ACRL names visiting program officer, accepts legislative advocate applications
Contact: Kara J. Malenfant
Scholarly Communications and Government Relations Specialist
(312) 280-2510
kmalenfant@ala.org
For Immediate Release,
April 7, 2008
ACRL names visiting program officer, accepts legislative advocate applications
CHICAGO - To support the expansion of its grassroots legislative advocacy program, the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) is pleased to announce the appointment of Michael McLane as visiting program officer. McLane will play an integral role in carrying out the recommendations of the ACRL task force on national advocacy. He will work with ACRL members and staff to recruit new legislative advocates, plan training opportunities and assess the program.
McLane, the director of libraries at The Catholic University of America in Washington, has served as a member of ACRL's Government Relations Committee and been involved in developing the ACRL Legislative Advocates program. His extensive experience in legislative advocacy includes serving as executive director of the Central New York Library Resources Council, where he provided leadership for advocacy efforts and led coordinated campaigns on the state and federal level.
"We are delighted to have someone of Mike's expertise and capabilities join ACRL in our efforts to increase our grassroots advocacy effectiveness," said Mary Ellen K. Davis, ACRL Executive Director.
To supplement the existing Legislative Network, the association is also seeking to expand its group of ACRL Legislative Advocates. Recognizing that not all members are active in their local chapters, ACRL is directly recruiting legislative advocates in an effort to complement the good work of the chapter networks and the chapter legislative coordinators. To learn more from current ACRL legislative advocates about why they feel this program is so important, listen to a podcast interview with Jonathan Miller at http://blogs.ala.org/acrlpodcast.php or read the profile of Aaron Dobbs at http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/aboutacrl/acrlmembership/acrlmembers.cfm#do….
A full description of the program complete with responsibilities, duties and application is available online at http://www.ala.org/ala/acrl/acrlissues/washingtonwatch/acrladvocates.htm. Apply by Friday, July 11.
ACRL is a division of the American Library Association (ALA), representing more than 13,000 academic and research librarians and interested individuals. ACRL is the only individual membership organization in North America that develops programs, products and services to meet the unique needs of academic and research librarians. Its initiatives enable the higher education community to understand the role that academic libraries play in the teaching, learning and research environments.
