Three co-sponsors sign on to ALA Advocacy Institute
Contact: Marci Merola
PR Specialist-Advocacy
312-280-2431
For Immediate Release
April 11, 2006
Three co-sponsors sign on to ALA Advocacy Institute
CHICAGO - Three new co-sponsors - the Louisiana, Texas, and Arkansas Library Associations - have signed on to participate in the American Library Association (ALA) Advocacy Institute, Friday, June 23, 2006 at Annual Conference in New Orleans.
Geared to help foster community support among library professionals, Friends, trustees and advocates at the state levels, attendees will learn strategies to successfully advocate for their libraries, including message development, lobbying basics and coalition building techniques.
Attendees will leave with a draft of an advocacy action plan to implement in their library community. The Advocacy Institute is designed for the beginning advocate or anyone who wants to sharpen their skills.
Recently moved to an afternoon time slot to include a joint-luncheon presentation with the American Association of School Librarians (AASL), the Advocacy Institute also will address pressing legislative issues. The Institute is now scheduled from 12-5 p.m at the Astor Crowne Plaza, Grand Ballrooms C and D.
Gloria Meraz, Texas Library Association, will host the lunch discussion, focusing on two types of state legislation affecting libraries in similar ways: the "65 Percent Solution," affecting school libraries, and TABOR (Tax Payer Bill of Rights Laws) Laws, which will primarily impact public libraries. Co-sponsored by AASL, the luncheon will run from 12-1 pm., allowing participants in the division's morning preconference to attend.
The cost is $25 for both the luncheon and the Advocacy Institute. AASL members who attend the lunch are welcome to attend the Institute in the afternoon.
The Advocacy Institute is a project of the Advocacy Institute Task Force of the ALA Public Awareness Committee, in partnership with the ALA Chapter Relations Office, the Association for Trustees and Advocates, the ALA Washington Office, and Friends of Libraries USA. The Advocacy Institute is made possible by a grant from the Ford Foundation.
To register for the Advocacy Institute, visit
http://www.ala.org/ala/issues/advocacyinstitute.htm and follow the links to ALA's registration page.
To register for the luncheon only, visit the same site and register for the Advocacy Institute. Onsite registration for both the Advocacy Institute and the joint luncheon will be available and begins at 11:30 am.
