Advocacy Archives | American Libraries Magazine

United for Libraries 2021 Virtual Conference

Advocacy through Storytelling

By Tess Wilson | August 23, 2021

Sessions underscored that stories—of individuals, of libraries, of communities—are at the core of library advocacy. “It’s really all about storytelling,” observed Beth Nawalinski, executive director of United for Libraries, during the conference. Representation in collections At “Auditing Diversity in Library Collections,” Sarah Voels, community engagement librarian at Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Public Library (CRPL), described the … Continue reading Advocacy through Storytelling →

Recruit, Retain, and Engage

July 8, 2021

Presenters included Lina Bertinelli, workforce librarian at Enoch Pratt Free Library and the Maryland State Library Resource Center in Baltimore; Madeline Jarvis, adult and information services manager at Marion (Iowa) Public Library; Kathy Kosinski, member services and outreach manager at Califa Group, a consortium of California libraries; and Tess Wilson, community engagement coordinator for the … Continue reading Recruit, Retain, and Engage →

From the President, by Julius C. Jefferson Jr.

Moving Forward

By Julius C. Jefferson Jr. | June 1, 2021

Thanks to all who joined me last summer on the virtual “Holding Space” tour, a conversation series with libraries. I will forever remember you as faithful partners and travel companions as we faced seemingly insurmountable difficulties. Thanks in part to our advocacy, libraries secured federal relief funding of historic proportions. ALA staff and leadership managed … Continue reading Moving Forward →

Making a Difference

By Julius C. Jefferson Jr. | May 3, 2021

I am beginning to see the light at the end of a dark COVID-19 tunnel. Many of us have been vaccinated or will be soon—a critical step toward healing all the communities hit by the global pandemic. Another ray of light came on March 11, when the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 was signed … Continue reading Making a Difference →

What the American Rescue Plan Act Means for Libraries

By Kathi Kromer | March 12, 2021

Of the $200 million for IMLS, $178 million is allocated for the Library Services and Technology Act and will go to state library administrative agencies on a population-based formula. IMLS announced state allotments for ARPA funding in a March 11 press release. Because there is a $2 million state minimum, every state will receive a … Continue reading What the American Rescue Plan Act Means for Libraries →

Deaf actor Linda Bove played Linda the Librarian on Sesame Street for 31 years. Photo illustration: YouTube (screenshot); ©R. Gino Santa Maria/Adobe Stock (television)

By the Numbers: Deaf History and Culture

By Alison Marcotte | March 1, 2021

15 Number of years National Deaf History Month has been celebrated. In 2006, the American Library Association (ALA) and National Association of the Deaf announced the month would be observed March 13–April 15. 1817 Year the first permanent public school for Deaf students in the Western Hemisphere—now known as the American School for the Deaf—was … Continue reading By the Numbers: Deaf History and Culture →

From the Executive Director by Tracie D. Hall

Revolutions Where We Stand

By Tracie D. Hall | March 1, 2021

Those words seem especially prescient now as we look across the country at the libraries that have struggled most during this period of widespread library defunding and service reductions. Though the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the issue, there has long been an unmistakable correlation between communities that navigate high rates of poverty and those that … Continue reading Revolutions Where We Stand →

Senator Jack Reed Talks Library Advocacy

By Julie Holden | January 23, 2021

The senator spoke candidly about the events of January 6, when rioters stormed the US Capitol. While waiting in a secure location with other lawmakers, Reed recounted, “There was this consensus by every member that we had to go back, that we were not going to, you know, go away for the day, reconvene a … Continue reading Senator Jack Reed Talks Library Advocacy →

ALA Condemns Violence on Capitol Hill, Calls for Advocacy

January 7, 2021

The Executive Board of the American Library Association (ALA) gives thanks for the safety of the staff in our Public Policy and Advocacy Office in Washington and ALA members who work on Capitol Hill, as well as for elected legislators, congressional staff, and other government workers who put themselves in jeopardy to defend the seat … Continue reading ALA Condemns Violence on Capitol Hill, Calls for Advocacy →

