Advocacy

Advocacy Theme – What, Why, Who, When, and How?

What is advocacy?

"Advocacy is a planned, deliberate, sustained effort to raise awareness". (Pat Cavill. "On public relations, marketing and advocacy".)

We will raise corporate decision makers' awareness of the value of libraries and the information professional following Susan Dimattia's lead. In her address to the 1999 SLA Annual conference, Susan said:

"Our challenge, as special librarians, is to state the common sense of our value in plain and firm terms, to command the assent of the unbelievers in the world" (Information Outlook Vol. 3. No. 8. Page 23).

The message is that our unique combination of competencies enhances teams. This leads to better solutions for the organization. In plain and firm terms, "We add value!"

Why do we need to proclaim our value?

Proclaiming our value has to do with job security, power, self-esteem, and being invited to join teams where we can make a difference. It has to do with having interesting, challenging work, and opportunities to grow professionally.

Angela Abell reports that library and information professionals tend not to be included in knowledge management teams ("Carrying change to the core. Library Association Record Vol. 101. No. 10. Page 590-592). We know we can contribute a lot, but does anyone else?

What are the tools?

The tools are a variety of public relations and marketing techniques used to build support incrementally.

How? - A call to action!

As members of SLA-WCC, you are invited to participate in our advocacy campaign by:

• Sharing PR and marketing ideas through the chapter discussion list.
  

• Attending chapter programs with an advocacy theme.
  

• Taking part in International Special Librarians Day (ISLD) (April 13, 2000)
  

• Entering the ISLD theme one-liner contest described by John Crosby, SLA's PR Director ("The missing link. Information Outlook Vol. 3 No. 9 Page 88).
  

Hope to hear from you on the discussion list and see you at chapter programs!

We will celebrate SLA-Western Canada Chapter's fifteenth anniversary in the same month as ISLD 2000, so let's make it a memorable occasion by staging advocacy events across the chapter.

Together we will make a difference.