How You Can Promote New ABC Public Service Announcements
January 2005

ABC Television Network has continued its relationship with ALA’s Campaign for America’s Libraries by producing 7 new Public Service Announcements (PSAs) featuring ABC stars talking about the importance of public libraries and literacy. The spots are part of the network’s "A Better Community" public service initiative and are being made available to all of ABC’s 225 affiliates around the country. In addition, four new PSAs featuring George Lopez, spokesperson for the Public Library Association's "Smartest Card" initiative, will also be made available to the network's affiliates. These PSAs were produced by The Campaign for America's Libraries.

The ABC PSAs feature the following celebrities: Zach Levi ("Less than Perfect"), Rebecca Budig ("All My Children"), Evangeline Lily ("Lost"), Kimberly-Williams-Paisley ("According to Jim"), Noah Gray-Cabey ("My Wife and Kids"), Masiela Lusha ("George Lopez"), and Taylor Atelian and Billi Bruno ("According to Jim").

You and your library can play an important role in ensuring that local ABC stations air the PSAs. Here’s how.

• Visit the ABC-TV Web site  and identify your local ABC station.  Call the station to find out the name and telephone number of the Public Affairs/Community Relations Manager or Public Service Director.

• Call the Public Affairs/Community Relations Manager/Public Service Director at your local ABC station.    Identify yourself as a representative from the local library community.  Convey how excited the library community is about ABC’s decision to produce these new PSAs about reading and libraries as part of the “A Better Community” series.  Urge the Public Affairs/Community Relations Manager/Public Service Director to air the PSAs. 

• Talk with colleagues – including trustees, members of your Friends group and business leaders – from your local community to see if anyone has any relationships with management officials at your local ABC station.   If so, ask that person to place a call to the station on behalf of the local library community to encourage the airing of the new PSAs about libraries.

• Offer to work with the station on events, live broadcasts and joint community relations initiatives.   (For example, newscasters from the local station could participate in children’s summer reading programs or a local affiliate may be interested in showcasing what’s new @ your library during National Library Week in April.)

• Follow-up with a note thanking your contact for his or her support of libraries.   Extend an invitation to tour your library.  Invite other station representatives to visit as well. Include information on upcoming events, special services and how your library serves children, the local community, etc.  Include the television station on your library’s mailing list to ensure that producers have the latest newsletter updates on what is happening @ your library.

This is a very exciting media partnership for The Campaign for America’s Libraries.  We appreciate you taking the time to help ensure that these new PSAs about libraries are broadcast on ABC stations across the country. Please let the ALA Public Information Office if your local stations run the spots by sending email to: atyourlibrary@ala.org.

Scripts to new ABC PSAs

If I were to ask you to name one place that's filled from wall to wall with culture, history, adventure and magic, could you think of a place? Of course...it's your public library. A place where the world is at your fingertips.

-- Zach Levi, "Less than Perfect"; Rebecca Budig, "All My Children"

What if I were to tell you that in one afternoon, you could blast off to outer space, climb Mt. Everest; explore an underwater shipwreck and travel back to when dinosaurs roamed the Earth. How? Visit the public library. They have hundreds of books you can check out. With a little imagination there is no end to your adventures.

-- Evangeline Lilly, "Lost"; Kimberly Williams Paisely, "According to Jim"

Hey kids! Looking for a new adventure or something cool to do? Have your parents take you to the library and check out a couple books. You can read all kinds of great stories with all sorts of new adventures. Go and check it out.

-- Noah Gray-Cabey, "My Wife and Kids"; Masiela Lusha, "George Lopez"

Taylor:   Do you have a favorite book that you love to read over and over and over
            again?

Billi:      Next time try something new like getting a friend to read the book.

Taylor:  Then talk about what you both like about it.

Billi:     You could even read with your brother or sister.

Taylor:  What if you could get a whole bunch of people reading your favorite book
           together!

Billi:     That would be awesome.

Taylor:  When you read together....

Billi:     You're learning together.

-- Billi Bruno and Taylor Atelian, "According to Jim"