First, librarians must be aware of the needs of our libraries and communities. Our specialized knowledge of our libraries  and the good work that we do will translate into convincing “talking points” to share with decision makers. Finding this awareness is often a matter of perspective. Look at the big picture. Think about the library’s mission and vision. What does the library need in order to drive mission-critical programs; what does it need to achieve that vision? After determining the big picture needs, specify the mechanisms by which those goals will be met: for example, electronic subscription increases to meet off-site needs, updates to collections serving special populations, more equipment to meet the increasing demands of computer users?

For academic institutions, remember that the library is integral to the accreditation of the college or university. Sometimes, advocacy begins with convincing the school to continue certain programs or funding incentives. Remember, though, that every department on campus is competing for the same dollars, so frame the needs of your institution in the language of serving students and building strong collections and services to support curricula and accreditation.

A tangible example in the news of how academic libraries are in need: http://chronicle.augusta.com/news/metro/2010-03-06/budget-gamesmanship-play-georgia?v=1267923068.

Getting started is the hardest part. Developing a tactical plan for advocacy will provide a starting point for becoming a successful advocate. There is a tool available on the ALA’s website for doing exactly this. The Library Advocate’s Handbook can be found here: http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/ola/2008lah.pdf. Pages  7-15 give a step-by-step plan for getting started—from setting general goals to getting specific in the  supporting statements.

After developing an action plan, we must conquer some fears surrounding advocacy. If there is little support from superiors, then advocate close to home first. We must win them over to the cause before “going public.” If there is a person who is better suited to “selling” ideas, then he or she can be your “library spokesperson.” People from your user community (voter, citizen, student, concerned parent) are likely to get the attention of decision makers.

 The well-developed action plan will now help lead the advocate in several directions: extending reach into the community, increasing influence with local and/or college officials, even building an advocacy network.

The success of the advocacy plan depends on cooperation and commitment. Any messages reaching the public or decision makers must be consistent  and positive. Keep the end-goal in mind: Increase library funding for the good of the parent institution and the population it serves.

For more information on beginning an advocacy effort, see our discounted class: http://www.lyrasis.org/Classes%20and%20Events/Catalog/A/Advocacy%20What%20is%20it%20Live%20Online.aspx Get $25 off by entering discount code 2527717.

Featured class:
Advocacy: What is it? (Live Online)
04/06/2010, 10:00am-12:00pm EST
SAVE $25 when you register. Enter discount code 2527717.
In this two-hour introductory class, we will talk about the concepts and practices of advocacy as well as some of the potential roadblocks to advocacy.

More classes:

Develop Your Library Assessment Plan (Live Online)
04/06/2010 - 05/25/2010, 9:00am-10:00am EST. This class is comprised of 5 sessions.

Libraries and Services Going Mobile: Handheld Services for Libraries (Live Online)
04/06/2010 - 04/07/2010, 10:00am-12:00pm EST

Local Holdings Maintenance Basics (Live Online)
04/06/2010 - 04/07/2010, 10:00am-12:00pm EST
SAVE $25 when you register. Enter discount code 2527716

OCLC Connexion: Bibliographic Searching and Browsing Techniques (Live Online)
04/06/2010, 10:00am-12:00pm EST

Emerging Technologies for Library Managers (Live Online)
04/06/2010 - 04/07/2010, 2:00pm-4:00pm EST

WebJunction: An Introduction (FRESS session, Live Online)
04/06/2010, 2:00pm-3:00pm EST

Status Discarded: The Who, What, and How of Weeding (Live Online)
04/07/2010, 2:00pm-4:00pm EST

20 Questions: US Government Information (Live Online)
04/08/2010, 10:00am-12:00pm EST

Mass Digitization Collaborative Information Session (FREE session, Live Online)
04/08/2010, 2:00pm-3:00pm EST

Management 101: Budgeting and Policy Making (Live Online)
04/08/2010, 2:00pm-4:00pm EST

Library Design Symposium
04/09/2010, 9:00am-4:00pm EST
Hosted at Bryant University, Rhode Island

Step 5 Collect Recovery Procedures

If you have been following along; you have assessed the potential risks to your building and collections, identified essential services, and named your salvage priorities. Now its time to look outside of your agency and find recovery procedures that could be used if disaster really strikes.

What would you do with soggy books or drawers of wet microfilm? How would you recover items from a foot of mud in your basement? Start looking at salvage and cleaning procedures with an eye to the easiest way to recover your materials while mitigating further damage. You need to keep in mind the physical requirements of the procedure and the resources available to you. (We’ll talk more about resources in the next step.)

There are many resources available in print and online. Below are links to disaster preparedness and recovery web resources. This is a starting point. As you begin looking, it may seem overwhelming, but start with a few recovery procedures. Now that you know where to look, you can always find more later.

