By the conclusion of the Turning the Page workshop in Nashville, I was full of good ideas and loaded with lots of advocacy resources.  My posts summarizing a few of the sessions don’t do justice to the range and organization of the information presented.  The workshop was a wonderful opportunity for libraries, especially those that have not had a chance to plan and organize advocacy efforts in a significant way, to begin to do so.  It provides a foundation for planning through the excellent educational programs lead by seasoned trainers and paced so that there is time to interact with colleagues and facilitators to get questions answered.  The luncheon featuring a panel discussion with real-life elected officials and decision-makers drills home the need for research,  for getting to know your audience and for carefully  shaping your message.

Attendees leave with materials that recap each training module, a copy of the perceptions research report and a template for creating an advocacy  work plan to identify goals, develop a team and partners, track the project, identify and engage target audiences, and measure progress.  Creating and implementing an advocacy campaign seems very  possible!  Not bad for a free 2 day workshop.

Librarians who have attended previous TTP workshops or those who will do so in the future owe a big thanks to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and PLA for spearheading this effort.  If ever there was a time libraries are demonstrating their value, that time is now.  Our communities need us more than ever and we need new resources to keep up with demand.   This workshop gives us tools to get  more organized, sharpen our message, renew connections with long-standing constituents and develop new ones and use our passion for libraries to influence support.    I caught up with PLA’s Executive Director Greta Southard at the end of the workshop and I’ll leave you with her words:  “Now more than ever, effective advocacy is a critical skill for public librarians. Through the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, we were able to offer Turning the Page to PLA members at this year’s Spring Symposium free of charge. We are thrilled that nearly 100 librarians from across the country took advantage of this opportunity to gain the skills they need to create community partnerships, build alliances with local decision makers, and ultimately increase funding for their libraries.”