advocacy

Business Librarian at the Crystal Lake Public Library here.  I had a patron come in for a one-on-one reference appointment shortly before the COVID-19 lockdown went into effect.  She and her partner were looking to open a bookstore and needed help gathering information.  I showed her our collection of business books, worked with her to find resources on writing a business plan, and demonstrated a couple of databases that would help her in her quest. 

I recently met with my state senator to talk about support for libraries. It was an interesting conversation and at the very least, I hope I made her think differently about what is happening in libraries. My own journey to this meeting was a bit odd, but I wanted to share it with you in case you might want to go on your own advocacy journey.

RAILS Member Engagement Manager Dan Bostrom talks with Andrea Perrin, Janine Asmus, Gail Meyer, & Robyn Whitlock about their letter published in the Chicago Tribune. These four Association of Illinois School Library Educators (AISLE) members discuss why school libraries are so important and what librarians can do to advocate for the profession.

Thanks to all who filled out the recent My Library Is... survey!

In November 2021, RAILS conducted four separate surveys targeted at our four library types (academic, public, school, and specialized) to measure awareness of the My Library Is... campaign and to determine what changes to the website/campaign could help libraries more effectively demonstrate their value to different stakeholders, justify the need for continued or increased library funding, and more. 

Did you know that there are over 100 specialized libraries in RAILS? Each specialized library serves a unique audience with specialized resources. As part of the My Library Is... campaign, RAILS is looking to spotlight specialized libraries and how they make a difference in their organization. Through a series of video interviews called the Specialized Library Spotlight, RAILS will discuss how each library serves their audience and how they tell their story.

Do you need help demonstrating the value of your library to different stakeholders? Want to know what to say to justify the need for continued/increased library funding or staffing? Would you like to attract new library users? Want advice on how to promote the library’s role in identifying fake news or why libraries are needed more than ever in the internet age?
 

Listening to the radio recently, I was reminded that this week is the semi-annual fundraising drive for my local public radio station.

Small and rural libraries play a critical role in connecting community members to vital resources and programs.  Each year nearly 30 million Americans are served by the nation’s approximately 4,000 rural library systems.  This number illustrates the value that local communities place on library services.  Small and rural libraries are the heart of the community they serve.  Like their counterparts they are a place of information, a community hub connecting people to people offering safe havens for their users while providing the range of information resources ne

What happens when you realize that your community is unaware that they have access to a library? You apply for a My Library Is... grant and use those funds to create awareness that the public library is combined with the school library!