91´«Ã½

CHICAGO – A newly updated version of the popular “Small but Powerful Guide to Winning Big Support for Your Rural Library” is now available from the 91´«Ã½ Office for Literacy and Outreach Services as a free print or digital edition.

Developed by the 91´«Ã½ Committee on Rural, Native and Tribal Libraries of All Kinds, the Association for Rural & Small Libraries (ARSL) and the Office for Literacy and Outreach Services (OLOS), this new revision features strategies for advocating for and promoting library services to rural communities, tips for utilizing technology in advocacy efforts and examples of essential marketing and promotion tools. The toolkit is available in an eight-page print edition, Web edition or as a downloadable PDF file.

“This popular toolkit has been a valuable resource for many rural libraries over the years. This revision builds upon the proven tips and tools of the original with new information for rural library staff to make the case for library services in their communities,” says Jennifer Peterson, community manager at WebJunction and 2011-2012 chair of the Committee on Rural, Native and Tribal Libraries of All Kinds.

“The Small but Powerful Guide to Winning Big Support for Your Rural Library” is part of a series of outreach advocacy toolkits available from OLOS. Available toolkits include “The Guide to Building Support for Your Tribal Library”, “How to Serve the World @ your library: Serving Non-English Speakers in U.S. Public Libraries” and “Keys to Engaging Older Adults @ your library.”

To learn more about “The Small but Powerful Guide to Winning Big Support for Your Rural Library,” please visit .

To see the complete list of OLOS outreach toolkits, please visit .

Special thanks to the members of the Committee on Rural, Native, and Tribal Libraries for their efforts in developing this toolkit: Andrea Berstler, Naomi Bishop, Carlene Engstrom, Veronica Franco, John Hales, Susan Hanks, Ann Joslin, Aliza Leventhal, Zola Maddison, Jennifer Manning, Mary McInroy, Jennifer Peterson, Omar Poler, Paulina Poplawska, Loriene Roy, Christopher Strange and Darren Tanaka.

The mission of OLOS is to identify and promote library services that support equitable access to the knowledge and information stored in libraries. OLOS focuses attention on services that are inclusive of traditionally underserved populations and people generally discriminated against based on race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, language and social class. The Office ensures that training, information resources and technical assistance are available to help libraries and librarians develop effective strategies to grow programs and services for library users.

The Committee on Rural, Native, and Tribal Libraries of All Kinds reviews the issues and challenges facing rural, native and tribal libraries of all kinds; to collaborate with other 91´«Ã½ units addressing the needs of rural communities; and to serve as an advocate for and partner with libraries serving rural, tribal and native populations.

The Association for Rural & Small Libraries, an affiliate organization of the 91´«Ã½, is a network of persons throughout the country dedicated to the positive growth and development of libraries. ARSL believes in the value of rural and small libraries and strives to create resources and services that address national, state and local priorities for libraries situated in rural communities.