All things Library Advocacy Day 2012: March 6

Library Advocacy Day in Albany
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Empire State Plaza Meeting Room 6
Albany, New York

Library Advocacy Briefing WEBINAR
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
This free webinar provides a detailed review of NYLA's 2012 Legislative Priorities and Talking Points, to better prepare library advocates for their upcoming legislative visits.

To register to participate in the webinar - click HERE.
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Pre-Advocacy Day Activities 2012 – Monday, March 5, 2012
NYLA Institute is pleased to offer workshops to allow to you to make the most of your visit to Albany.
Courtyard by Marriott on Wolf Road - 189 Wolf Road, Albany, New York 12205
(see link for detail)
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Tuesday, March 6, 2012 – Library Advocacy Day
8:00am - 9:30am - Legislative Meet & Greet: NYLA hosts an informal buffet breakfast for legislators and staff to meet with library advocates from around the state in Meeting Room Six in the Concourse of the Empire State Plaza. Legislators are also given the opportunity at this time to have their photos taken for the annual READ posters and bookmarks that are used to promote the Statewide Summer Reading Program.
9:30am – 11:00am - Advocacy Day Briefings: Briefings on the current status of budget negotiations and NYLA’s Legislative Priorities will be given at regular intervals in Meeting Room 6, Concourse Level of the Empire State Plaza.
11:30am – 12:00pm - Rally and Speeches: Library advocates rally in Meeting Room 6 to voice their support for library funding and provide a visual demonstration of the strength of the library community to legislators and their staffs. Various speakers are scheduled (elected officials, NYLA leaders, etc.).
Special Guest
Kenneth C. Davis is the author of Don’t Know Much About® History, which spent 35 consecutive weeks on The New York Times bestseller list, and gave rise to the Don’t Know Much About® series, which has a combined in-print total of some 4.7-million copies. In June 2011, Don’t Know Much About History: Anniversary Edition was released in hardcover by HarperCollins. A newly revised, updated and expanded edition of the book that started the series, it now presents a complete survey of American history, from before the arrival of Columbus in 1492 right through the events of the past decade –from 9/11 through the election of Barack Obama and the first years of his administration.
To learn more about Kenneth C. Davis - Visit dontknowmuch.com.
Several publishers have donated books that will be available for free to Library Advocates who visit Meeting Room 6 on Library Advocacy Day.

Meetings / Materials & Handouts
Library advocates can visit one-on-one with their legislators to inform them of NYLA's 2012 Legislative Priorities.
Organizing a Group or meeting with a Legislator? Please fill out the Library Advocacy Day Contact Form.
Advocacy Day Handout: Advocacy materials are distributed to Library Advocacy Day attendees to use in their meetings with legislators and staff.
Stop by Meeting Room 6 to pick up handouts.
Getting There & Getting Around
Directions & Logistics

Bus & Regional Coordinator Information - Find a bus heading to Albany for Library Advocacy Day! - Don't go it alone!
Security Information
Please plan for airport-like security measures in place in the New York State Capitol, the Legislative Office Building and its surrounding buildings. Please be prepared to pass through a metal detector and have your belongings go through an X-ray machine to enter. All adults (16+) must show a photo ID to enter - it is recommended that attendees carry a photo ID at all times. In addition, items that are sharp or may be construed as weapons are not allowed in any of the Empire State Plaza buildings (including "sticks" attached to Rally signs). Due to the security measures and the number of people expected in Albany that day, please leave yourself plenty of time to travel between Meeting Room 6 and meetings with legislators.
Who's going to gain?
• ALL NY libraries and citizens.
• ALL libraries and systems which receive direct state aid.
• Many libraries and systems which receive indirect state aid in the form of cooperative services and shared programs from their library system.
• Legislators who need to understand how libraries can help them.
What can I do now to support this effort?
• Call your legislator's office, either at his or her district office, or in Albany.
• Tell him/her how important your library is to the community—and its voting citizens.
• Tell him/her that increased funding for libraries is ESSENTIAL and CRITICAL.
• Use our helpful advocacy tools to help shape your personal message.
We have a great opportunity to speak out for additional funding for electronic resources, construction, and aid for all libraries. It's not hard—and we all need to do our part in strengthening New York's libraries, systems, and special collections.

2010 National Advocacy Day

To all New York Librarians, Library Trustees, Library Workers and Library Friends

There is still time to register for National Library Advocacy Day. At this point we have about 60 people registered.

For one year only, Library Advocacy Day will replace National Library Legislative Day (NLLD). On June 29, 2010, library advocates from all 50 states and Washington, D.C. will meet at Upper Senate Park on the U.S. Capitol grounds. The event, which will begin at 11:00am, will feature guest speakers, photo ops, and a chance to cheer on libraries! After the rally, participants will meet with their elected officials and their staffs.

Here is the link to register for this important national event.

