Good training for public librarians and FREE.

Build advocacy skills and confidence through Turning the Page! A fully customizable advocacy training curriculum is now available through Turning the Page: Building Libraries, Strengthening Communities.

Turning the Page: Supporting Libraries, Strengthening Communities

Turning the Page: Supporting Libraries, Strengthening Communities logoPLA is pleased to announce that the advocacy training curriculum Turning the Page: Supporting Libraries, Strengthening Communities is now available at www.PublicLibraryAdvocacy.org. This training curriculum is an updated version of Turning the Page that was developed for library associations and networks around the world, with input from the Public Library Association and other grantees of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s Global Libraries initiative.

Turning the Page: Supporting Libraries, Strengthening Communities is a complete training package that includes an Advocacy Training Implementation Guide—a recommended read before diving into the curriculum—and a set of 15 training sessions that each includes a trainer script, PowerPoint presentation, and handouts. An Advocacy Action Plan Workbook accompanies the training so participants can develop an advocacy plan for their library in real-time. All materials are free, and we hope you find them helpful. Anyone is welcome to download and use Turning the Page: Supporting Libraries, Strengthening Communities today; the curriculum and other resources are free to use and share!

If you are interested in a more formal training experience, several PLA-trained Turning the Page facilitators are available to help implement the content at your library. All of these facilitators have extensive experience with the Turning the Page content and would bring a dynamic and successful advocacy program to your library.

While the content is free and downloadable, we ask that when using the materials, you include the following attribution: “This content has been adapted in [Current Year] by [Your Organization], based on the Turning the Page advocacy training curriculum developed by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in 2014. The curriculum and its original materials can be found in English at www.PublicLibraryAdvocacy.org.” Also, please complete this short survey to tell us how you’re using the curriculum.

WHAT IS THE ADVOCACY TRAINING CURRICULUM?

The curriculum is an advocacy training program that is customizable. It includes an Advocacy Training Implementation Guide – a recommended read before diving into the curriculum – and a set of 15 training sessions that each includes a trainer script, PowerPoint presentation, and handouts. An Advocacy Action Plan Workbook accompanies the training so participants can develop an advocacy plan for their library in real-time.

WHERE DO I START?

Great question. Anyone planning an advocacy training for their public library or library system should start by reading the Advocacy Training Implementation Guide. It provides an overview of the curriculum and advice from people who have used it. You can find the guide and more information on using the curriculum by clicking the link below.

WHAT RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE FOR ADVOCATES?

Whether you are new to library advocacy or are looking for resources to help you conduct advocacy and measure your library’s impact on the community, we have tools, guides, and case studies you can use.

The Importance of Impact Data:

CURRICULUM SESSIONS & MATERIALS

Visit our Curriculum Sessions & Materials page to get more information on the topics that interest you: whether it’s getting a deeper understanding of advocacy, setting an advocacy goal, identifying the right target audiences, using data to strengthen your argument, writing effective messages, or preparing a funding request.

CURRICULUM SESSIONS 

CURRICULUM SESSIONS & MATERIALS

Visit our Curriculum Sessions & Materials page to get more information on the topics that interest you: whether it’s setting an advocacy goal, identifying the right target audiences, using data to strengthen your argument, writing effective messages, or preparing a funding request.

CURRICULUM SESSIONS & MATERIALS 

BRINGING ADVOCACY BACK TO THE LIBRARY

Once participants have completed the advocacy training, they’ll want to engage others at their library to help finalize and implement an advocacy plan. This post-training guide helps participants bring the lessons of advocacy training back to their library by providing immediate next steps that will help them move forward with their Advocacy Action Plans. It also includes practical tips on topics like collecting stories about the impact of libraries on people’s lives and conducting interviews with library users. Make sure all participants leave the training program with a post-training guide in hand!

DOWNLOAD 

USING IMPACT DATA IN ADVOCACY

One of the most important tools in advocacy is information about the positive impact public libraries have on the lives of people in their community. This page offers resources that help new advocates measure their impact and use it effectively.

IMPACT RESOURCES 

USING IMPACT DATA IN ADVOCACY

Learn how to effectively measure impact data and use it in your advocacy efforts, with free tools and how-to guides for advocates at all levels.

USING IMPACT DATA 

ADVOCACY TRAINING IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE

Get additional information on the importance of advocacy and the advocacy process, and learn how to plan, staff, and implement an advocacy training program.

DOWNLOAD 

ADVOCACY TRAINING IMPLEMENTATION GUIDE

Get additional information on the importance of advocacy and the advocacy process, and learn how to plan, staff, and implement an advocacy training program.

DOWNLOAD