Strengthening Library Ecosystems: Collaborate for Advocacy and Impact

To support ALA’s Ecosystem Initiative, editors Hand (co-chair, Students Need Libraries in Houston ISD), Sara Kelly Johns (Syracuse Univ. iSchool; Elevating the School Library, coauthored with Susan D. Ballard), Michelle Robertson (library media in education, Univ. of Central Oklahoma) and Eryn Duffee (founder, Tennessee Library Ecosystem Coalition) argue that libraries of all types need to collaborate on advocacy work, as issues that affect one type of library will eventually affect the others. Their discussion identifies four elements necessary to every healthy ecosystem—leadership, communication, collaboration, and sustainability—which they explore while demonstrating each element’s value and how it can be used to further advocacy work. Successful library ecosystems require libraries to consult a variety of stakeholder groups within and outside their communities. The editors provide strategies for engagement and appendices with resources to get started. Additionally, the editors present examples of successful advocacy work for libraries from beginner to expert level. Much of the discussion centers around legislative action and advocacy work for public, school, and academic libraries, with little discussion of special libraries.