Key ALA offices, all divisions, 'advocacy guru' to team at 2015 Midwinter Meeting to help all library lovers answer president’s call to 'Advocate. Today.'

For Immediate Release
Tue, 01/20/2015

Contact:

Jazzy Wright

Press Officer

Washington Office

202-628-8410

jwright@alawash.org

CHICAGO—In her inaugural column for American Libraries magazine, titled "Advocate. Today.," American Library Association (ALA) President Courtney Young challenged librarians of all types, and friends of libraries, to commit to spending just an hour a week advocating for libraries. To take the mystery out of just what “advocacy” means, how to do it and how to have fun along the way, ALA’s Offices of Intellectual Freedom (OIF), Library Advocacy (OLA), Public Information and the Washington Office will partner with all ALA divisions to present "An Hour a Week: Library Advocacy is Easy!!!" during the 2015 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Chicago. The program is being cosponsored and will be co-promoted by all of ALA’s eleven divisions.

The session, which will be held on Saturday, January 31, 2015, from 10:30–11:30 a.m., will be led by the ever-popular “Advocacy Guru,” Stephanie Vance, who will walk "newbies" and “old pros” alike through just what advocacy means today--from engaging with the local PTAs and library boards to lobbying the White House. With the help of panelists from OIF and OLA, Vance will share easy advocacy strategies and lead a lightening tour of the many terrific ALA advocacy resources available to give "ALAdvocates" everything they need to answer Courtney’s call.

For fully half the program, Vance also will “dive” into the audience to “get the story” of what works in the real world from real librarians and library supporters from all parts of the profession. These everyday advocates will share their own hands-on experiences at bringing libraries’ messages to allies, policy-makers and elected officials at every level and explain why every librarian’s (and library lover’s) involvement in advocacy is so critical to the future of libraries of every kind everywhere.

WHEN: Saturday, January 31, 2015, from 10:30–11:30 a.m.

WHERE: McCormick Place, the Chicago Convention Center, Room W183B

WHO:
-Stephanie Vance, president, Advocacy Associates
-Marci Merola, director, ALA Office for Library Advocacy
-Barbara Jones, director, ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom

REGISTER: To attend the conference session as a reporter, email Jazzy Wright, press officer for ALA’s Washington Office, at jwright@alawash.org.

About the American Library Association

The American Library Association is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with approximately 55,000 members in academic, public, school, government, and special libraries. The mission of the American Library Association is to provide leadership for the development, promotion and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.