Greetings Everyone:
Please see information below about ALA’s Virtual Advocacy activities in lieu of National Library Legislative Day- which would be occurring next week.
Take Care!
Clare
Good afternoon,
Apologies for cross posting. In a non-COVID19 universe, next week would be ALA’s day on the Hill as it was originally scheduled. While we were fortunate to have the fly-in—which gave us a targeted in-person opportunity to keep our relationships with members
of Congress strong—canceling our grassroots training and Hill Day (and all the excitement that comes with!) it is a real loss.
In place of this year’s National Library Legislative Day, we are trying out an expanded virtual training. You can find the full schedule on ALA’s website:
ala.org/advocacy/nlld
PPA worked on this plan in close coordination with the Chapter Relations Office, United for Libraries, the Committee on Legislation, and other member advocacy leaders across the association. Chapters are a major part and focus of this effort—we believe a strong
network of chapters are the foundation of a strong national organization.
We see ALA during this time encouraging all of our advocates to take a leap forward, to expand their skillsets, and to pioneer new forms of digital outreach. A few notes that guided our thinking:
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Our vision: library advocates need an opportunity to hear from each other, to train with ALA virtually, and to continue creating connections and relationships with decision makers—and most importantly—the ALA advocacy network right now.
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Typically, NLLD has a registration cost and specialized trainings (like the Congressional Management Foundation webinar) are available to ALA members only. During this critical moment, we are opening access to everyone. We are thankful to the Committee on Legislation
for supporting us in this change.
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Knowing we are all balancing screen time with multiple responsibilities at home, the week is a "design your own path" program based on individual preference and availability. Advocates can tune in every day between May 4 and May 8 for live afternoon sessions
and complete advocacy actions when they are able.
This digital push is a new frontier for ALA. The experiment will give us new insights about our advocates and our own ability to provide high-quality virtual advocacy instruction. All recordings will be available on our website through May 31. Next week, we
are also looking forward to hearing from you as you sharing tips and advocacy advice throughout the week.
As always, we look forward to your feedback and appreciate your patience and collaboration as we move forward with this new approach.
Thank you,
Public Policy and Advocacy Team
American Library Association
Clare D. Membiela, MLS, J.D.
Library Law Consultant
Library of Michigan
517-335-8132
The research and resources above are for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. You should contact your
attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular issue or problem.
You have the power to shape your future, and the future of all children, by counting everyone in your home in the
2020
Census.
