Advocacy as an important task of all library staff

Lobbying is a specific form of advocacy that aims at influencing legislative procedures that are of importance to libraries. Lobbying is experienced democracy in a pluralistic society and is welcomed by politicians, as they need specific information from all interest groups. Lobbying supports policy-makers with their decision making. Advocacy attracts attention with media campaigns, discussions and public speaking. Lobbying works with position papers, proposals for draft bills, and with expert contributions at official hearings.
Decisions for the library sector are taken on all political levels: local government (e.g. library funding), central government (e.g. library legislation or copyright) and United Nations (e.g. access to information). At each level, except for the local one, there are library associations that are active on behalf of the library sector. (e.g. IFLA, EBLIDA). At the local level, it is necessary that all library staff members become active advocates in the interest of their library customers.
The aim of advocacy is to ensure and secure excellent library services for all citizens by establishing a good position and staying well positioned with library funding bodies and other stakeholders. The five steps of excellent advocacy are: 1.Identify relevant topics, 2. Analyse the political situation, 3. Develop a good understanding of political structures and bodies, 4. Seek support in the political arena and 5. Put your position into perspective to gain attention. In this process, all staff members are important multipliers! This paper by the Executive Director of the German Library Association will explain the advocacy process and provide many examples of successful advocacy on all levels.


Barbara Schleihagen - Executive Director, German Library Association

Barbara Schleihagen is Executive Director of the German Library Association representing more than 10,000 libraries based in Berlin, Germany. She is a trained librarian and holds a Master degree (MSc Econ) in “Management of Libraries and Information Services” of the University of Wales. After completion of her studies she worked in various positions in foreign cultural policy.
Before she joined the German Library Association in 2004, she served from 2000-2003 as Secretary General of the 2003 world congress of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) in Berlin. From 2004-2005 she was International Relations Officer at the German Library Association, initiating and co-ordinating the international activities of German librarians, libraries and library associations.
In 1996-2000 she was working as the Director of EBLIDA, the European Bureau for Library, Information and Documentation Associations based in The Hague, Netherlands, lobbying for libraries at the European institutions and co-ordinating several European projects.
She is a personal member of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) since 2001, and was member of the IFLA/FAIFE  (Free Access to Information and Freedom of Expression) Committee between 2002 -2007. In 2007, she was elected member of the IFLA Governing Board (re-elected for the second term 2009-2011), in which she also served as IFLA’s treasurer. Since 2007, she is as a member of the Standing Committee of the IFLA Management of Library Associations section, currently serving as “secretary”.
Since 2013, she is the German representative in NAPLE, the European non-governmental association pursuing the interests of the national library authorities in Europe, deputy chair of the Executive Board of the “Reading Foundation” and deputy chair of the Advisory Board of the “Foundation Digital Opportunities”.
Numerous publications on international, European and national advocacy and lobbying, European copyright, Libraries in Europe, library policy, library legislation, digital media in libraries, digital reading promotion in libraries, freedom of information and censorship in libraries.