Advocacy ideas & links
From LSW
"So, how can a Friend's group advocate on behalf of the library?"
Quote by Alex Haley (Library Journal 1992) He said, "I just want to share with you, that if I got a job somewhere and there were three satellite communities where I could live, how I would choose a community to live in. I wouldn't ask anyone anything. I would first of all quietly go into each community and go into its library and in my own way I would decide which community's library was of the best caliber. Libraries are of whatever caliber they are because of what the community wishes them to be . . .They don't have political clout working for them.. it's whatever their community wants them to be. If you find a well-run, well-staffed library, a qualified librarian, it is because the people of that community have a level of culture . . and that would influence my choice." Alex Haley, Library Journal, January, 1992
Quote by Marcia Barker, Friends of the Canton Library
Mr. Haley has expressed the feelings of many Friends. A library truly is the measure of a community. It should reflect its patrons' wants and needs. It is the alternative to a "community center" as a gathering place. Its programming enhances the community's life style with appropriate offerings. It can be a port in a storm for travelers visiting you community and a "welcome wagon" to new residents. A library acts as an enabler to the business community and a visionary partner to the educational community. Friends have a tremendous influence on their library's effectiveness and image in the community. Let's all strive, as our library's ambassadors, to put our best foot forward.
