#CPD23 Thing 16: Advocacy and Why Libraries Really Do Matter ...

**Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this post are strictly my own, and not those of my employer.**

More 23 Things - this time Thing 16.


ad·vo·ca·cy (noun)
The act of pleading for, supporting, or recommending -- dictionary.com

I feel as if every day I am advocating in some way, shape, or form - or at least trying to. Most days, it feels like an uphill battle, but I press on ... I'll give you a bit of background:
The campus where I work has struggled to see the importance of our Learning Resource Center (the name for my library). Much of my frustration that you will feel within this post, stems from the fact that the leadership's opinion of the library and what we are there to do is based very much on perception. For instance, if we are seen sitting at our desks looking at the computer (which is how I can be found during most of my work day), the perception is that we are sitting with nothing to do, perhaps playing on Facebook (which I rarely open), desperately waiting for someone to come in and ask a question. Now, if I were to list for you my daily activities and the projects that I'm currently working on, I might lose all of my readers due to the massively long post length. I won't do that...but take my word for it, I'm not slacking at my desk! On the contrary, I am very much involved in projects that benefit our organization as a whole (not just my campus), and I am implementing two amazing programs that are sure to be a big hit once they are said and done.

I give all of this background information not to complain, but rather to indicate that I am constantly trying to find new ways of promoting my library services and resources to both our student population, and our faculty and staff (so if you have ideas, please let me know in the comment area). My hope is for the staff in particular, to somehow miraculously have a light bulb moment that instantly shows agreement of our importance. To be honest, I don't see this happening, but I can rest easy in knowing that those that matter (academics), know and understand what we're trying to do for the students of my campus. Many of the students are already showing great improvement due to our classroom instruction sessions and the information literacy course that I teach.

But - is it enough to stop fighting and accept that some people just aren't going to get on board with what we're trying to do? Where is the line crossed where advocacy turns into nagging? I'm not sure what those answers are, but I do know that we are making a difference in the lives of the students we see day in and day out, and I continue to preach that message. We are building faculty relationships, albeit slowly, and assisting with curriculum enhancement. We are providing professional development opportunities that far exceed what has been done before. We are instructing students to think critically about information sources, with hopes of seeing better research. We are helping students to become APA pros! We are embedding ourselves into classrooms in order to increase student retention and boost confidence in school work. We are assisting students in a virtual environment by way of our chat reference service ... Do the staff see this? No. And it's partly because they see and perceive what they want to see. I won't get into the for-profit mindset, but you can imagine where I would take this post if I let myself.

Just know, that at the core of what I am trying to accomplish on my campus, I am continuing to have a student-centered mindset. I work as if I am working for the students. They are the one's that appreciate and see what we are trying to do, and I am so thankful for those that continue to use our services, many of which we now know by name. Every teachable moment is a joy and helps me remember my focus.

So, when thing 16 asked for thoughts on our involvement in larger advocacy circles, I must be honest - I'm not sure I have much else left in me aside from what I'm already doing at my place of work. While I am passionate about the direction that libraries are taking and the technology opportunities that are present, I just don't have much more energy left to put forth within a larger environment - for now.

Stay tuned ... more cpd23 to come (on a lighter note for sure).