FOL's OLA Super Conference Presentation on Using Data and Stories for Advocacy

1. Using Data
and Stories
for Advocacy
Stephen Abram, MLS
OLA Super Conference
Jan. 28, 2016

2. If you don’t want to stay today …

3. These Slides are Available
• Stephen’s Lighthouse.com
• Slideshare.net
• Feel free to download, read, and re-use.

4. Just one point really . . .
Empower your users, members,
customers, trustees, etc. to . . .
Tell Their (and Your) Story

5. Not Simple or Easy

6. What do we need to know to
tell a story . . . with impact?

7. FOPL Positioning
• Simply put: Now more than ever before, Ontario’s Public Libraries play a critical role in the social,
educational, cultural and economic success of the communities in our province.
• Public Libraries are an essential investment in the future of our communities and are essential
drivers of success in school preparedness, reading readiness, economic and employment success,
and social equity.
• As the development of the knowledge economy progresses, public libraries are a vital link for
every resident and every community to ensure success of all Ontarians, regardless of location or
background.
7

9. FOPL Talking Points
The Public Library value proposition is strong and includes (but isn’t limited to):
– Excellent Return on Investment
– Strong Economic Development
– Great Employment Support
– Welcoming New Canadians
– Provable Early Literacy Development
– Ongoing Support for Formal Education and Homework Help
– Serve the whole community equitably
– Affordable access to community resources
– Access to Government Services and e-government
– Questions Deserve Quality Answers
– Support Cultural Vitality
– Recognized and Valued Leisure Activities for majority of Ontarians
9

11. What are our needs?
What are their needs?
Reflect: There is no such thing as average, a teen, a senior, a New Canadian, a mom, etc.

13. Lobbying for Public Libraries
• Library Day at Queen’s Park
• Representation at Town Halls and ministry consultation
events
• Submissions:
– Several submissions on e-Resources funding issue
– Several submissions on e-Book pricing issue
– Cabinet level submission to Karen Pitre, Cabinet Task Force on
Community Hubs
– Cabinet level submission to Task Force on Ontario’s First Culture
Strategy
– Submission on the Ontario government review of Municipal Act
and associated legislation
– Joint OLA/FOPL submission on the 2016 Ontario Budget

14. We got Data!
Context of FOPL Stats and Measurements
• Statistics and Measurements Strategies
– Participate in CLA task force on national statistics
– Host 3 iSchool symposia on measurements for libraries
– Lobby for open data for public libraries (win!)
– Publish analysis of Ministry data collection for 2001-2013. 2014 COMING SOON!
– Publish Market Probe opinion polls for 2015 (building on 2001, 2006, 2010 polls)
– Host and record webinars about Statistics and Measurements
– Coming Soon:
• FOPL Index of Community Engagement
• Province Wide tagline and Marketing Communications plan
• More webinars, legal opinions, lobbying, etc.
1
4

15. We got Data!
Marketing and Supporting Libraries
Research
• A census of public library e-presences (websites, social media and social networking). This will be a
critical channel for marketing libraries across our province.
• A collection of public library taglines from their websites.
• A review of the research on major public library "value" branding campaigns in Canada and the U.S.
• Focus group results and interviews with key internal and external stakeholders including librarians,
library staff, library board members and municipal administrators.
• We now know our statistics, have them in-house with a talented team of statisticians, and are well
on the way to develop new measurements for the 21st Century.
• Data on Ontario public library performance over time
• Data on our marketing channels, market positioning, and preparedness for a ‘push’ to improve
Ontarians knowledge of the value and impact of libraries
• Insights from stakeholders in libraries, boards and municipalities.
• A new 2015 public opinion poll of Ontarians attitudes towards public libraries and how they’ve
changed from our 2003, 2006, and 2010 polls.

16. What Public Libraries Say They Mean -
Missions

17. Marketing and Supporting Libraries
2016
Implementation
• Promote our infographics and develop more!
• Issue the updated Statistics Report for 2001-2014
• Develop a Tagline for public libraries in both
official languages with street interviews (hired
Overlap Associates)
• Implement a broad-based marketing plan
promoting the value and impact of public
libraries

18. What’s the Most Popular
Activity that Ontarians Choose?
Culture | Art | Sport | Shopping |
Fun
A PPT that you can edit, use, localize, customize, post, and more…

19. You saw the fabulous PPT (editable
and localizable) plus Social Media
Infographics
These can be used on any library’s web
presences – Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr,
Pinterest, Instagram, and so many more.

