Every Voice Makes a Difference: Frontline Library Employee Advocacy

Presented by Camila Alire, ALA President and Jeannie Dilger-Hill, Director of the La Grange (Illinois) Public Library.

This is a program designed by ALA President Alire to have our frontline staff (those who work at service desks) promote the library. Often times we think of our library administrators, board members, foundation and friends as promoters, but everyone in the library can promote what we do to, in order to help us weather and survive the current economic storm.

Frontline staff need to be able to articulate two simple concepts to the public:
1) the value of our libraries
2) their value as a library employee

This is done at their own comfort level, talking with those they know. It is very simple, easy to do, and it may be something we do already, every day, but we haven't given it a name or set it apart as a separate function of staff. Think about what you do while working at the Ref, Circ, Children's or Tech desks, how many times do you promote a program using the library calendar, perhaps you talk to a patron about the science fiction bookclub while you are helping them to locate a book, or give a flier to and talk about a computer class to a patron who is looking for an instructional computer book. Or maybe you are out of the library talking to a neighbor who is new to the area, they ask where you work, and you tell them all about the library. This is "frontline advocacy."

Every day is an advocacy opportunity. Here's what staff can easily do on a daily basis.
Take photos of programs (we already do this), when thanking volunteers be sure to include a sentence about their positive effect (done!). Create a "snapshot day," take library statistics for one day, including photos, patron quotes, at the end of the day all libraries report to the state legislature. One day has much more meaning, than a year's worth of statistics. It's easier to get a clear picture of one day; has more impact.

Another way to think of advocacy is "every day, you are campaigning for your job" on the front lines.

A Frontline Advocacy toolkit is available at: www.ala.org/frontlineadvocacy

I liked this program very much, and would like to talk about this at our staff meetings. It is definitely something we already do, but I think we could step it up a notch, and involve more of our Circ staff, and part-timers.