Disaster Mitigation and Recovery Resources

Disaster Preparedness and Recovery

Northeast Document Conservation Center – Preservation Leaflets

Heritage Preservation – Field Guide to Emergency Response & Disaster Wheel

National Park Service – Conserve O Grams

CoOL Conservation Online

If you come across disaster response and recovery plans that intrigue you or seem to mirror your agency – save them as well. You will be getting a start on a future step.

This step may take longer than the two weeks we are suggesting, but start today and be on your way to a Disaster Plan by MayDay 2010.

Step 6 will be presented March 22, 2010.

LYRASIS Preservation Services are funded in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Division of Preservation and Access.

Customers don’t have to worry about backup options for the data they create and store within Google Apps. They get best-in-class disaster recovery for free, no matter their size. Read post…

As a new trend, cloud computing involves delivering hosted services over the Internet without investing in new infrastructure, licensing new software, or training. There are many providers out there delivering on-demand, pay-for-use or subscription services (cloud services). These services are: Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), provides storage space and IP addresses on demand; Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) provides the platform to develop applications, e.g. database management, security, workflow management, application serving, etc.; Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), provide hardware, software, storage resources, and management.

So don’t get lost in the clouds. Make sure cloud services meet your needs in both functionallity and cost.  

Getting Graphic: Sequential Art (Live Online)
03/30/2010 - 03/31/2010, 10:00am-12:00pm EST

Introduction to Relais ILL (FREE online session, Live Online)
03/30/2010, 10:00am-11:00am EST

Cataloging for Non-Catalogers (Live Online)
03/30/2010, 10:00am-12:00pm EST
 
Mystery, Western and Adventure Fiction Reader’s Advisory (Live Online)
03/30/2010, 2:00pm-4:00pm EST
SAVE $25 when you register. Enter discount code 2527713

OCLC WorldCat Resource Sharing Basics (Live Online)
03/30/2010 - 04/01/2010, 2:00pm-4:00pm EST

Preserving Oral Histories (Live Online)
03/30/2010, 2:00pm-4:00pm EST
SAVE $25 when you register. Enter discount code 2527714

Introduction to Archon (Live Online)
03/30/2010, 2:00pm-4:00pm EST

Before You Begin: Becoming a Public Library Director (Live Online)
03/31/2010 - 04/01/2010, 2:00pm-4:00pm EST

Basic Digital Stewardship (Live Online)
03/31/2010, 2:00pm-4:00pm EST

Introduction to Metadata for Cultural Heritage Organizations (Live Online)
03/31/2010, 2:00pm-4:00pm EST
SAVE $25 when you register. Enter discount code 2527715

Volunteer Management: Selecting, Screening and Training (Live Online)
04/01/2010, 10:00am-12:00pm EST

Management 101: What is Management? (Live Online)
04/01/2010, 2:00pm-4:00pm EST

The Library of Congress and the Co-Publishers for RDA (Resource Description and Access) are pleased to announce that Cataloger’s Desktop subscribers will be able to access the RDA Toolkit (due in June 2010) via Cataloger’s Desktop.

Cataloger’s Desktop is the Library of Congress’s integrated, online documentation system for cataloging and metadata resources. RDA Toolkit is a browser-based, online collection of cataloging-related documents and resources, including RDA (Resource Description and Access). Used together and available 24-7, Cataloger’s Desktop and RDA will represent the current state of the art in cataloging and metadata documentation.

Once users subscribe to both Desktop and RDA Toolkit, they will also be able to access RDA through Desktop’s search and discovery interface. Hits (including hits in context) will display in Desktop’s Search Results pane. When subscribers click on a hit in RDA, they will be taken immediately to the content in the RDA Toolkit. In addition:  Once an RDA link is followed, Desktop users can access the full functionality of the RDA Toolkit (including workflows). Linking from RDA to LC Policy Statements (the successor to the LC Rule Interpretations) will be provided. The developers are working to make it feasible for subscribers to enter their RDA Toolkit login information in Desktop preferences to access both products seamlessly with a single login.

The Library of Congress, the nation’s oldest federal cultural institution, is the world’s preeminent reservoir of knowledge, providing unparalleled integrated resources to Congress and the American people. The Library serves the public, scholars, Members of Congress and their staff-all of whom seek information, understanding and inspiration. Many of the Library’s rich resources and treasures may also be accessed through the Library’s award-winning Web site www.loc.gov .

The RDA Toolkit is published by the Co-Publishers for RDA (the American Library Association, the Canadian Library Association, and Facet Publishing, the publishing arm of CILIP: the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals). The content of RDA has been developed in a collaborative process led by the Joint Steering Committee for Development of RDA (JSC). The RDA project is overseen by the Committee of Principals representing the American Library Association, the Canadian Library Association, the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, the Library of Congress, Library and Archives Canada, the British Library, and the National Library of Australia. For more information about RDA and the RDA Toolkit visit www.rdaonline.org .

