United We Stand: It's Time to Speak in One Voice—Loudly

It’s four o’clock in the afternoon, and you’re working in the children’s room of a large public library when a middle school student comes to you with a challenging research assignment. You start by suggesting that he read an encyclopedia article, and he shoots you a look of dismay that says, “What’s she talking about?”

“Have you used an encyclopedia in your school library?” you ask.

“I don’t have a library in my school,” he replies.

Or maybe you’re in a school library, working with a class researching the lives of African-American writers. You’d like each student to use at least three resources, so you know you’ll need the resources of the public library—five blocks away—to help fill in the gaps in your collection. Except it’s closed that afternoon. And the following one as well.

Or perhaps you’re managing a small branch library on a Sunday afternoon. It’s typically a busy day of the week, but today it’s even more so because you’re inundated with students from the local community college looking for peer-reviewed articles for an English assignment. You’ve exhausted your limited databases. Why aren’t they using the far superior resources at their college library? Because, as one student explains, it’s now closed on Sundays.

I bet most of you have experienced a similar scenario. And when these moments occur, they remind us of something we often forget: all libraries in a community—whether school, public, or academic—are interconnected. If one breaks down—due to a funding crisis that undermines hours, collections, or staff, for example—it’ll inevitably have an impact on all of the others.

American Library Association (ALA) President Jim Rettig calls this the “library ecosystem.” Rettig isn’t floating this idea because it’s an interesting information science theory. It’s because he believes that to survive and thrive in today’s economy, “libraries of all types must come together and advocate with a unified voice.”

Libraries offer incredible learning opportunities, and collectively we make learning available from the cradle to the grave. In this way, we are unique institutions in American society. And what we offer our citizens and students—in this time of economic upheaval and swift technological change—is more vital than ever. School, public, and academic libraries are making an enormous difference in the lives of our communities and users. This is the message we need to deliver to our funders.

Rettig wants libraries to communicate these messages by building statewide coalitions that will advocate for all types of libraries. This effort isn’t meant to ignore the different realities in which school, public, and academic libraries operate—from how they’re funded to their different missions. Nor is it meant to replace individual efforts already underway. Rettig’s plan is very pragmatic. It acknowledges how difficult it is to get people’s attention today—especially legislators’—and that when we do, our message needs to be strong, clear, easy to comprehend and, most importantly, inclusive.

If Rettig’s notion of advocacy resonates with you, don’t sit on the sidelines. If you’re coming to ALA’s annual conference in Chicago, drop by Room 196B in McCormick Place West on Saturday, July 11, at 4 p.m. and join in the discussion: “Coalition Building for All Libraries in Tough Economic Times.” I’ll see you there.

bkenney@reedbusiness.com