Public Information Office
Mission
The Public Information Offices manages the public awareness efforts of the Association through the Campaign for America's Libraries, delivering key messages to external audiences about the value of libraries and librarians. PIO also communicates ALA's key messages through media relations and crisis communications, and offers public relations counsel and editorial services. Tools are also developed and shared with librarians to help advance ALA’s 2010 Key Action Areas. Works with Public Awareness Committee.
PIO @ Annual: Don't miss these public awareness, media relations programs featuring top experts
Some of the nation’s top experts will participate in a series of public awareness and media relations programs at the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago (July 9-15).
“Pride and Passion: The African American Baseball Experience.” On Saturday, July 11, a panel discussion hosted by the ALA’s Campaign for America’s Libraries and Public Programs Office (PPO) will be held from 10:30 a.m. to noon at McCormick Place, room W-192B.
The program features Lawrence R. Hogan, author of “Shades of Glory: The Negro Leagues and the Story of African-American Baseball”; author Sharon Robinson, daughter of Jackie Robinson; Coretta Scott King Book Award winner Kadir Nelson, author and illustrator of “We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball”; and Susan Brandehoff of ALA's Public Programs Office.
PR Forum: Breaking through the message clutter @ your library®. From 8 to 10 a.m., Sunday, July 12, in McCormick Place West room W-196A, a panel will address how to communicate effectively with multi-cultural audiences, reach audiences through social media, deliver library messages through radio and effectively use letters to the editor and op-eds.
Speakers include Tom McNamee, editorial page editor, Chicago Sun Times; Dave Baum, Chicago broadcaster and media trainer; Eric Friedenwald-Fishman, creative director/president, Metropolitan Group; Kevin Kirkpatrick, executive vice president, Metropolitan Group; George Eberhart, editor, American Libraries Direct; and Megan Humphrey, manager, Campaign for America's Libraries.
The program is sponsored by the PR Assembly of the ALA Public Awareness Committee in cooperation with the ALA Public Information Office’s Campaign for America’s Libraries.
Media training: How to communicate effectively with the media and win. Legendary Chicago broadcaster Dave Baum returns Sunday afternoon to offer his popular media relations training session, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., at McCormick Place West in room W-194B. Baum will provide tips on how librarians can effectively deliver their key messages and garner favorable media coverage. Baum has trained dozens of ALA presidents and division president-elects since 2000.
For more information, email John Amundsen at jamundsen@ala.org.
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Initiatives
The Campaign for America's Libraries
The Carnegie/New York Times "I Love my Librarian" Award
The American Dream Starts @ your library
Scholastic/National Library Week Grant
Step Up to the Plate @ your library
Events
National Library Card Sign-up Month
Día de los Niños, Día de los Libros
ALA Staff resources
Oversight Groups
Activities of the Public Information Office are overseen by the ALA Public Awareness Committee and its three subcommittees - the Campaign for America's Libraries Subcommittee, the PR Forum Subcommittee and the National Library Week Subcommittee. These groups meet twice a year, during ALA's Annual Conferences in June-July, and Midwinter Meetings, usually held in January.
The next meetings will occur during the 2009 Midwinter Meeting in Denver (Jan. 24-28) and the 2009 Annual Conference in Chicago (July 9-15). Exact dates, times and locations will be posted as they become available.
The charges of these groups are as follows:
Public Awareness Committee
To develop programs that promotes libraries and library issues nationwide. To assist ALA members in promoting their libraries at the local, state and national levels. To work closely with the ALA Public Information Office and ALA officers, committees and units in developing and coordinating promotional and marketing programs and tools for libraries, librarians and ALA, including National Library Week and other national campaigns focused on the continuing support of libraries.
Campaign for America's Libraries Subcommittee
To provide oversight on the strategic direction for the Campaign for America's Libraries. To develop educational opportunities for members to learn about the Campaign and effective public awareness-building techniques. To cultivate internal and external partnerships with ALA divisions and offices and with corporate, media and non-profit and government allies. To develop outreach efforts that target Hispanic/Latino communities and parents and children.
Public Relations Assembly
To provide a forum for the exchange of information about library public relations and marketing activities trhroughout the association and with other library groups and associations sharing an interest in library promotion. To promote cooperation and enhance the effectiveness of public relations activities throughout the association and to strenghen ALA's national public awareness efforts. Organizes the annual PR Forum.
National Library Week Subcommittee
To choose an annual theme for National Library Week and to select the winner of the Scholastic Library Publishing national Library Week Grant.
PIO Staff
Mark R. Gould
Director
(312) 280-5042
mgould@ala.org
Megan Humphrey
Manager
The Campaign for America’s Libraries
(312) 280-4020
mhumphrey@ala.org
Megan McFarlane
Coordinator
The Campaign for America’s Libraries
(312) 280-2148
mmcfarlane@ala.org
Macey Morales
Manager
PIO Media Relations
(312) 280-4393
mmorales@ala.org
Jennifer Petersen
Public Relations Coordinator
PIO Media Relations
(312) 280-5043
jpetersen@ala.org
Steve Zalusky
Manager of Communications
(312) 280-1546
szalusky@ala.org
John Amundsen
Administrative Assistant
(312) 280-5041
jamundsen@ala.org
2009 State of America's Libraries Report
Just released State of America's Libraries report highlights important trends and developments that impact the library world. View the report
Visibility @ your library
Advocating in a Tough Economy Toolkit
Thinkfinity
@ your library - The Campaign for America's Libraries
The Carnegie Corporation of New York/New York Times I Love My Librarian Award
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