Featured Class:
Fundamentals of Book Repair
03/23/2010 - 03/24/2010, 9:00am-4:00pm EST
Indiana State University

In this class, participants will learn how to perform simple, economical, quality repairs on materials in circulating and reference collections. Done properly, book repair is an effective preservation strategy that can extend the useful life of a collection and reduce replacement and binding costs. This class focuses on techniques that do not require expensive equipment and supplies, and can be performed successfully after a short training period. This is a two-day class and will be held at Indiana State University Terre Haute, IN.

More upcoming LYRASIS classes:

Accidental Original Cataloger: Description and Access Basics
03/23/2010, 9:00am-4:00pm EST
Hosted at Bowdoin College Library

Library of Congress Subject Headings Basics
03/24/2010, 9:00am-4:00pm EST
Bowdoin College Library

Technology Planning for Library Managers (Live Online)
03/23/2010 - 03/24/2010, 10:00am-12:00pm EST
SAVE $25 when you register. Enter discount code 2527711

Government Resources on the Web and Beyond (Live Online)
03/23/2010 - 03/24/2010, 2:00pm-4:00pm EST

Making the Most of Social Bookmarking in Your Library (Live Online)
03/23/2010, 2:00pm-4:00pm EST
SAVE $25 when you register. Enter discount code 2527712

20 Questions: Successful Strategies for Job Searchers (Live Online)
03/23/2010, 2:00pm-4:00pm EST

Advanced Local Holdings Maintenance (Live Online)
03/23/2010 - 03/24/2010

Mass Digitization Collaborative Information Session (FREE session, Live Online)
03/23/2010, 2:00pm-3:00pm EST

Foundations of Reference Service for Non-librarians (Live Online)
03/23/2010 - 03/24/2010, 2:00pm-4:00pm EST

Sustainability for Digital Projects & Programs (Live Online)
03/24/2010, 10:00am-12:00pm EST

Cataloging Basics: Description (Live Online)
03/24/2010 - 03/25/2010, 10:00am-12:00pm EST

Green Your Operations 15 Ways (Live Online)
03/25/2010, 10:00am-12:00pm EST

Step 4 Assess Salvage Priorities

In step 3 you were asked to identify essential services; the functions you need to get up and running first to best serve your staff and public. In step 4 we are going to address another priority. What are the salvage priorities of your collection. This includes the vital records of your agency and well as the jewels in your stacks.

Let’s talk about your vital records first. What records are necessary to support the functions you identified in step 3? What records are not backed up off site? These records should be on the top of your salvage priority list. This could include personnel records, shelf lists, accession records, and insurance documents. These are just examples; every agency will have its own. I would encourage you to find ways to back up these vital records. Perhaps you could make some sort of reciprocal agreement with an agency in another city or state. That way you can concentrate on recovering your collection.

What collections are integral to your mission? What collections are unique to you institution? What collections are the most fragile? Think not only of those individual items, but think in terms of whole collection areas. Do you have unique local history materials? Do you have runs of historic journals that are not easily replaced? Again, these are examples; every institution will have there own priorities. For many of us there are no research collections or rare items in our holdings, just materials that we would like to keep in an accessible state for our patrons. What then is the most fragile?

As you identify those records, items and collections – take note of their location. If you have just a few hours notice, can you quickly get those key collections out of the harms way? Or if you have limited access to an area of your institution, can you identify for others the things that you would like them to retrieve?

This is again time to refer to the policies of your organization; this includes your mission statement, collection development policies and any joint collection agreements you may have with other agencies. Also talk with your colleagues; they may identify items and collections that you hadn’t considered.

Why am I asking you to identify collection and records priorities? Here are three scenarios that may explain why. Think of what you would need to do if you knew that the near by river was likely to flood overnight. You have been told that evacuations begin in 3 hours. Is there any thing that you can do to reduce the possible damage to your collection? Perhaps move those vital records from their basement storage area. If you have identified the priority materials in advance – you know what you can do after you have seen to the needs of your visitors and staff.

Another scenario is that you get the call that your building now has a hole in it because a storm blew a tree through the windows and now water is pouring in. The first responders are willing to help you deal with collections near the hole, but they have limited time as they may be called to another emergency site do to the storm. Can you quickly identify the collections that would be best served by quick removal?

The last scenario: there has been a fire in your institution. Three quarters of your collection has smoke, heat and water damage. Are there collections of greater significance to your institution than others? What would you deal with first?

We are not trying to frighten you with the bad things that can happen to your collections. The purpose of this step is to identify those parts of your collections and vital records that would be the best served by your limited recovery dollars.

This step may take longer than the two weeks we are suggesting, but start today and be on your way to a Disaster Plan by MayDay 2010.

Step 5 will be presented March 8, 2010.

LYRASIS Preservation Services are funded in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Division of Preservation and Access.

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