Category Archives: Advocacy

Advocacy, Training

Training Tips: Everyday Advocacy Has Lots to Offer

If you have been around CMLE at all, you know we love to talk about libraries, and to tell EVERYONE how lovely our libraries are!! For the uninitiated, that is advocacy.

We like to talk about that a lot here, because sometimes people get nervous or intimidated by the idea of advocacy. It sounds like only something that people with super-special skills could do. But advocacy is for everyone! Do you like your library? Do you have cool stuff? Tell someone about it. And presto! You are a library advocate!

You don’t have to be perfect. You don’t need a degree. You don’t need a fancy, big library with tons of funding. You just need to care about libraries.

And then you can build on that, and get some skills to help yourself to feel more comfortable in advocating for your library and for the library profession. Check out this material from the ALSC Blog about Everyday Advocacy, by  Laura Schulte-Cooper for some ideas.

“With National Library Legislative Day (May 7-8) just about a month away, this seems an appropriate time to remind everyone about Everyday Advocacy (EA)! Are you familiar with EA? According to ALSC’s EA website, Everyday Advocacy is “a grassroots effort that starts with you and the incredible things you’re already doing for the youth and families you serve.” Consider Everyday Advocacy an antidote to the advocacy intimidation factor!

Need more convincing? Just take another (or first) look at the site. It truly is filled with resources compiled to help you get comfortable in the role of advocate or to get inspired to do more in the way of advocacy. Here’s just a small sampling of what you will find at the Everyday Advocacy site:

Be Informed | The Power of Stories

Human beings learn through stories. A well-told story is an extremely compelling way to convey your message, which will linger longer in the mind of the listener than a fact. Use these strategies to help your audience cement your message through images.

Be Informed | Using Statistics Effectively

Totals, percentages, averages, ratios. We’re guessing you’ve got no shortage of numbers to share! Statistics are compelling when used strategically to tell your library’s story.  Keep these points in mind as you incorporate numbers and figures into your message.

Engage with Your Community | Identify Key Stakeholders

Who directly benefits from your library’s programs and services? Who’s in the background, supporting your efforts and cheering you on? Take first steps toward advocacy by identifying these key stakeholders in your library community.

Speak Out | Crafting Your Message

Advocating for the most compelling issue or worthy cause is a losing battle if nobody hears what you are championing or knows why they should join you! Getting your message out is essential, so prepare yourself for success with these tips.

Get Inspired | Your Advocacy Stories

Get inspired by these Everyday Advocacy stories from our very own ALSC members. Cheer your colleagues—and maybe even snap up a few new ideas in the process.

Great stuff, right?! And, there’s so much more to dive into on the website. Check it out.

Still looking for more? The April Everyday Advocacy Matters newsletter came out this week. In this issue, find: interviews with several of the newly-deemed Library Journal Movers & Shakers; library-related articles from outside the library world for you to read and share; and quick acts of advocacy for when you really only have five minutes.

Spring is a time for new beginnings. Become an Everyday Advocate!”

Advocacy, School Media Specialist

Victory for Washington school libraries

Yay!! We always like to read good news about libraries, and this is a very positive article from ilovelibraries.org about school libraries!! Check it out, and celebrate with our Washington state colleagues!

“OLYMPIA – The Washington Library Association (WLA) is celebrating Governor Jay Inslee’s signing of SSB 6362 on March 21st, which added a line item to the bill allocating \$20 per student statewide specifically for library materials. The line item is being heralded as an important addition to the McCleary school funding order that the Washington State Legislature passed this past January that allocated another $1.2 billion dollars for K-12 education.

Washington Library Association 2018 Board President Craig Seasholes and Executive Director Kate Laughlin were on-hand for Governor Inslee’s signing ceremony, recognizing the effort and input that WLA put into getting this line item into the bill’s language, and were joined by educators and library advocates from across the state for the event.

Said Laughlin, “It might seem like a little thing, but getting that dedicated line on the funding bill is huge. This means that school libraries now have a place from which to negotiate in the future. Previously, they weren’t even invited to the table.”

