National Library Legislative Day Archives | American Libraries Magazine

Incoming ALA Executive Director Tracie D. Hall addresses attendees at the second annual library advocacy fly-in in Washington, D.C., February 10.

Doubling Down on Strategic Library Advocacy

By Emily Wagner | February 13, 2020

This year, the fly-in aligned with the release of the White House budget proposal for FY2021, which—for a fourth consecutive year—lays out the closure of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). ALA responded to the budget proposal with a statement and call to action, and ALA’s incoming Executive Director Tracie D. Hall opened … Continue reading Doubling Down on Strategic Library Advocacy →

Rep. Tom Emmer (R-Minn., left) reads to a group of children at Great River Regional Library in St. Cloud with LuAnne Chandler, patron services associate. Photo: Abby Faulkner

August Is Peak Season for Advocacy

By Kathi Kromer | August 3, 2018

Invite your representative to your library to see in person how your library is meeting the needs of your community. The value of your library’s services may be crystal clear to you and the families, students, researchers, and other patrons you serve, but your elected leaders may not understand the value of your services unless … Continue reading August Is Peak Season for Advocacy →

From left: Skip Dye, Corporate Committee on Library Investment and vice president of library marketing and digital sales, Penguin Random House; and the Iowa library delegation: Alison Ames Galstad, director, Coralville Public Library; State Librarian Michael Scott; Sen. Charles Grassley (R-Iowa); Nancy Medema, library program director, State Library of Iowa; Michael Wright, director, Dubuque County Library District; Annah Hackett, campus engagement and instruction librarian, Grand View University; and Rebecca Funke, director of library resources, Des Moines Area Community College.

Library Supporters Gear Up for “Year-Round Advocacy”

By Shawnda Hines | May 11, 2018

In addition to the participants in Washington, D.C, hundreds of library supporters also registered to participate virtually by connecting with legislators via phone calls, emails, and social media this week. In opening remarks on May 7, ALA President Jim Neal introduced a recurrent theme throughout the livestreamed event: “The thing about advocacy is that it’s … Continue reading Library Supporters Gear Up for “Year-Round Advocacy” →

The Montana delegation (from left): Kenning Arlitsch, dean of Montana State University (MSU) Renne Library in Bozeman; Bruce Newell, chair of Montana Library Commission in Helena; Sen. Jon Tester (D-Mont.); Ann Dutton Ewbank, director of the MSU School Library Certificate Program; Heather Dickerson, teen services librarian at Lewis and Clark Library in Helena; Jennie Stapp, Montana state librarian; Bernadine Abbott Hoduski, Montana native and retired librarian of the US Joint Committee on Printing for 25 years; and John Finn, director of Lewis and Clark Library.

Montana Goes to Washington

By George M. Eberhart | May 3, 2017

One secret of NLLD is that talking with office staffers about the state (what section they are from, the best places to ski, theaters and restaurants of the past, alma maters) is an excellent ice breaker and serves to relax everyone, including the librarians. Stapp’s group did this with finesse. Daines’s aide Joshua Sizemore is … Continue reading Montana Goes to Washington →

State delegations at ALA's 43rd annual National Library Legislative Day in Washington, D.C., May 1, 2017.

Advocacy in Critical Times

By George M. Eberhart | May 3, 2017

The number of attendees was the highest in 10 years, spurred by the Trump administration’s proposed 2018 budget that would eliminate the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the agency that distributes federal funding to state library agencies and other grant programs. As ALA Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels said in his opening statement … Continue reading Advocacy in Critical Times →

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) meets with Iowa Library Association delegates.

Library Advocates Converge on Washington

By Jazzy Wright | May 11, 2015

This year’s library advocates were not just librarians; the North Carolina Library Association brought dozens of K–12 students and their parents, while Michigan State Librarian Randy Riley brought his daughter Madeline, who is studying public policy at the University of Michigan. The annual advocacy event kicked off on Monday, May 4, with former Sen. Byron … Continue reading Library Advocates Converge on Washington →

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Joe Árvai writes: “As artificial intelligence (AI) creeps further into people’s daily lives, so do worries about it. At the most alarmist are concerns about AI going rogue and terminating its human masters. But my own research as a psychologist who studies how people make decisions leads me to believe that all these risks are overshadowed by an even more corrupting, though largely invisible, threat. That is, AI is mere keystrokes away from making people even less disciplined and skilled when it comes to thoughtful decisions.”

The Conversation, Apr. 12
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Tess Prendergast writes: “As someone who teaches contemporary children’s literature, I have been following the surge of picture books about climate and environment topics for several years. While there has been some great scholarly research about such books, I have devised a simple framework for grouping these kinds of books. This four-tiered categorization may help you decided what to read, suggest, or display in various scenarios and for different audiences.”

ALSC Blog, Apr. 11
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Max Eddy writes: “It’s a nightmare scenario: You’ve protected all of your online accounts with two-factor authentication (2FA), but then your phone is broken, lost, or stolen, and you’re locked out of everything. Past You’s effort to protect Future You has made Present You’s life a living hell. 2FA is supposed to keep attackers and scammers out of your online accounts, but what if something happens to your second factor? With a little planning, you can reduce that risk and still keep your accounts safe.”

New York Times Wirecutter, Apr. 12
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Nik Altenberg writes: “About 100 librarians and their supporters rallied outside San Francisco Public Library’s Main Library on April 9 to demand the city hire security guards for every branch. Workers decried a lack of security at most of the city’s branches and said they are often forced to de-escalate volatile situations and step into the role of providing security themselves. The rally is the latest in a series of union actions [from 10 unions representing more than 25,000 city workers across city departments] seeking to draw attention to what they say is a pervasive understaffing crisis.”

KQED-TV (San Francisco), Apr. 9
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“Two years after Brooklyn Public Libraries’ (BPL) launch of Books Unbanned, an initiative to protect the freedom to read for young people, In Their Own Words: Youth Voices on Books Unbanned gives new insight into the impact of censorship on teen and young adults across the US and how restrictions and other barriers to access build upon and reinforce each other. The new report, published April 11 by BPL and Seattle Public Library, analyzes 855 stories shared by young people who signed up for a free Books Unbanned ecard from April 2022 through December 2023.”

Seattle Public Library, Apr. 11
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Samantha Guss, Sojourna Cunningham, and Jennifer Stout write: “Recruitment and retention are both critical to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in academic libraries, and failing to improve retention has and will continue to derail these initiatives. Research that addresses retention tends to focus on proposed strategies, such as stay interviews (structured interviews aimed at strengthening employee and employer relationships) and mentorship programs. But there is no agreed-upon definition of retention that would allow us to assess these strategies. We should recognize that involuntary staying can be just as negative an outcome for the individual and the organization as leaving, setting the stage for legacy toxicity.”

In The Library With The Lead Pipe, Apr. 10
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Jackie Edwards writes: “As spring rolls around, seasonal allergies can flare up among library workers, resulting in symptoms like sneezing; runny or stuffy nose; itchy eyes, ears, and nose; coughing; and asthma. Not only are these symptoms detrimental to well-being and productivity, but they can also mean you’re less able to provide excellent customer service to library users. Fortunately, by purifying the air, preventing mold, and keeping your work area clean, you can improve indoor air quality and combat allergies in your library.”

Library Worklife, Apr.

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