ALA Washington Office plans Advocacy Day as part of Annual 2010

Contact: Jenni Terry


Press Officer


ALA Washington Office


202-628-8410


703-380-2764 (cell)

jterry@alawash.org

For Immediate Release


July 20, 2009

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In 2010, the American Library Association’s (ALA) Washington Office will replace its annual National Library Legislative Day (NLLD) in Washington, D.C., with an exciting, one-time opportunity – Library Advocacy Day – combining a rally on Capitol Hill with participants’ traditional visits to Congressional offices.

Library Advocacy Day, set for June 28, 2010, will give the thousands of ALA members who will be attending the 2010 ALA Annual Conference scheduled for June 24 – 30, 2010, in Washington a chance to get involved in federal advocacy and encourage them to attend future National Library Legislative Days, which will resume in 2011.

“Many ALA members and library advocates have not had the opportunity to participate in National Library Legislative Day, and this will be a great time to get plugged in,” Emily Sheketoff, executive director of the ALA Washington Office, said. “With thousands of ALA members in Washington, we should embrace this opportunity to descend upon Capitol Hill in huge numbers, meet with our elected officials, and tell them what our country’s public, school and academic libraries need to continue serving their constituents.”

The rally will begin at 1 p.m. on June 28, 2010, at the Upper Senate Park on the U.S. Capitol grounds. As with NLLD, Advocacy Day participants will work with their state coordinators to schedule meetings with their members of Congress after the rally.

For more information on the event – including how to contact state coordinators – contact Kristin Murphy, government relations specialist for the ALA Washington Office, at
kmurphy@alawash.org or 1-800-941-8478.

The Washington Office will continue to release details about Library Advocacy Day leading up to the event.

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