But people are still asking this question. And this concerns me because I’ve been hearing this question since I started library school in 2003. To be clear, I’m not worried that after hearing this same question for almost ten years I’m going to lose it and unleash my 13 year old snarky self (although, that is a valid concern). I’m worried that we are still not doing enough to articulate our current value to our communities. Which is strange because I feel like every where I look, there are reports of the dramatic increase in library use—especially since the economic recession.

At WebJunction, we’ve just published Project Compass Lights a Path to Workforce Recovery. This is the year two report for the IMLS funded project working with library staff across the country to develop programs and services to assist the un(der)-employed. Here’s what I find exciting about the year two report: it gives me the talking points I need to respond to the ridiculous “do we still need libraries?” question without sounding like a big jerk. It helps me articulate the conscience shift library staff are making toward helping their patrons develop 21st century skills. As one Project Compass participant stated, “The discussion of 21st century skills reminded me that current job seekers need to develop not only specific technological skills but a whole new mind-set which is more open to constant change, learning and creative problem solving.” The report also speaks to the number of library staff across the country who are committed to preparing their communities for the needs of the 21st century. Almost 2000 library staff attended a Project Compass in-person workshop and over 300 staff attended the online workshops. There were over 16,000 views of the discussion topics for those online workshops—that’s about 16,000 times that library staff have looked to increase their skills and develop creative solutions to support the economic health of their community! At the same time that we see that there is a national movement of library staff taking purposeful steps to support their communities, the report also details some of the innovative approaches library staff are taking, how they are changing people’s lives and why they are critical. One Project Compass participant stated, “A recent laid-off employee came in and had no idea of how to use the laptop to complete her paperwork. She was almost in tears when she found out it all had to be done over the Internet. After spending some time and explaining how the laptop works and the info she was going to need she felt better. Now every two weeks she comes in and acts like a pro on it and has even helped others on how to use the e-gov computer.”

As I bring up these points to answer the dreaded question, I can see the light bulb go off. So I’m going to keep talking about Project Compass, our innovative workforce resources, and how libraries are positioning themselves as economic beacons in their communities until I don’t have to hear that (!#@%ing) question anymore. I don’t think I could ever get tired of hearing in an earnest, conspiratorial tone, “Libraries? You know, I think they’re totally invaluable in this day & age.”

First, the why.

“If you don’t tell your story first, someone else will.”
When you write your own story, you share your vision and select the elements that convey the vision most vividly. If you let someone else control the narrative, it will probably not be the picture you want to paint about your organization.

“Touch the heart to facilitate change.”
Facts, figures and dry logic don’t convince people to change. We all have “confirmation bias,” but stories can penetrate those entrenched beliefs.

“Stories are sticky.”
The brain is “neurologically organized to remember narratives” better than statistics and bullet lists. Even more so if the story engages the emotions of the audience.

“Stories build community.”
The concept of belonging to a community is powerful for people. When the library tells stories about its role in the community, it strengthens the ties among its members.

What makes a good story?

Most of us are not naturally gifted or trained as professional storytellers. Presenters Kate Marek and Chris Rippel both provided sound and reassuring advice for developing your ability to relate an effective story without formal training.

Kate outlined 7 basic ingredients for creating a good story:

1. Be authentic; speak from the heart; be yourself.
2. Use broad strokes; be accurate but not bogged down in detail.
3. Consider your audience and your goals.
4. Be brief; beware of TMI (too much information).
5. Be consistent.
6. Listen to others and to other stories.
7. Practice!

Chris analyzed some of the key characteristics of story that draw us in and compel us to listen. I recommend reading his full article on How to tell library stories. Some elements that may be surprising include:

• In a library story, the main character is the community member, with the library and staff as secondary characters. So it is not just a description of the good service provided by the library; it’s a story of change and a restoration of balance for the protagonist.
• A good story can be as short as 6-8 sentences. A “springboard story” presents a very short but evocative situation in order to lead in to longer discussion about an issue.
• There are situations for which a story does not need an ending. When the library is enlisting support for a new project or seeking funding, it is an effective strategy to engage the audience in the drama of the effort, asking them to participate in the positive resolution of the “heroic struggle.”

There’s much more to this story. To watch the entire webinar and connect to related resources, go to:
Organizational Storytelling for Librarians: Using Stories for Leadership, Community, and Advocacy

Data visualization is a fancy way to say pictures with words and numbers. It is a graphic approach that makes relationships easier to see at a glance and makes the stories behind the data more memorable. The Colorado BTOP poster at right is an example of this “picture superiority effect” (more fancy terminology). It conveys attention-grabbing statistics with a graphical layout that is readily digestible in its simplicity and color. You easily “get the picture.”

