Thing 20: Advocacy and Engagement

 

 
I found this Thing very interesting and worthwhile. This is actually a huge part of the job especially for solo/small librarians. Proving your worth and the impact of the library service becomes part of your daily task list. I think librarians are very good at getting the job done but not always so good at shouting about our worth. It is one area which I have had to work on during my career and one which unfortunately seems to be an essential and necessary skill. There are many stereotypes and preconceived judgements about our profession and it is a constant battle to overcome these on a daily basis.

Thus I choose Exercise 3: Name three ways in which you can demonstrate the impact and value of the library service that you work in or use.

I try to use each and every encounter as a way to market the library. Marketing what your Library Service does is a critical advocacy activity. Every query, every training session, every search  undertaken provides an opportunity to highlight the service. I utilise the library section of our website to highlight relevant information which I update on a monthly basis. I have developed a standardised literature search form and a series of Help Sheets. Every query is answered in a timely fashion and communication is key with our members. We value our service and listen to any suggestions that are forthcoming. We try to be as responsive as possible. The library is there first and foremost for its members so it is essential that we offer and are known for our good service.

We also gather feedback from our users and this is presented to management as part of the library's annual review. Our service is highly regarded and we try and ensure that the right people hear this. Being featured as part of the Annual Report is essential to ensure that the library remains visible.

It is important to have a presence within the organisation and garner support with management and key library users. One way of doing this is to have library champions, key users who will fight on your behalf. The HSLG commissioned the SHELLI report a few years ago and this was one of the suggestions. We try and get involved in key projects that are of relevance to the organisation and offer help and support when and where we can. We also write articles for our in-house journal that highlight the service and resources we have. This is delivered direct to our members so it is important to have a regular presence in this medium. Support is key to ensuring the longevity and survival of the service.

It is important to highlight the achievements of the service and be proactive and central to the organisation. A library and information service is only as good as the staff who operate it so always stay visible and relevant to your organisation.