The Washington Office is still finalizing the legislative agenda. In the meantime, issues that will be included are:

LSTA - thank legislators for this important grant program and let them how important it is to us
ESEA - President Obama's replacement of the No Child Left Behind program - we will be pushing to include a State Certified Librarian in each school
E-Rate - letting legislator know how important this program is for libraries and asking them to look at streamlining the application process
Open Internet (Net Neutrality) - the importance of an open Internet

A list of other legislation the Washington Office is watching can be found here.

You can access the ALA Legislative Scorecard, which provides the voting record for all legislators on Bills that address issues important to libraries, at the links below (these links will provide access to PDF files):
House Of Representatives
Senate

Thinkfinity @ your library features new online resource to help supporters advocate for libraries

Add It Up: Libraries Make the Difference in Youth Development and Education” is a new web-based resource that helps advocates make the case for libraries. The site contains talking points, statistics, and links to research that equip library advocates with information to speak articulately on behalf of the impact libraries have on school age children.

To learn more about the “Add it up” web site, visit Thinkfinity.org/@yourlibrary, a collection of resources featuring librarian specific content from ALA. Thinkfinity.org is the Verizon Foundation’s comprehensive program and online portal to 55,000 standards-based, grade-specific, K-12 lesson plans and other educational resources provided in partnership with many of the nation’s leading educational and literacy organizations. Content for Thinkfinity.org is provided through a partnership between the Verizon Foundation and 11 of the nation’s leading organizations in the fields of education and literacy.

Source: American Libraries Association

ALA Releases Tough Economy Toolkit

From the American Library Association:

Chicago -- A new web-based resource has just been released that will help library advocates make the case for libraries during times of economic downturn. The “Advocating in a Tough Economy” toolkit is available at www.ala.org/tougheconomytoolkit .

"With city, county, state and federal budgets under increasing pressure, we need to be making the case for libraries more than ever. All too often, libraries are the first to receive budget cuts. Funders need to understand the essential role that libraries play in our society and economy, with usage up significantly, and increasing numbers of people coming to libraries for job-related services, for access to government assistance programs, and as a way of making their money go further," says Keith Michael Fiels, ALA Executive Director. "The new toolkit will arm librarians and library supporters with the facts and strategies they need to speak out effectively for libraries in this tough economy."

The toolkit contains information on how to work with decision-makers, ways to work with the media, and talking points to help libraries articulate the role of libraries in times of economic downturn. Talking points on the economic value of libraries, with return-on-investment examples; libraries and the economy; and upswings in library usage are included. Users are also invited to share their stories of how they have successfully advocated. Recent media coverage of libraries is also featured.

This resource is part of the "Advocacy U", ALA’s new initiative geared to providing tools, training and resources to library advocates achieve real advocacy goals in real situations at the local level. Learn more at www.ala.org/advocacyuniversity.

"The Advocating in a Tough Economy Toolkit" is also a work in process. Updates and improvements will be implemented as new information and new success stories become available.

NYLA budget update

The Legislative Special Session ended last week with no agreement between the Governor and the state Legislature on futher mid-year budget cuts. "NYLA's Library Rally at the Capitol, which brought 450 library advocates to Albany, showed state policymakers in a very visible, loud and forceful (but law-abiding) manner, that the library community would not stand for any further cuts in funding."

Coverage of the rally and other protests was quite extensive by television (see below) and pictures from the rally can be found on the website at www.nyla.org.

CBS6 Albany.

WHAM 13.

Capital News 9

"The Governor proposes to release his 2009-2010 Executive Budget on December 16th, which will undoubtedly call for additional cuts in Library Aid. It is also still unclear when the remaining $26 million in undistributed Library Aid from the 2008-09 State Budget will be released. NYLA will keep folks informed of any developments in this ongoing budget saga."

As NYLA's Michael Borges put it, "Advocacy is not a sprint, but a marathon, and we must keep pace with events as they unfold and prepared to take action on a moment's notice."

NYLA's 2008 Talking Points

NYLA's 2008 Talking Points are now availabe on its website at http://www.nyla.org under Headlines. These are helpful factoids that can assist you in your discussions with state legislators regarding 2008 Budget Priorities - 1) Restoring the $5 million cut in Library Aid, 2) Amending the Contracts for Excellence Initiative, 3) Funding Book Aid.
The Talking Points will also be part of packets handed out on Library Lobby Day.

If you have not already done so, please contact your state legislator in the upcoming days either via NYLA's Online Advocacy Center - go to the website http://www.nyla.org and click on Contact Your Elected Officials - or mail in letter - sample available under Advocacy Tools also on the website.

Revenue projections were announced this week, with the Senate Majority estimating revenues will be $99 million higher than the Governor's projections and the Assembly Majority estimating that revenues will be $615 million lower than the Governor's projections. If they cannot reach an agreement by this Friday, the state Comptroller is authorized to establish revenue numbers (the amount of money the state has to spend in Fiscal Year 2008-09).

Also please make every effort to attend Library Lobby Day (Tuesday, March 11th) this year. A large turnout will be key to persuading state legisaltors and staff to restore the $5 million cut in Library Aid. Visit the Lobby Day page to find out more details and regional coordinators in your area for travel and meeting arrangements.