Comments on: The Why, How, and What of Library Advocacy http://agnosticmaybe.wordpress.com/2011/06/21/the-why-how-and-what-of-library-advocacy/ the neverending reference interview of life Fri, 17 May 2013 00:38:43 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: Turn the World Around « Agnostic, Maybe http://agnosticmaybe.wordpress.com/2011/06/21/the-why-how-and-what-of-library-advocacy/#comment-4895 Sun, 26 Jun 2011 18:32:37 +0000 https://agnosticmaybe.wordpress.com/2011/06/21/the-why-how-and-what-of-library-advocacy/#comment-4895 [...] the heels of my “Why, How, What” advocacy post, I’ve been thinking that the profession needs what can only be described as an old fashioned [...]

]]> By: laura k http://agnosticmaybe.wordpress.com/2011/06/21/the-why-how-and-what-of-library-advocacy/#comment-4883 Wed, 22 Jun 2011 16:41:21 +0000 https://agnosticmaybe.wordpress.com/2011/06/21/the-why-how-and-what-of-library-advocacy/#comment-4883 Thanks for this post: I think these are very important points, and while my perspective differs a bit, as an academic librarian, bringing the marketing back to emotion, passion, and our role in our respective communities is what will forge bonds with our patrons (and potential patrons).

]]> By: Andy http://agnosticmaybe.wordpress.com/2011/06/21/the-why-how-and-what-of-library-advocacy/#comment-4881 Wed, 22 Jun 2011 04:06:44 +0000 https://agnosticmaybe.wordpress.com/2011/06/21/the-why-how-and-what-of-library-advocacy/#comment-4881 I’d say that DVDs fall into different literacies; you have print literacy, media literacy, and the whole literacy bag there. I think if you start getting into literacy hierarchies is where you run into trouble; where do you draw the lines for which are more important than others. Plus, in relation to the rest of the collection and the amount of use, it falls into a minority.

I think it does mesh, but obviously I’m a bit biased on this one. If anyone else wants to offer another opinion, I’m more than open to hearing it.

]]> By: Andy http://agnosticmaybe.wordpress.com/2011/06/21/the-why-how-and-what-of-library-advocacy/#comment-4880 Wed, 22 Jun 2011 04:01:30 +0000 https://agnosticmaybe.wordpress.com/2011/06/21/the-why-how-and-what-of-library-advocacy/#comment-4880 Thanks for your comment. The problem I have with the point about people not knowing what the library does is that I don’t think it changes people’s minds about the library in a significant manner. I am unaware of someone radically changing their stance on the library because they found out about DVD lending or story time hours. It bogs down the conversation about the library into a list of services and materials and buries the ‘why’ in a pile of prose.

It’s not a matter of assuming that everyone knows what the library does; that’s a Sisyphean task of marketing and advertising. It is a matter of knowing why the library is there. Sure, you can include what the library does as part of library advocacy, but in my opinion it’s more worthwhile to use that space to ask for assistance.

]]> By: stuartspencersmith http://agnosticmaybe.wordpress.com/2011/06/21/the-why-how-and-what-of-library-advocacy/#comment-4876 Tue, 21 Jun 2011 17:26:41 +0000 https://agnosticmaybe.wordpress.com/2011/06/21/the-why-how-and-what-of-library-advocacy/#comment-4876 I think the why often tends to be a “wishful” why and not the real why. Your what should reflect your why, right? If not, that’s not the sign of success, is it? I mean, if you why is to promote literacy, what does offering DVDs for checkout do? If the why is to create happier and enriched citizens, does your what or how actually mesh with your why? I would argue it doesn’t.

I think you might have stumbled upon the secret. Nobody mentions the “why” because it would mean they have to change their “what” and “how” pretty dramatically.

]]> By: The Why, How, and What of Library Advocacy « Y's Guide: SLMPS http://agnosticmaybe.wordpress.com/2011/06/21/the-why-how-and-what-of-library-advocacy/#comment-4875 Tue, 21 Jun 2011 14:25:20 +0000 https://agnosticmaybe.wordpress.com/2011/06/21/the-why-how-and-what-of-library-advocacy/#comment-4875 [...] The Why, How, and What of Library Advocacy « Agnostic, Maybe. [...]

]]> By: Marleah Augustine http://agnosticmaybe.wordpress.com/2011/06/21/the-why-how-and-what-of-library-advocacy/#comment-4874 Tue, 21 Jun 2011 13:48:09 +0000 https://agnosticmaybe.wordpress.com/2011/06/21/the-why-how-and-what-of-library-advocacy/#comment-4874 You make some great points about how to enhance our advocacy efforts. However, I think some of your earlier points aren’t accurate. There are MANY people who do not know what the library does, or who think you can only get reference books there. We have people who have lived in our community all their lives who don’t know that we circulate DVDs – and we’ve been doing that for over 15 years. Or there are people in town who are new parents and never had a reason to learn about story times for kids – but now they do, and they need to find out. Or they don’t know that we have public computers, or audiobooks that you can download from home, or music events, or art shows. So you can’t assume that everyone knows what the library does.

All of that can be lumped in with some of the “how” and “why” that you outline though. I think it’s a worthwhile effort to aim more toward “how” and “why” while still incorporating the “what”.

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