At CMLE Headquarters, we want you to be informed about all the great things happening across the profession. And advocacy is ALWAYS an important topic!!

If there is sufficient interest in this, CMLE HQ can help to make arrangements for members to travel to Washington DC, so we can directly tell our federal politicians how valuable we are to our communities. Funding is going to be tight, and priorities for resources are shifting – and libraries are not at the top of the list for support.

The profession needs YOU!

• If you can not make it to Washington, then attend our Minnesota legislative day!
• If you can not do that, then give your legislator a call and tell them (briefly, politely) about something great your library did today, or this week, or this month.
• And if you need to practice your phone call before you make it, talk to us first! We can help you organize ideas, and to feel confident that you have a great story to share!!

This is not just for “other” library people, or just people with a degree, or just ALA members, or just ANYTHING!

YOU are in a library, YOU know about the service you provide, the materials your patrons would not have without you, the help you give every single day. YOU are exactly the right person to do some advocacy for your library, for your community, and for your profession. GO TELL SOMEONE!!

(There we go – that’s library advocacy! You nailed it!!)

Advocacy is not hard; but if we all want to ensure our libraries continue to thrive – everyone needs to start getting out there and talking about our value!!

Press Release from ALA:

Join us for National Library Legislative Day 2017

I’m happy to announce that registration for National Library Legislative Day 2017 is now open. To find information about the event, to register, or to book a room in the hotel block, please visit ala.org/nlld.

As with previous years, National Library Legislative Day 2017 will be held at the Liaison Hotel in Washington, DC. Briefing day will take place on May 1st, and includes informational sessions about each of the most important legislation issues libraries are facing, as well as advocacy training. On May 2nd, each state delegation will go to their meetings on the Hill with their elected officials.

Registration this year is $50 and includes entry into a reception held on Capitol Hill, along with a folder full of briefing materials, talking points, and information.

To learn more about the event, check out our blog post on District Dispatch.

As always, please feel free to reach out to Lisa Lindle at llindle@alawash.org if you have any questions!

Contact Us ALA Washington Office 1615 New Hampshire Ave NW, 1st Floor Washington, D.C. 20009-2520 Phone: 202-628-8410 • Toll Free: 1-800-941-8478

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