Rep. Rush Holt to talk importance of library advocacy in DC

For Immediate Release
Mon, 04/25/2016

Contact:

Jazzy Wright

Press Officer

ALA Washington Office

American Library Association

202-403-8208

jwright@alawash.org

 
Hundreds to advocate for libraries during 42nd annual National Library Legislative Day
 
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The American Library Association (ALA) will hold its 42nd annual National Library Legislative Day from May 2–3, 2016, at the Liaison Capitol Hill Hotel in Washington, D.C. As part of the event, more than 400 library supporters from virtually every state in the country will travel to the nation’s capital to meet with their Members of Congress and their staffs and to advocate on priority policy issues including: funding, copyright, privacy/surveillance and broad public access to government information.
 
On Monday, May 2, 2016, library champion and former Representative Rush Holt (D-NJ) will jumpstart the event with keynote remarks on the special importance of library advocacy during an election year. Following Rep. Holt’s talk, Jenny Backus, of Backus Consulting and former Google senior policy advisor, will lead an interactive discussion on effective advocacy strategies for library leaders. Additional speakers will include: ALA President Sari Feldman; Jan Sanders, director of the Pasadena Public Library; and Christian Zabriskie, executive director of Urban Librarians Unite.
 
The event also will include a panel discussion on effective media outreach strategies featuring: Jason Huffman, Agriculture and Trade editor for PoliticoPro; Darshana Patel, communications consultant for Latitude Worldwide; and Nancy Gravatt, marketing and communications office, Fairfax County Public Library.
 
For the first time, library supporters who cannot attend the Washington meetings in person will have access to a live webstream of the morning’s briefings. As in the past, they’ll also have the opportunity to connect virtually with legislators via phone calls, emails and social media platforms as part of Virtual Library Legislative Day
 
Photos from the event will be made available after it concludes.
 
WHO:
  • Former Congressman Rush Holt (D-NJ)
  • Jenny Backus, president and CEO, Backus Consulting
  • Sari Feldman, president, American Library Association
  • Nancy Gravatt, marketing and communications office, Fairfax County Public Library
  • Jason Huffman, editor, Agriculture and Trade, PoliticoPro
  • Darshana Patel, communications consultant, Latitude Worldwide
  • Jan Sanders, director, Pasadena Public Library
  • Christian Zabriskie, executive director, Urban Librarians Unite
WHEN:   May 2–3, 2016 
9:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
 
WHERE: Liaison Capitol Hill Hotel 
415 New Jersey Ave NW 
Washington, D.C. 20001
 
About the American Library Association
 
The American Library Association is the oldest and largest library association in the world, with more than 58,000 members in academic, public, school, government, and special libraries. The mission of the American Library Association is to provide leadership for the development, pro-mo¬tion and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.