Library Advocacy........

Our assignment for the week was to define library advocacy and to tell what it means to advocate for our library.

Advocacy is defined as a sustained effort by Librarians and Library associations to keep libraries and the work they do in the minds of the people who make the decisions that affect libraries. Issues in library advocacy include funding, accessibility for specialized groups, intellectual freedom, preferential treatment given to libraries as compared to other sectors.
Advocacy is to speak on behalf of; to positively argue on behalf of another. It means communication, as an individual or group: with decision makers, and others in support of; or opposition to specific issues. I will advocate for my library by promoting the things that are taking place in the library.

This is a critical time for library advocacy. Decisions are being made at all levels of government about funding, copyright, telecommunications, intellectual freedom, and other policy issues that will shape libraries and public access to information. Think about what is going within the district right now with librarians. I send out kuddos to those librarians and supporters who met during the June 23 meeting standing up for our rights. As Gay stated in an email that we have to promote our libraries so that district will know that the library is as important as the Science or Math classroom. Student achievement is what we are all about.