Thing 16 : Advocacy, speaking up for the profession and getting published

Initially I thought I would have nothing to write for this thing. But then I considered some of the ways in which the library I work in promotes its services to users and realised that it’s all part of advocacy.  For example, since I started my new post I've attended events within the university to promote the library to staff and students. I've been able to meet many people who would not normally come to the library and had no idea what sort of services were available. I got the impression that some staff thought the library was just for students, or that we only lent books. It was good to be able to show them otherwise.  We promote services within the library too – for instance we had a week promoting our ebook collections and we're currently arranging book displays on different areas of sustainability. Because more and more resources and information is available electronically, it’s important for users to understand the variety of services libraries offer and how we can help them to find the best resources. As Dark side of the catalogue said – academic libraries still need to shout about their services as often students and staff are ignorant about the services on offer.