7 Pathways of Advocacy

What would you do if you were told your role was being made redundant? Or a parent levelled a complaint against you because of a book on your shelves? What would you do if your hours were reduced, your budget cut, told there were no funds for repairs to a damaged space, or told what you do doesn’t count or isn’t valuable? These are scenarios that sadly many school library staff face every day.

Or, let’s look at it in a different light. What if you were able to help students with their reading but needed more support to do so? What if you could provide a space of belonging and safety for students, but could only do it 3 days a week? What if you had an amazing idea for a program? What if you saw students light up about their favourite book, but can’t afford to buy them the rest of the series? What if you knew you could help teachers find resources when they don’t have the time?

Advocacy is an important part of school library practice. It’s also an incredible draining, rewarding, ongoing part of our roles. We advocate to run our libraries so we can support our staff, students, families and wider school community, supporting them in literacy, reading, information literacy, online safety, wellbeing and so much more.

Advocacy is a word we use a lot in school library fields. What does it actually mean and look like?

What is advocacy

The basic definition of advocacy is support or recommendation for a particular cause or policy. Other definitions outline advocacy as taking steps to influence others about a cause or to seek to change someone’s mindset about a cause or promote them to take action for that cause. That last part is key for me. That advocacy can in turn create advocates who advocate and seek to create more advocates. What does that mean in a school library setting? The cause is the importance of the school library, or perhaps a section of the school library, be that programs, budget, staffing, spaces, opening hours or its purpose.

Different Types of Advocacy

I believe there are many different types of advocacy. Each has a different core focus and practical application, and are best used in different situations. I believe knowing the difference between these, recognising them as different and utilising them accordingly, as well as caring for yourself in each, is key to understanding and surviving advocacy.

I’m a fan of advocacy and I use the word a lot, I’ve presented on it and spoken to library staff in the midst of advocacy battles, and I have consistently advocated for school libraries, my position, the budget, space, staffing, resources, and value of my school libraries. I’ve had wins and losses and wonderful amazing opportunities. I’ve advocated when I felt safe, seem and supported, and I’ve advocated when I’ve been terrified, unsure and scared one wrong step would cost everything. But advocacy is not a once off battle, it’s a never ending, ongoing major part of our jobs.

But advocacy looks different in different situations, and if we advocate in the same way for all of them, it’s not going to be as effective. We need to be prepared, and aware, read the situation and respond accordingly. Respond to threats, respond to opportunities, garner support, education and gather allies.

I believe advocacy can be separated into these seven categories,

They are everyday, outreach, strategic, collaborative, growth, protective and crisis advocacy.

Let’s break them down

Everyday advocacy

These are the actions that are undertaken every day, like greeting people who walk through the door, sending polite emails, updating and maintaining a high level of practice, stepping in when there is a need that can be solved. These things are part of consistent advocacy, reflecting well on the school library service and demonstrate the importance of the library and its staff and what they do. There is zero point trying to convince anyone the library is valuable….if it’s not.

Strategic advocacy

It’s one of my favourites, is where you advance the library through aligned messages, planning, and sharing. These actions are incredibly powerful. It’s all about messaging service with need, problem with solution, and aligning the language and goals of the library with the school and leadership goals. It’s about using time and resources wisely, about having direction and focus and a clear message. Think big picture.

Outreach advocacy

This is often what we think about in traditional grassroots advocacy campaigns: flyers and posters, emails, newsletters and targeted approaches to share the word on library value and services. It’s closely aligned with marketing and promotion. It’s valuable, but the trap is we tend to only think of this and crisis advocacy, and on its own, outreach advocacy is simply not enough and it is also a massive use of time and energy.

Growth advocacy

This is, as it says, all about creating space and resources for growth, which might be done through budget proposals, requesting additional staffing or increased staffing pay levels, applying for grants or creating proposals for new programs. It’s a special opportunity and needs the right approach, but it’s incredibly rewarding and exciting to be able to grow the library service in this way.

Collaborative advocacy

Built through intentional partnerships, where the library’s value is demonstrated and amplified by working alongside others to achieve shared goals. It relies on those strong library supporters, or building connection where there is already willingness and openness. It’s also helpful in creating more library advocates, sharing the load of advocacy, and taking the pressure off the library staff to advocate alone.

Protective advocacy

Protective advocacy is when you have to set boundaries or prevent the erosion of roles, resources, space or recognition. Every step feels defensive rather than positive. It might involve relying on policy, drafting responses or proposals, or educating and leading up. It’s incredibly draining but important work.

Crisis Advocacy

Finally, we have crisis advocacy, where you desperately respond to major threats and destructive actions, the loss of roles, cutting of budgets, targeted threats by community members. This is the advocacy we often think of when times are dire, but if this is the only advocacy we employ, it’s often too late.

You’ll find below a clear definition and core focus of each type of advocacy, what some of it looks like in practice and key characteristics. What type you employ depends on the situation and I firmly believe we can and should be using or ready to use all seven types.

Why a pathway? I could have called them types or models. I chose pathway.  Because advocacy is a road that leads to support, answers, clarity, opportunities. It’s not a once-off action, it’s a journey. It’s not a fight, but a conversation, a route taken together. Sometimes alone, but better shared and traveled together.

The 7 Pathways of Advocacy describe the different ways school library professionals advocate, depending on context, conditions, and goals.