25. AND WE HAVE VIDEO TOO!
Visit FOPL.ca or Stephen’s Lighthouse for Prezi, PowToon, YouTube or
Sway videos and automated slide shows.

26. Free FOPL Advocacy and Influence
Training Series
• FOPL is excited to announce that access to our member training series is now open for members and non-members. This is a series
of webinars and teleconferences to build our sector's capacity for influence and advocating for the value of public libraries.
• #1&3: Factors influencing funding decisions by elected politicians at the state/provincial level: a case study of public libraries in
Canada: Part 1 & 2
– Instructor: Cheryl Stenström, PhD
• #2: Advocacy in Town and County libraries
– Speaker: Sam Coghlan (Retired, Stratford Public Library)
• #4: Advocacy for Urban Libraries
– Speaker: Ken Roberts (Retired, Hamilton Public Library)
• #5: The Top 6 Best Practices for Advocates in Any Setting
– Instructor: Professor Wendy Newman, MLS, University of Toronto iSchool
• #6: Community communication strategy at the Burlington Public Library
– Panel: Stephen Abram, Moderator
– Kerry Langford, Burlington Public Library Trustee
Maureen Barry, CEO, Burlington Public Library
• #7: Training in positive networking techniques and theories
– Instructor: Ken Haycock, MLS, MBA, PhD, University of Southern California
• #8: Advocacy in Small, Rural and Mid-Sized Libraries
– Moderator: Stephen Abram, FOPL
– Panel:
Mary Baxter, Georgina Libraries
Claire Dianne, Russell Public Library
Susan Downes, Innisfil Public Library
Rona O'Banion, King Township Public Library
Cindy Weir, Owen Sound Public Library

27. University of Toronto iSchool Advocacy
MOOC
• Library Advocacy Unshushed
• Become a powerful advocate for the values
and future of libraries and librarianship. Be
informed, strategic, passionate, and
unshushed!
• https://www.edx.org/course/library-
advocacy-unshushed-university-torontox-
la101x

28. Specifics to Tell a Story
• Homework positioning
• Seniors positioning
• Economic Positioning
• Early Years Positioning
• eGovernment
• Digital Divide and Access Divide
• Infrastructure capacity
• STEAM positioning and Maker + + +

29. What’s the ‘Problem”?
• We have a very COMPLEX (not complicated)
value proposition
• We have great competencies BUT we need to
up our game on influence, advocacy, and
focus.
• We engage with users on an emotional level
and don’t mine that to any great extent…
29

30. 30
Public Libraries Transform
Communities
• 99.34% of Ontarians have access to public library service.
• 444 municipalities offer public library service through 1,157 service
outlets.
• Almost 5.0 million Ontario residents have active library cards and over
75% of Ontarians used their library last year
• Ontarians borrow 131+ million items a year.
• Ontario’s public libraries provide access to 11,500 public computer
workstations, and hundreds of online resources.
• Ontario’s public libraries offer 203,964 programs with annual attendance
of 3,719,083 people.
• All of this at less than 49 cents per capita!
Source: 2013 Ontario Public Library Statistics, Ontario Ministry of
Culture.

31. IDEAS are the Currency of Influence

34. START WITH THE “WHY?”
Influence out of context is just a party conversation.

35. The Essential Definitions

36. Advocacy is Different
• Public Relations is getting your library’s
message across – This is who we are and what
we do, where and for whom.
• Marketing is understanding your customer
and how to best deliver services and products
• Advocacy is marketing an ISSUE. Support and
awareness are built incrementally. Advocacy is
an agenda and not an event!

37. Propaganda bad, Spin good.

38. Ask Yourself . . .
How do libraries differ as an issue?
Are libraries different than other community
or tax funded services?
Are librarians different than libraries?
View from the listener’s point of view and
experience?

39. Selling Ideas
You are engaging in an INFLUENCE
agenda.
Selling is not a dirty word!
Politics is not a dirty word!

40. Selling Yourself
You are engaging in a long term relationship!
Invest your personality
Position Yourself and not merely your
library’s resources and spaces. . .

41. YOUR COMMUNITY IMPACT AND VALUE
YOUR RESOURCES BUT AS THE FOUNDATION FOR
OUTPUTS NOT INPUTS
YOUR COMPETENCIES – NOT JUST YOUR SKILLS
YOUR INSIGHTS AND ADVICE
YOUR NETWORK AND CONNECTIONS
YOU!
What are you selling?

