Libraries from Town Hall to Washington, DC: Have Your

Message Heard!

A Presentation for the New Jersey State Library Trustees

Presenter: Stephanie Vance

Topics

What Influences Elected Officials Tips and Techniques for Breaking Through

the Chaos Practice Makes Perfect! The Top Ten List of Things Elected Officials

and Staff Hate to Hear The One Little Thing That Makes ALL the

Difference

Is Government Broken?

Number of bills introduced in a Congressional session

Percentage of bills that pass Number of bills related to the renaming of post

offices and federal buildings Number of legislators in the NJ Legislature Each member of the NJ House represents

approximately how many people? Average time for a meeting with an elected official

Why is This Important?How Government Policies Affect YOUR Life

Activity Government Impact

Wake up to the Radio FCC Regulation of Spectrum

Have a Cup of Coffee Trade Tariffs on Coffee Beans

Drive to Work Government Building of Roads

Check E-mail Government Regulation of Telephony Services

How Government Policies Affect YOUR Life (Continued)

Activity Government Impact

Restroom Break Local Combined Sewer Overflow Regulations

Pick up Kids at Daycare Local Business Licensing Regulations

Stop at Grocery Store – pick up salad fixings

Government Agriculture Regulations

Go to Sleep Government Regulation of Dreams (Kidding!)

How Government Policies Affect Libraries

Activity Government Impact

Provide access to technology services

LSTA grants

Support for public libraries

Funding initiatives in the New Jersey legislature and locally

Fair use and copyright issues

Federal and state policies

Factors that Influence Elected Officials

What factors do YOU think influence an elected official?

Potential Factors:

Personal _______________– Friends– Staff– Family

Jobs / ____________ Issues in Their Districts

The _______________ ___________________??? The ________________ Their Own ____________

and Passions

MOST IMPORTANT

Their Constituents

Representative Democracy reflects and amplifies the POWER

of the Grassroots

What Doesn’t Influence Elected Officials (you might be surprised!)

Logic Polls Irrelevant statistics Policy requests tied to

campaign contributions

Why Should YOU Advocate? The POWER of Grassroots

Elected officials pay attention to the people who elect them, but only if those people know how to use their “Power of Constituency”

This is why YOUR voice is so important

But don’t just take my word for it!

How to Have Your Message Heard!

What do you want? Who should you ask? How should you ask? How should you

follow-up?

What Do You Want?

You must “Make the Ask”

Two Kinds of Asks: Policy Related and Relationship Building

Policy-related– Support for a bill– Support for funding

initiative– Support for change in

policies

Relationship Building– Newsletter Article– Public Statement – One minute or five

minute speech – Site visit– Website statement

Where can you find this out?

Who Should You Ask?

Key Questions Who do they care about?

Why are you relevant?

What does the elected official care about?

How can you frame the message?

Tips on Dealing With Staff

What Are They Looking For?

Remember, Your Issue Is One of Many

Staff Contact Has Advantages Over Member Contact

Institutional Memory in an Elected Official’s Office Can Be Short

Expect (and Appreciate) Youth

How Should You Ask? Follow the SPIT Rule

Be SpecificBe Personal (and Positive)Be InformativeBe TrustworthyOh, and be brief!

Let’s Practice!

The Top Ten List: What Staff & Elected Officials Hate to Hear

10. But I thought my appointment was with the Council member!

9. Here’s some reading material for you – our 300 page annual report

8. How much of a campaign contribution did your boss get to vote against (or for) this bill?

7. I assume you know all about bill number 1234

The Top Ten List, Continued

6. No, I don’t have an appointment but I promise I’ll only take ½ hour of your time.

5. No, I don’t really need anything specific. 4. What you’re telling me can’t be right. I heard

Jon Stewart from the Daily Show say otherwise. 3. We have ten (or more) people in our group. 2. What do you mean we have to stand in the hall?

… And the number one item?

No, I don’t represent anyone from your district. I just thought you’d be interested in what I have to say.

The One Little Thing That Makes ALL the Difference

Persistence

Persistence

Nothing in the world can take the place of Persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and Determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan “Press On”, has solved and will always solve the problems of the human race.

Calvin Coolidge

Or, for the more “Zen” oriented…

Persistence can grind an iron beam down into a needle.

What can you do to be more persistent?

Ask, ask and ask again until you get an answer If you get an answer you don’t like, ask a different

question Utilize all the resources at your disposal (NJSL,

NJLA and the NJLTA as well as the ALA and other acronyms!)

Find out this afternoon about more advocacy techniques – and maybe even create your own campaign!

Learn more about advocacy… Where can you find more resources?

Where else?

The Five Minute Action Plan

Based on everything we’ve discussed, what three things will you do in the next six months to advocate for library issues in New Jersey?

The Advocacy Pledge

Repeat after me…

Contact Information

Stephanie Vance

Advocacy Associates

1640 19th St., NW

Second Floor

Washington, DC 20009

(202) 234-1353

www.advocacyassociates.com

info@advocacyassociates.com