelves is an advocate. A congressman who stands up for free speech and library privacy rights is an advocate. And an author who publicly objects to his works being taken out of libraries is an advocate.

What is new is an awareness that we as a profession, and as a community of library supporters, need to be more aware and intentional about advocacy. In the face of narrow attitudes such as the Internet replacing libraries despite record-setting levels of use, in the face of increasing concerns for public funding, we need to be aware and to help each other out. That's why the efforts of the Wisconsin Library Association Foundation to build a campaign for Wisconsin's Libraries are vital. That's why the efforts of trustees and other advocates to work together are vital. That’s why the increased use of volunteers is vital. And that's why good customer service to all of our library users is vital. We depend on one another. To all those helping each other out, trying to make it work better, thank you!