42. Managing Your Brand Equity
• Your social presence in person
– Dress
– Voice
– Office
– Handshake
– Active listening
– Conversation pieces
– The Introvert Advantage

43. Managing Your Brand Equity
• Your digital social presence
– LinkedIn
– Facebook
– Twitter
– Website
– e-mail signature
– Digital photo(s)
– Google search
– Publications
– SEO SMO GEO

44. To whom must you advocate?
• Your board of directors…
• Your community - Users, non-
users, clients, customers…
• Politicians and councils
• Users, clients, customers…
• Vendors…
• Who else?

45. Your Network

46. Essentials for Advocacy
• Someone who cares
• Courage
• Trustworthiness
• Passion
• Belief
• Proofs
• Stories and Knowledge
• Respect for whom you need to influence
• Understanding beyond caricature (e.g. Politicians, the
“Boss”, Teens, Seniors, The “Public”, Vendors...)

47. Definitions
"Advocacy is planned, deliberate, sustained
effort to develop understanding and support
incrementally over time."
- Dr. Ken Haycock

48. Before you
need it!!
When is Advocacy Needed?

49. AIDA: Attention, Interest, Desire, Action
‘

50. Why is Advocacy Needed?
• Is our environment changing? Then you need to advocate and re-
position.
• Are consumer or community expectations changing?
• Survive or Thrive? Choose words carefully since they frame
understanding . . .
• To avoid downsizing of locations, budgets, staff, collections that
hurt end-user success, opportunities and goals
• To address shallow thinking about the web, access, electronic
resources like e-books, or the role of community libraries
• To speak up for the silent majority of library users
• To position libraries in the minds of funders and decision-makers
• To prepare for future success and to build a well of support and
goodwill
• To inoculate against political trends and competition for resources
and capital within communities (police, fire, parks, etc.)

51. Advocacy
Activities
Must
Be
PLANNED!

52. Crafting messages
Am I an introvert or extrovert or somewhere in between?
Who is the general audience? Who is interested?
What interests them?
What should I do to pique their interest?
Will they agree with what I have to say?
And will they commit or just nod?
If not (which will likely be the case!) what counter-arguments
should I be prepared to answer?

53. Key Tactical Tips
• Mirror body image and stance
• Introduce others
• Lead the conversation
• Engage and Disengage
• Share your ideas
• People don’t care how much you know until
they know how much you care.
• Follow through

54. Logic and values
Bias: Impact, Quality, Speed, Time-savings, Authority,
Comprehensiveness, strategic alignment with
community needs,... the Truth?!
Why do you think there’s a problem at all?
Is it conceptual or pragmatic? What are the costs? Is their
perception of the ‘issue’ the same as your’s? Competition?
What kind of solution do you propose?
Does it ask me to do something or to understand something?
Does it match the problem exactly?
Is it a relatively better way, compatible with my methods,
less complex, trialable, and observable?

55. Plan within a plan
• Identify your goal and message
• Establish relationships with key decision makers
• Work with key stakeholders, find new friends
• Link with groups that may influence decisions
• Stay up-to-date with research
• Keep plans ongoing

56. Lobbying
Grassroots
Partnering

57. Robert Cialdini's Six Tactics
• Authority
• Consistency and
commitment
• Liking
• Reciprocity
• Scarcity
• Social proof

58. The Value of Conversations
source: http://www.distilled.co.uk/blog/wp-
content/uploads/2009/05/conversation.jpg

59. Beyond Elevator Speeches

60. The Elevator Speech

61. Timmies’ Coffee
http://lh4.googleusercontent.com/_ioCJ2kqZyyU/TWY39FR9okI/AAAAAAAAFT4/HkdkuHriXFY/s1400/020611-Tim-Hortons-001a.jpg

62. The Quick Break: Hot Dogs or Deli

63. Lunch

64. Social – Out(standing) in the Field

65. Can You Stand Out in a Crowd?

66. Metrics
• Traditional versus New Statistics / Altmetrics
• Statistics versus Measurements
• Visualizations
• Impact Studies using sampling
• Geo-IP data
• Massive increases in virtual usage
• Social Media
• Satisfaction surveys

69. Learn to tell a
story for
influence and
not just
Information
and
entertainment

70. VIP
• Value
• Impact / Influence
• Positioning
70

71. Qualities of Effectiveness
71
• LISTEN first
• Be visible
• Be likable
• Be FOR something . . . not just against a policy or
position.
• Be memorable
• Thank supporters for the past support - well and
often
• Follow up with a thank you note
• And don't complain, whine, attack, or be
memorably negative.

