The FY2010 roller-coaster ride is just about over, and many a library advocate is undoubtedly glad to see the back of it. There’s a curious symmetry about the timing: Thousands of tenacious front-line library supporters are taking stock of their finalized local budgets even as a swarm of library boosters descended on Capitol Hill June … Continue reading Libraries Reach FY2011 – Some Relieved, All Wary
Friends, family, and colleagues, including new division presidents, helped Roberta Stevens of the Library of Congress celebrate her inauguration as 2010–2011 president of the American Library Association. Instead of a traditional presidential speech, Stevens turned the podium over to four of her favorite authors: Marie Arana, Brad Meltzer, Sharon Draper, and Carmen Agra Deedy. Calling … Continue reading Roberta Stevens of the Library of Congress Inaugurated 2010-2011 ALA President
The joint ALSC/AASL program “Grassroots 2.0: New Technologies” program on Sunday morning brought together three experts on delivering effective library messages to legislators. Curtis R. Rogers of the South Carolina State Library presented a slideshow of social media resources that librarians can use to promote the library and engage lawmakers. Libraries should all have an electronic newsletter, … Continue reading Grassroots 2.0: Tips from the Advocacy Experts
The Library Leadership and Management Association (LLAMA) sponsored a panel Saturday morning on outstanding community-centered marketing campaigns. “John Cotton Dana Winners Tell All!” brought together experts from libraries that won the LLAMA John Cotton Dana Award to share their secrets about successful library PR and advocacy campaigns. Toni Tucker, assistant to the dean of Illinois … Continue reading Secrets of the John Cotton Dana Winners
During my travels as president-elect, I often spoke about the challenges and opportunities of becoming 21st-century libraries that incorporate new formats, technologies, and ways of learning. By transforming libraries for this new era, we are leaders in a rapidly changing and increasingly global economy that depends on people getting the right information, at the right … Continue reading Advancing Advocacy
The students are skeptical when the librarian says, “I want everyone to take out their cell phones and check to see if you can get reception in the library.” The young scholars hesitantly pull out their mobile devices unsure of what to make of this request. “Your assignment is to charge up your phones for … Continue reading Unquiet Library Has High-Schoolers Geeked
Almost two months ago, students at the Templeton Elementary School in Bloomington, Indiana, performed a play that they and their parents had written, The Case of the Missing Librarian, as an expression of the loss they felt over their beloved librarian, Laura Hall, being reassigned to a classroom at the end of the school year. … Continue reading Take a Bow, Monroe County, Indiana
"Snapshot Days are spreading like wildfire!” exclaims Marci Merola, director of ALA’s Office for Library Advocacy. “You know you have a great idea when in just a matter of months and with a minimal push from ALA half the country gets involved. Since the launch of the National Snapshot Day idea at the 2010 Midwinter … Continue reading Library Snapshot Day
“Wisconsin Libraries Say Cheese! A Day in Pictures” is part of the ongoing Campaign for Wisconsin Libraries, a statewide effort to create a collective voice for Wisconsin academic, public, school, and special libraries. The campaign focuses on developing and communicating effective messages about the importance of all types of library service in Wisconsin. Inspired by … Continue reading Wisconsin Says “Cheese!”
“What makes this initiative different from previous advocacy initiatives is that it engages and empowers frontline library staff to work on advocacy at a different level than how library administrators, trustees, friends, and grassroots users operate,” says Alire. “The traditional focus has been on how to interact with elected officials and decision makers. Frontline advocacy … Continue reading Frontline Advocacy Is Everybody’s Job
In Vermont, it was easy to ignore the mobile computing craze until 2009. Before that, AT&T didn’t have a presence here, so we couldn’t purchase iPhones in the state. That all changed last year, and now, barely a day goes by that I don’t see someone checking e-mail, texting, or browsing the web on their … Continue reading A Library in Your Pocket
Library publications and blogs are filled with two types of articles these days: horror stories and fantasies. First, the horror stories. These are the news reports of budget cuts, most of which are in fact quite horrible. Academic Library X is getting its budget cut by 30%; School District Y is firing all of its … Continue reading Winning the Budget Wars