Read more about the McCleary School Funding Order, and SSB 6362.“

Advocacy

Advocacy Alert: What’s Happening This Week

Dusk at U.S. Capitol, Washington, D.C.

Here are some library  issues that are getting attention by our federal legislators right now. We are all part of this wonderful profession – it’s great to know what’s going on, and to be ready to share the message of “yay, libraries!” with stakeholders!

From ALA:

“There is a lot happening in D.C. right now. Here’s a brief update on a few of the issues that the Washington Office is working on, and information about how you can get involved!

#FundLibraries Update:

Today concludes our outreach to the House of Representatives around the #FundLibraries campaign. All “Dear Appropriator” letters for the FY 2019 budget have to be turned in to the House Appropriations Committee this afternoon. We had two letters circulating in support of federal library funding: one letter asking the House Appropriations Committee to fully fund the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), and the second asking the same for the Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL) program.

Despite having only a week and a half to gather support for these letters – last year we had two additional weeks! – we still gained 97 signatures for the IAL letter and 136 signatures for LSTA. We also received word that several offices have opted to send separate letters in support of these programs. Want to see if your representative signed? Check our appropriations letter tracker. Stay tuned  – we are expecting similar letters to begin circulating in the Senate soon!

Marrakesh Treaty Implementation Act:

After many years of hard work, we are one step closer to seeing the Marrakesh Treaty implemented in the United States. The Marrakesh Treaty is an international copyright treaty that was adopted by the World Intellectual Property Organization and signed by the U.S. in October 2013. It provides a copyright exception – the first ever in an international treaty – for libraries as authorized entities to make accessible copies of articles and books for people with print disabilities and distribute those copies across borders. If the Marrakesh Treaty Implementation Act is passed the United States will be able to provide a wealth of new accessible content to Americans with print disabilities, including those who speak English as a second language. In many ways, this is a civil rights law. It affirms that access to information is a universal right for all people regardless of circumstance.

If your Senator is part of the Senate Judiciary Committee or Senate Foreign Relations Committe, ask them to show their support for people with print disabilities by cosponsoring the Marrakesh Treaty Implementation Act (S. 2559). Want to learn more? Read about it here.

 Send an Email 

MSLA Reauthorization

The Museum and Library Services Act of 2017 (S. 2271) has been introduced by Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Susan Collins (R-ME), Thad Cochran (R-MS), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK). The 2017 MLSA reauthorizes the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), showing congressional support for the federal agency. IMLS administers funding through the Library Services Technology Act (LSTA), the only federal program that exclusively covers services and funding for libraries. The LSTA provides more than $183 million for libraries through the Grants to States program, the National Leadership Grants for Libraries, the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program, and Native American Library Services.

Please call your Senators and ask them to show their support of libraries by cosponsoring MLSA. For more information, check out the latest District Dispatch post or read about the history of MLSA.

Send an email 

Net Neutrality

This past December, the FCC voted to gut the net neutrality protections that limit the power of Internet Service Providers to slow websites, block mobile apps, or control the information we access. This 3-2 vote to roll back enforceable net neutrality protections was made amid widespread protests, millions of public comments and overwhelming opposition from across the political spectrum. Modern libraries rely on the internet to collect, create and disseminate essential online information and services to the public. Strong net neutrality rules are critical to keeping the internet working the way it does now. 

The Congressional Review Act (CRA) gives Congress the ability and authority to nullify the FCC’s actions. With one more vote for the CRA, the Senate can move to restore net neutrality and protect the free and open internet. Call and email your members of Congress and ask them to use the CRA to overturn the FCC’s rulemaking.

 Send an email 

FDLP Moderization Act of 2018

The bipartisan FDLP Modernization Act of 2018 (H.R. 5305) was introduced on March 15 following months of effort by the Committee on House Administration. The bill would modernize the Federal Depository Library Program and related programs that provide public access to government information. The FDLP Modernization Act was developed with input from the library community following a series of public hearings in the Committee on House Administration in 2017, which included testimony from librarians. ALA welcomes the legislation and sent a letter of support, along with the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) and the Association of Research Libraries (ARL), following the bill’s introduction. Prior to this process, it had been 20 years since Congress last held hearings or introduced legislation regarding the FDLP. You can learn more about the bill on District Dispatch.”

