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

As a child I was a regular visitor to both static and mobile libraries in the three counties I grew up nearest to. Certain childhood interests of mine (Tin Tin and BBC Basic programming being examples) were fantastically catered for by these services.  It took me a long time to realise that not every child has similar experiences - and I still find it difficult to remember that the 16 year olds in front of me each September may have no idea about what a library is or does.  That's sad, and in a world where far too many libraries are closing I think we all need to make sure people understand what they might lose before they lose it.
I loved Annie's jigsaw and Katie's pattern as oh-so-subtle ways of making people think about libraries.  They remind me that advocacy doesn't have to be about marching down the street or lecturing people.
I do feel the whole thing can be a bit of a challenge - I work with a captive audience of teachers and students, but know that a lot of them are ignorant of the services the library can offer.  With that in mind, I work quite hard to publicise what we do and how we can help (I am only too willing to help, really, please, let me help you!).  Whilst the internet has made access to information much easier, there is still a place for librarians in helping users to find that information, even if it's no longer by looking in the back of a book.
I previously worked in a public library, just before the enormous publicity surrounding library cuts.  The county I worked for was not the county I lived in, and the service was under severe threat of complete decimation.  Whilst the situation now is more positive than it looked like it might be, I have felt bad that I didn't do more to show my support to a service that I knew from experience benefited so many people in so many ways.
Our local public library is coming into college in January to promote their services, and I will make sure to try and retain those links and publicise the service as another useful place for students to visit.