AASL to offer advocacy workshop at ALA Annual Conference

Contact: Kathy Agarwal

Communications Specialist

312-280-4381

kagarwal@ala.org

For Immediate Release

April 16, 2007

AASL to offer advocacy workshop at ALA Annual Conference

CHICAGO – The American Association of School Librarians (AASL), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), will offer an advocacy preconference workshop entitled “Advocacy Begins with Strategic Planning” Friday, June 22, 2007, 1:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. during the ALA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. in June.

Organizational consultant Maureen Sullivan, a former president of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL), will lead this interactive workshop, teaching strategic planning skills for the school library setting. Strategic planning empowers school librarians to be effective advocates of strong library programs, ensuring student learning, information literacy, as well as cultural enrichment. Strategic planning is a tool for successful advocacy, a public relations element in its own right and an opportunity to build or strengthen relationships with key constituents.

Registration for the preconference is $79 for AASL members, $129 for ALA members, and $184 for non-members. Online registration is open at: http://www.ala.org/annual.

In addition to the advocacy workshop, AASL will host a variety of educational programs and exciting special events during the ALA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. this summer. To learn more, see http://www.ala.org/aasl/annual.

The American Association of School Librarians, www.aasl.org, a division of the American Library Association (ALA), promotes the improvement and extension of library media services in elementary and secondary schools as a means of strengthening the total education program. Its mission is to advocate excellence, facilitate change and develop leaders in the school library media field.