A New Year of Hope

By Julius C. Jefferson Jr. | January 4, 2021

Similarly, 2020 made an indelible impression on the history of our country, and it has left us collectively exhausted. Many will remember it as the year we were locked down, Zoomed out, and either lonely or wanting to be alone. We lost loved ones, icons, and champions. We were confronted with furloughs and loss of … Continue reading A New Year of Hope →

A Transition Plan for Library Advocates

By Kathi Kromer | November 13, 2020

Based on campaign pledges, the Biden-Harris administration will be more favorable to education investment and the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion. President-Elect Joe Biden’s cabinet selections will likely indicate a significant shift in policy around education, telecommunications, workforce issues, and many other areas. However, the change of leadership in the White House does not … Continue reading A Transition Plan for Library Advocates →

Our Collective Power

By Meredith Farkas | November 2, 2020

However, during this crisis, many library workers are unexpectedly forced to advocate for themselves. Early in the pandemic, Twitter became a vital space for workers seeking advice and support when trying to get their libraries to close or to demand adequate safety measures. I know many library workers who are fierce advocates for their patrons … Continue reading Our Collective Power →

Latest Library Links

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Sallyann Price writes: “Birdwatching has exploded in popularity during the pandemic, with The New York Times last year observing record participation in Global Big Day, an annual birdwatching event in early May, and the National Audubon Society reporting a boom in sales of birding supplies. Libraries, too, are flocking to the hobby. With help from their collections and community partners, they’re working to get patrons outside—even if it’s just a backyard or neighborhood park.”

American Libraries Trend, Sept./Oct.
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Araceli Méndez Hintermeister writes: “Embarking on a new design or renovation project at your library can be overwhelming. These works, ranging from books on user design to volumes on architectural planning, will help spark ideas.”

American Libraries column, Sept./Oct.
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The Plum Creek Literacy Festival in Seward, Nebraska, canceled its Children’s Festival and Adult Conference September 24–25 after several authors withdrew in protest of Concordia University’s code of conduct, which they called discriminatory toward the LGBT community. The absence of several books from a presale list, and a subsequent explanation for why one author was pulling out of the event that went viral on social media, led the festival to cancel its Friday and Saturday activities.

Lincoln (Neb.) Journal-Star, Sept. 23
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Kimberly Johnson and Jennifer Greb write: “As the 100th anniversary of the devastating 1921 Tulsa race massacre approached and Tulsa City–County Library looked for ways to educate the community about a significant piece of our city’s past, we had a disturbing realization: Many of our patrons, even those native to Tulsa, knew little to nothing about it. Decades of whitewashed reports and unacknowledged losses added up to a serious gap in how we understand our local and national history.”

American Libraries Trend, Sept./Oct.
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R. E. Hawley writes: “I’m going to describe an image for you; maybe it’s something you’ve seen before. It’s a canvas filled with amorphous daubs of warm, bright color, intersecting with one another to form different hues in the overlapping spaces. On top of the canvas, a blocky but refined sans serif spells the title and the author’s name. I am, of course, describing a book cover—or rather, the book cover, that of the current literary zeitgeist, whose abstract splotches are a ubiquitous presence in the new releases display at your local bookstore. Writer Alana Pockros calls it the unicorn frappuccino cover.”

Print, Sept. 23
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Heather Kelly and Geoffrey A. Fowler write: “We all know it’s important to protect our privacy online to prevent things as simple as our birthdate or as detailed as our search history from being used by companies, strangers, and even governments. Unfortunately, it’s hard to know where to start. We have gone through the settings for the most popular (and problematic) services to give you recommendations on what exactly you should do.”

Washington Post, Sept. 23
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Laura Solomon writes: “In my job as a front end designer/developer, I work with a lot of library logos. I also work with a lot of library staff that don’t understand the importance of what logos do, or how a good one is created. When faced with a subpar logo, there’s often not much I can do other than work with whatever I’ve been given. Even libraries with awful logos cannot undertake a redesign lightly, or particular staff people may be emotionally invested in their creation and don’t want something new … even if it’s better.”

Mean Laura, Aug. 17

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