If you could not attend National Library Legislative Day in person, ALA provided ample opportunity to participate virtually.

The ALA Washington Office Twitter feed (@ala_wo) is an informative resource year-round, but their tweet-by-tweet coverage of the day was an excellent way to track the action. Many advocating librarians took the time to Tweet their activities in between meetings using the #NLLD hashtag. It was truly heartening to see so many librarians on the frontlines.

 Those who could not meet their legislators in person still had (and have) the opportunity to communicate their concerns. YALSA’s Tweet Your Senator Map is a quick and easy way for those with a Twitter account to connect with their senators regarding library issues. The Map saw a lot of use over the days. The Legislative Action Center is an excellent clearinghouse for understanding legislation impacting libraries and how to communicate with legislators. Though the official day has passed, advocating for libraries is a year-round endeavor.

 If you are considering attending next year’s Library Legislative Day from May 6-7, check out this informative piece on NLLD in American Libraries Magazine to get a clearer picture of the experience.  And take a minute to browse the ALA Washington Office flickr account to see the action for yourself and hopefully get pumped to advocate.

The YALSA Legislative Committee is pleased to announce our April Advocate of the Month (sorry, a few days late!): Dr. Sharyl G. Smith.

She is the former State Specialist for School Library Media at the Utah State Office of Education. According to Matt McClain who nominated Dr. Smith, “she was instrumental in lobbying efforts to the Utah State Legislature during the 2011 Legislative Session.” Dr. Smith gained $600,000 in additional funding for books and electronic resources for school media centers around the state.

Here is a link about Dr. Smith’s efforts.

Thank you to Sharyl and all the advocates out there for libraries. If you know someone deserving of the YALSA Advocate of Month recognition, please nominate them here.

I’m sure all of you have heard again and again “talk to your legislators” but that is much easier said than done! It can be quite intimidating talking to an elected official.

To help prepare to talk to an elected official, a tip that I recently heard in PLA’s Turning the Page 2.0 Advocacy class is to “create a parking lot speech.” It’s called a “parking lot” speech because sometimes the places you run into elected officials are parking lots, elevators and other unexpected places.

A parking lot speech is brief, ready-to-go speech that is and focused on stories not statistics. The speech is framed in a way that shows the official that THEY can benefit by helping the library, not about how the library can benefit from the official.

National Library Legislative Day is coming up on April 24^th. A great way to do something for that day is to prepare your own “parking lot” speech. It can include a personal story, why the library is important to you, and a call for action from the elected official.

On behalf of the YALSA Legislative Committee, we thank you for your work.

We’re half way through National Library Week!  I hope you’re having fun in your libraries.  This is a time to celebrate libraries, library staff, customers and everything we do together.

We’re also getting closer to National Library Legislative Day 2012 on April 24th.

Have you made an advocacy plan or are you not sure where to begin?

ALA and YALSA have many resources for people who have just begun their Legislative Day preparations as well as tools for those well on their way.   You don’t need to go to D.C. to advocate.  These resources are available right at your fingertips.

You can begin by reading YALSA’s Legislative Advocacy Guide and finding the contact information for your senator.

We’ve also put together some Advocacy Talking Points for 2012.

Happy National Library Week and National Library Workers Day!

This week we celebrate contributions of our nation’s libraries and librarians and to promote library use.

In two weeks, we celebrate the 38th Annual National Library Legislative Day. National Library Legislative Day is a way to let your voice be heard. Many changes in Congress now contribute to a new political climate in both the House and the Senate. New members need to hear from you and other constituents. The event will take place April 23 and 24 in Washington, D.C. Registration is simple and free at http://www.ala.org/advocacy/register-national-library-legislative-day. Please register by Monday, April 16, 2012. After you register, please contact your state’s National Library Legislative Day (NNLD) coordinator to let them know you are attending. Find your coordinator at http://www.ala.org/advocacy/advleg/nlld/coordinators.

Can’t make it to D.C.? Organize a Contact Congress Party in your community!
Invite patrons and library supporters to your library on April 24th to contact their congresspersons’ offices and promote the value of libraries and librarians. Focus the party on one or more of the following communication tools: cell phones, email, postcards and/or Twitter. This could be a drop-in event, where patrons and supporters stop in at any time during the day to make the calls, emails, etc., or you can choose a particular time and have everyone gather at once. Please keep in mind that congressional offices usually close at 5:00 PM, EDT.

For more information on planning a “Contact Congress Party” along with many other wonderful resources, may be found on the YALSA National Library Legislative Day Wiki, http://wikis.ala.org/yalsa/index.php/National_Library_Legislative_Day.

Register, stay informed and prepare to advocate for well-stocked, professionally staffed libraries. Save the date and vote for libraries! Thank you for all that you do and for being a frontline advocate for libraries.