72. The Players
72
• Library board members (trustees)
• The CEO
• Library management team
• Library staff
• The union leadership
• Community partners
• Other municipal departments (that may be partners or
competitors for public or funding attention)
• Cardholders
• The community (groups, associations, individuals, donors)
• Your associations (FOPL, OLA, OLBA, OPLA, AMPLO, ARUPLO,
CELUPL, CULC) and suppliers (SOLS, OLS-N, vendors) who
have a shared interest in your success.

73. Tips
• Be short and to the point
• Avoid library jargon
• Be visual (pictures and charts)
• Avoid raw statistics and instead show
measurements and impact
• Make your point about impact memorable.
• Train everyone connected to your talking points
so that they can follow up and not just parrot.
73

74. The Impact Factor Checklist
• Brief
• Succinct
• Complete
• Intelligible
• Shock Value/Surprise
• Upbeat
• Illustrative
• Appropriate
• Personable
• Memorable
• Inspirational
• Actionable 74

75. Test Your Story(ies) using these ?’s
• Is it short and sweet? Can listeners quickly get the message and repeat it to others
later
• Is there just enough detail to get the point across or does it wander?
• Does if answer the basic questions: Who? What? When? Where? How?
• Will your audience appreciate the situation you are describing? Does this tale
resonate?
• Is the situation unusual in any way? Can the ending be predicted? Where’s the
“punch line”? Are they likely to retell it?
• Does the story have a happy ending? Finish on a high note.
• Does this story implicitly illustrate an impact the library made and the outcome
you want?
• Does this story fit with your main business?
• Will the audience identify with or care about your story’s hero?
• Will the listener be able to remember this story? Can it be easily retold?
• Does the story have the potential to cause listeners to think about what it means
to them?
• Does the story have the potential to spring the listener to a new level of
understanding and action? 75

76. Implementation: Talking Point Tools
• Tools
– Presentations
– Handouts
– Annual Reports
– Video (YouTube)
– Social Media (Facebook,
Twitter, Pinterest,
Instagram, Tumblr, Flickr,
etc.)
– Press releases
– Print Media
– Events
76

77. Strategies – P’s and C’s and more
• Who?
• What?
• Where?
• When?
• Why?
• How?
• (News)
• Product
• Place
• Positioning
• Promotion
• People
• Price
• Public
Relations
• (Kotler)
77
 Plan
 Ploy
 Pattern
 Priorities
 Position
 Perspective
 (Mintzberg)
 Concept
 Common Interest
 Community
 Context
 Creativity
 Content
 Climate
 Collaborators
 Counsellors
 Competitors
 Citizens
Proper Planning Prevents Poor Performance

78. Testimonials and Word-of-Mouth

79. Find Target, Aim, Shoot, Check-in

80. Be The Sun

81. Stand Out in a Crowd

82. Ask for It!

83. Drive them
to what
they want

85. Speak
Up!

86. Money is not the key.

87. TIME IS THE KEY

88. Thank Heaven You Have the Library!

89. The Virtual Handout (English Content)
• Value of Libraries Megapost
http://stephenslighthouse.com/2013/08/29/value-of-libraries-megapost/
• The Value of Public Libraries
http://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/06/the-value-of-public-libraries/
• The Value of School Libraries
http://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/06/the-value-of-school-libraries/
• The Value of Academic and College Libraries
http://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/07/value-of-academic-and-
college-libraries/
• The Value of Special Libraries
http://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/07/value-of-special-libraries/
• Library Advocacy: Save the Library Campaigns
http://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/01/save-the-library-campaigns/
• Springboard Stories
http://stephenslighthouse.com/2010/04/07/having-the-value-
conversation-springboard-stories/
• Cheryl Stenström's dissertation
• http://eprints.qut.edu.au/59510/

90. Stephen Abram, MLS, FSLA
Federation of Ontario Public Libraries
Lighthouse Consulting
Cel: 416-669-4855
stephen.abram@gmail.com
Stephen’s Lighthouse Blog
http://stephenslighthouse.com
Thanks!