But really, “the purpose of visualization is insight, not pictures.” (quotation from Ben Shneiderman) Which brings in the advocacy piece. Emerson takes the idea a step further, saying that the purpose is insight that leads to change, with change in the world being the ultimate goal of advocacy. Based on the premise that “you get 5 minutes with a legislator” to convey your message, he emphasized the critical importance of planning your visualization carefully, being clear about your goals, and knowing what your audience cares about—“what keeps them up at night.” With some thoughtful mapping, you’re better equipped to make decisions about how to design to your audience and what to emphasize.

Emerson offered plenty of practical design tips. We all have an internalized visual literacy with which we respond intuitively to graphic metaphors: big things are more important, happy is up, lines are paths. These abstractions, which we  grasp without thinking, are the essential building blocks of effective data visualization. Trim to the essence and avoid excess detail.

Don’t just take it from me. Watch the archived recording and get the full picture from Emerson. The archive page also has many links to tools (like 10 Awesome Free Tools To Make Infographics), sources of inspiration, books, data sources, and some resources added by webinar attendees.

As an introduction to the revised edition of the popular “Small But Powerful Guide to Winning Big Support for Your Rural Library,” this one-hour webinar was indeed “Small But Powerful.” It packed a punch of great insights and ideas that will help small libraries stay strong, relevant, and vital to the communities they serve.

Jennifer Peterson, community manager at WebJunction, ARSL board member and chair of ALA Rural, Native, and Tribal Libraries of All Kinds Committee, kicked it off with suggestions for “amplifying the value” of libraries every day and everywhere through the use of technology tools and data resources. Reach beyond the library walls with cool tools like digital frame slide shows, social “satellite” sites (Facebook, Twitter, etc.), library calculators, and videos of non-library people expressing what they value about the library.

Susan Hill Pieper, director of the Paulding County Carnegie Library (OH), shifted the presentation into high gear with her no-nonsense advice and first-hand experiences that have built a community of patrons who “cannot imagine life without the public library” and will rally enthusiastically to support it. Counseling that “your library must show excellent service consistently” in order to garner ardent support, Susan discussed a host of strategies and tips for sustaining a “modern library”—no matter how small—and for broadcasting its value loud and clear. She urges libraries to be willing and ready to adopt new technologies but to examine them for relevance and meaning to each community. The audience appreciated her example of scrutinizing “self check-out” for its detraction from the one-on-one interactions that may be the soul of the rural community library.

Marci Merola, director of the ALA Office for Library Advocacy, wrapped up the session with a quick tour of the substantial aggregation of resources that ALA has amassed on behalf of library advocacy efforts. Their Advocacy University is a potent collection to get you amplifying your library’s value on multiple fronts.

This is just an appetizer for the full meal of possibilities. Go to the webinar archive page for:

• Link to the Small But Powerful Guide (it’s free to download or you can order print copies)
• The archived recording of the webinar
• The webinar chat log (lots of ideas shared and questions answered in the sidestream)
• Links to related resources

Created by OCLC and funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Geek the Library illustrates the fact that everyone is passionate about something—everyone “geeks” something—and that the public library supports it all. The campaign materials include advertising, collateral, a campaign Web site, social media and other online tools. The campaign message is bold and simple, and it focuses on the critical role that public libraries play in our communities while raising awareness of local library funding challenges.

OCLC piloted the campaign last year with nearly 100 libraries in many communities in southern Georgia and central Iowa, as well as libraries in Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin. Geek the Library helped participants educate the public about the value of the library and library funding, and start important local funding conversations. The results of the pilot are encouraging. People noticed it and it’s making an impact!

After just five months, over 60 percent of residents in central Iowa and nearly 50 percent of residents in southern Georgia were aware of the campaign. More than two thirds of people had taken action or intended to take action in response to the campaign, including visiting their local library or talking about the campaign to friends and family. And, in southern Georgia, there was a statistically significant improvement in people’s willingness to support an increase in library funding.

A few pilot libraries also reported other positive outcomes as a result of improved community perceptions, such as fewer budget cuts (and even increased financial support) from both the local and state level, and increased staff compensation. The results of the Geek the Library pilot will be available in a comprehensive report later this year.

OCLC is currently accepting requests from libraries and library systems interested in implementing Geek the Library in their community. To learn more visit get.geekthelibrary.org.