The YALSA Legislative Committee is pleased to announce the March Advocate of the Month: Anna Hartmann

Anna Hartmann has been the teen services librarian at the Council Bluffs Public Library for the last three years. The position was newly created when she came on and she has made every effort to provide the best service to her teen patrons. This includes the designing and overseeing of the new Teen Central space at the library (with input from teen patrons), designing programs aimed directly at teen interests, revising both her practices and programs to better fit the needs of her patrons, and generally being the best librarian around. She advocates for the importance of the library in teens’ lives by making sure they have a space in the library where they will be respected and appreciated. Please see the Council Bluffs Library website at http://www.cbpl.lib.ia.us/teens/ for more info.

If you know someone like Anna who deserves recognition for their advocacy work with teens and libraries, please consider nominating them for YALSA’s Advocate of the Month at: http://yalsa.ala.org/forms/advocate.php

Thank you on behalf of the YALSA Legislative Committee.

The YALSA Legislative Committee is pleased to announce YALSA’s February Advocate of the Month: Wick Thomas. Here is his personal advocacy story:

Wick has been part of the Teen Services family at Kansas City Public Library for over three years.  He brings to the table enthusiasm for teen-centered programs and a strong advocacy background ensuring that the teens of Kansas City have equal assess and a voice in the programs, polices, and services available to teens at the public library and the greaterKansas Citycommunity. 

 In addition to his work in the library, Wick is a founding member of the Empowering Queer Activists and Leaders (EQUAL)YouthCenter; a youth led non-profit organization that serves as a resource for queer and straight ally youth.  It has been Wick’s life work to continue to advocate for the rights of others. Wick’s passion for social justice  and experience working with teens makes Wick an and amazing advocate for teens of the Kansas City metro and a great example for YALSA’s Advocate of the Month. Congratulations to Wick!

If you know someone who deserves recognition for their advocacy work with teens and libraries, please consider nominating them for YALSA’s Advocate of the Month at: http://yalsa.ala.org/forms/advocate.php

This monthly feature, sponsored by the Legislative Committee, highlights the advocacy work of passionate individuals on behalf of teens in libraries. From lobbying government to protecting intellectual freedom, library staff support teens in a variety of ways. This month, meet Anna Hartmann who has helped create a teen-centered space and teen-oriented programming where little existed before.

Meet YALSA Advocate of the Month Anna Hartmann who serves as the Teen Services Librarian at the Council Bluffs Public Library in Council Bluffs, Iowa. Since arriving at the library 2 ½ years ago, Anna has helped oversee the creation and opening of a dedicated space in the library for teens, Teen Central. Additionally, she offers between 12 and 15 programs per month exclusively for patrons in grades 6 through 12. Anna partners with several local advocacy groups and community organizations in order to get the word out about the services the library offers and the importance of working as a community to support youth of all ages.

“It’s hard for me to get through a week without someone telling me that don’t know how I “do it,” says Anna. She believes a good relationship with teen patrons is crucial for successful young adult services. “They are so creative and funny and interesting. And yes, they can also be frustrating and crazy-making, but who isn’t sometimes?” Anna firmly believes that teens deserve to be treated with the same fairness and respect as every other library patron. She advocates on behalf of her teens to her coworkers and the community every day, stressing the importance of teen-centered events and programming. “I will defend to the ends of the Earth teens’ right to be in the library and use the space in equal manner to any other library patron.”

As part of YALSA’s push towards advocacy, the YALSA Legislative Committee has developed a new initiative called “Advocate of the Month.” We are happy to tell you about our first Advocate, Danielle Driggers.

Danielle is a student in Flower Mound, Texas who created a video for ALA’s “Why I need my Library” Contest. In her own words, this is her personal advocacy story:

I really became involved with libraries when my mom got her first job as a librarian in 2008. Since then, I’ve helped her set up her school library when she was working, and recently made a video for the American Library Association that shows exactly why I need my library. I hope that it has changed some people’s minds about libraries, and that they think of them as thriving places for things like technology, magazines, newspapers, and much more; they are no longer just for books!

On behalf of the YALSA Legislative Committee, we want to thank Danielle for her work.

If you or someone you know is an advocate for teens and libraries please nominate them at: http://yalsa.ala.org/forms/advocate.php 

If you have not heard, the YALSA Legislative Committee is starting a new initiative: YALSA Advocate of the Month. This is your chance to recognize a coworker, patron, friend or yourself for helping to advocate for teens and libraries. Most of advocacy is not standing on the steps of the capitol building, but less noticeable activities. Please consider sharing your, or your nominees personal advocacy story with YALSA to help promote libraries and young adults everywhere.

The form is short and simple at: http://yalsa.ala.org/forms/advocate.php 

Thank you on behalf of the YALSA Legislative Committee