Know your legislator

Make copies of this checklist. Fill it out and review before contacting your legislators. Take it with you on visits. The more you know about a particular legislator, the more effective you will be.

Name of legislator: ___________________________________________

Political Party: ___ Republican ___ Democrat ___Other

Idealogy: ___Liberal ___Conservative ___ Moderate

State/District represented: ____________________________________

Key characteristics of District

___Rural ___Urban ___Mixed ___University___Business/labor

Key Supporters:  _____________________________________________

Date first elected:  ____________

Legislative Positions (fill in below)

Committee, subcommittee memberships (list names):

Committees/subcommittees chaired:

Majority of minority floor leadership:

Public position on libraries:

Personal connections to libraries: 

Know your message

How You Can Influence Your Local Legislators, by Julie Still, Marketing Library Services, www.infotoday.com/mls/may04/still.shtml.

Library Advocate’s Handbook: www.ala.org.  Click on Issues and Advocacy, Resources and then Advocacy Publications.
Includes more detailed information about making legislative contacts. Print copies $2 from the ALA Public Information Office. Free when distributed as part of ALA’s Library Advocacy Now! Training. E-mail: advocacy@ala.org.