Advocacy

CMLE’s Virtual Library Legislative Day

Earlier this month at CMLE HQ we celebrated Virtual Library Legislative Day on Tuesday, March 6th. That was the same day that many librarians also attended Legislative Day at the MN Capitol! Virtual Library Legislative Week was happening at the same time, so our advocating for libraries didn’t stop after one day! (Didn’t get a chance to contact your legislator? No problem – scroll down the page for more info on how to do so today!)

To celebrate Virtual Library Legislative Day, CMLE HQ had snacks, postcards, names and addresses of legislators, and sample text for our members to use, and we had fun seeing the flurry of activity online from excited library advocates! We were extra impressed by those able to make it to the Capitol, and loved seeing their experiences documented on social media.

Didn’t get a chance to advocate on Legislative Day or during Virtual Legislative Week? Don’t worry, it’s always a good time to advocate for libraries!! Thanks to the awesome information on the Minnesota Library Advocacy website, you can (and should) take a few minutes to contact your legislators. Find your MN legislators here.

Then use these resources to let them know which bill numbers to support! This is very important and makes it easier for your legislators to take action! Keep in mind that the bills with “HF” are for the House of Representatives and “SF” is for the Senate. Just in case, here is the list of bills from the website:

Bill numbers

RLBSS & Multi-type Funding Bill

HF 1382 Rep. Bud Nornes (R, 8A) [Bill details]

SF 1033 Sen. Gary Dahms (R, 16 ) [Bill details]

Bonding

HF 1484 Rep. Jeff Howe, (R, 13A) [Bill details]

SF 2218 Sen. Bill Ingebrigtson) (R, 8) [Bill details]

School Librarians Grant Pool

HF 2698 Rep Mary Kunesh-Podein (DFL, 41B) [Bill details]

Need some help with what to say when you contact your legislator? Check out these letter/email writing templates and tips, or if you want to make a phone call, read through this page that has a call script template and other tips for making calls to your legislators.

You can do it! Your Minnesota libraries need you! 

Advocacy

FCC must defend net neutrality repeal in court against dozens of litigants

Yay!!! As libraries, and library people, we are VERY invested in preserving Net Neutrality!! We need a free and fast internet to provide service to our patrons and community members!! Browse around our website for all kinds of articles about the topic to get fully up to speed (and to explore the beginnings of my rage over this issue).

Check out this article with more information about the latest news in this continuing saga:

 

FCC must defend net neutrality repeal in court against dozens of litigants

Lawsuits filed by tech firms, states, and advocates were merged into one suit.

welve lawsuits filed against the Federal Communications Commission over its net neutrality repeal have been consolidated into one suit that will be heard at a federal appeals court in California.

The 12 lawsuits were filed by more than three dozen entities, including state attorneys general, consumer advocacy groups, and tech companies.

Here’s a list of who filed the 12 lawsuits against the FCC:

FCC could face more legal challenges

The lawsuits were all filed in either the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. As is standard, there was a multi-circuit lottery to determine the venue, and the Ninth Circuit court based in San Francisco was randomly selected to hear the case.

The order announcing consolidation of the cases and the venue selection was issued Thursday.

In order to participate in the multi-circuit lottery, litigants had to appeal within 10 days of the net neutrality repeal order’s publication in the Federal Register, which happened on February 22. But litigants have 60 days overall to file lawsuits, so the FCC could still face challenges from more organizations.

Organizations that don’t file lawsuits can also act as “intervenors” in order to present arguments against the FCC’s repeal. The Internet Association—a lobby group for Amazon, Google, Facebook, Netflix, and other Web companies—has already announced plans to intervene in order to support the lawsuit against the FCC.

(Check out the rest of this article here!)