ALA presents Advocacy Institute at 2006 CLA Annual Conference

Contact: Marci Merola

PR Specialist, Advocacy

312-280-2431

mmerola@ala.org

For Immediate Release

November 1, 2006

ALA presents Advocacy Institute at 2006 CLA Annual Conference

CHICAGO – The American Library Association (ALA) is presenting an Advocacy Institute at the 2006 Annual Conference of the California Library Association (CLA) in Sacramento on Friday, November 10 from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. at the Sheraton Grand Hotel.

"The Advocacy Institute is an excellent opportunity to hear from state and national experts and community leaders on successful strategies in advocating support for our libraries,” said San Francisco City Librarian Luis Herrera.

Attendees of the Advocacy Institute will take home strategies to successfully advocate for their libraries, including message development, lobbying basics, and how to create coalitions with library staff members, trustees, and Friends. Throughout the day, attendees will work on an action plan that they can implement in their libraries. The Advocacy Institute is useful for beginning advocates as well as those wishing to brush-up on their skills.

Guest speakers include Luis Herrera, city librarian, San Francisco Public Library; Donna Bero, executive director, Friends of San Francisco Public Library; Susan Hildreth, California state librarian and 2006-2007 president of the Public Library Assn.; Terri Maguire, chair of the CLA Legislative Committee and deputy director of the County of Los Angeles Public Library; Jan Sanders, director of information services of the City of Pasadena; Marian Chatfield-Taylor, capital campaign manager, Friends of the San Francisco Public Library; and Alan Smith, president of the California Association of Trustees and Commissioners (CALTAC).

Advance registration is $45. To register, visit
http://www.cla-net.org/events/confexhibition.php.

For more information on the Advocacy Institute, visit
www.ala.org/advocacyinstitute. The Advocacy Institute is made possible by a grant from the Ford Foundation. For more information, visit
www.fordfound.org.