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N reflecting on advocacy and telling the academic library story, her 1968 poem The Speed of Darkness, the American poet and activist Muriel Rukeyser wrote ‘The universe is made of stories, not of atoms.’ This thought-provoking perspective has always reminded me of a funda- mental truth when it comes to advocacy. No matter how convinced we are of the value of libraries, and our unequivocal evidence for that value, our advocacy is most successful when we tell a story that is compelling and credible.


Advocacy and academic libraries Convincing stakeholders of value and influencing decision-making, are amongst the most important and ceaselessly challenging of professional activities. A core responsibility of directors and heads of service, advocacy is a generic skill in CILIP’s Professional Knowledge and Skills Base (PKSB) and most effective when practised by every professional. There is a lot to advocacy – building relationships, establishing credibility, generating social capital and socialising ideas. In higher education there is a lot for all professionals to advocate for: from sustaining or enhancing investment to being seen by colleagues as a source of expertise and partnership in addition to being a service provider. Importantly, success in advocacy enables you to make an effective contribution and positive difference for your organisation. Advocacy brings unique challenges for all professions, and I am confident that advocacy for academic libraries has its own particular challenges.


Hidden in plain sight


Academic libraries, by any measure, are a success and we have a lot to be proud of and to build upon. Many of our most enduring characteristics bring great benefits: our focus on students, excellence in customer service and user experience, digital innovation, co-operation, automation, and shared services at scale, and our leadership to advance Open Research.


March 2024


Advocacy brings unique challenges for all professions. Although it is always a mistake to imagine your own experience is universal...


In the first in a new series of academic library Insight articles for Information Professional, Nick Woolley, Director of Library and Campus Services at Sheffield Hallam University, takes a look at the value of advocacy.


Probably the clearest evidence for success can be found in the annual National Student Survey (NSS). From launch in 2005, the NSS has asked students to rate their experience of academic libraries – the current question asks “How well have the library resources (e.g. books, online services and learning spaces) supported your learning?” – and the results place academic libraries consistently amongst highest rated aspects of higher education, a contribution recently reinforced during the pandemic. Paradoxically however, this success is insufficient to persuade stakeholders of our value and potential. Why is this? Firstly, delivery done well is less visible than done badly, and this is doubly so because of our early move to digital. Every academic librarian is familiar with the feedback “I don’t use the library now I can get everything online”, and the underlying presumption that misses the fact that most of what we do is indeed online. Secondly, I have found many stakeholders to have outdated and limited notions of what an academic library is. In simple terms, the popular portrayal is of an anachronistic version exacerbated by an organising concept different to academic and corporate functions.


Facts not opinions


Years ago, I would regularly pass the Kirkaldy testing works on Southwark Street. Here, in the 19th century, Scottish engineer David Kirkaldy pioneered testing of materials for bridges and other structures. Carved in the stone lintel above the door is Kirkaldy’s motto ‘Facts not opinions’. It is facts which support our advocacy, and the atoms to make our story telling most compelling. Our professional strength in evidence-based practice can counteract wishful thinking or anecdote. Of particular importance is the growing body of research and evaluation that demonstrates a positive correlation between library use and student outcomes, and our increasing capability, not yet the strength it needs to be, with data and analytics. So if our stories need atoms, and facts not opinions, where do we tell them?


Nick Woolley, Director of Library and Campus Services at Sheffield Hallam University.


Being part of a bigger story In my experience, our stories and evidence of value and impact are most powerful when embedded at an institutional level and there are two opportunities which most stand out. Firstly, the regulatory and funding landscape for HE in the UK is dominated by a small number of periodic exercises that affect funding and reputation, including Access and Participation Plans; the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF); the Research Excellence Framework (REF). These are all places which do or could benefit from evidence of library value. Secondly, universities are increasingly making the most of data and analytics to develop understanding of students as individuals and so personalise support, including earlier and more targeted interventions.


Everyday advocacy and the


importance of persistence These bigger stories are not exclusive of other approaches, and all professionals should develop and refine their advocacy toolkit for use every day. Whether library impact report, speaking up in meetings, or cultivating champions, we need to be prepared to tell our story at every opportunity. Finally, I have learned that advocacy needs persistence, confidence, and resilience. Even the best story isn’t always listened to, and even the clearest evidence is not always accepted. Don’t take it personally, keep telling our story, and share what works. IP


INFORMATION PROFESSIONAL 39


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