Friends, Trustees and Advocates

This year, Friends of Libraries U.S.A. (FOLUSA) and the Association for Library Trustees and Advocates (ALTA) joined forces to become an expanded division of ALA.

In this audio interview, Sally Gardner Reed, the executive director of the new organization, the Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations (ALTAFF), which is based in Philadelphia, talks about the new division and its potential.

Contributed by Mark Gould, Director, and Steve Zalusky, Manager of Communications, ALA Public Information Office

ALA to partner in White House volunteer effort

CHICAGO - The American Library Association (ALA) , along with a host of other non-profit organizations, will participate in United We Serve, a national effort launched by President Obama to engage more Americans in serving their communities this summer.

Libraries will play a major role in this initiative, which was announced by the President today.

The ALA and the White House are encouraging libraries to post volunteer opportunities at www.serve.gov. As the initiative develops, the ALA will make available resources to assist libraries in conducting volunteer efforts. Visit www.ala.org/unitedweserve for more information.

“In today’s economic climate, libraries face increasing challenges in carrying out their mission to provide opportunities for lifelong learning. In an era when demand for library services is increasing but funding for them is declining, volunteers play an important role in supplementing the high-quality service library staff provide,” said ALA President Jim Rettig. “We applaud the president’s recognition of volunteers’ value and his commitment to ensuring they continue to serve our society in many ways.”

United We Serve kicks off on June 22 and runs through September 11, which will be marked for the first time as a national day of service and remembrance. The initiative focuses on four key areas: education, health, energy and the environment; and community renewal. It is being led by the Corporation for National and Community Service, a federal agency that improves lives and strengthens communities though volunteering and service.

“This summer, I’m calling on all of you to make volunteerism and community service part of your daily life and the life of this nation,” said President Obama in his announcement. “Economic recovery is as much about what you’re doing in your communities as what we’re doing in Washington – and it’s going to take all of us, working together.”

“This presents a great opportunity for libraries of all types to involve young people as volunteers,” said ALA Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels. “This will also be a great opportunity to educate the public about the importance and vitality of America’s libraries.”

Libraries fit neatly into this new national initiative, since they already employ vast numbers of volunteers. One area where volunteers will prove especially valuable is summer reading. Summer reading programs are particularly effective in helping children avoid the “summer slide,” the decline in reading skills that sometimes occurs during the long break from school.

Research has shown that children who participate in summer library reading programs are better equipped to continue their education in the fall when they return to school, demonstrating better vocabulary skills and increased comprehension.

Today Show segment provides a positive message for libraries

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

This week the Today Show ran a segment on the important role libraries play during the recession, using data and resources provided by the ALA and public libraries:

The ALA Public Information Office worked with the Today Show on this segment and has followed up to encourage NBC affiliates to take up the story locally. But you can help extend the reach of this positive story in several ways:

1) Include the Today Show link on your library Web site

2) Reach out to your local media this week with your local story (particularly NBC affiliates), complemented by national data from the ALA. Two key data points from the Today Show were: 73% of public libraries report they provide the only free access to the Internet in their communities. This rises to 83 percent for rural libraries. Also, 68 percent of Americans have a library card.

3) Take advantage of free ALA resources to help tell your story to media, elected officials and funders:
Job-Seeking in U.S. Public Libraries
Using data from the Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study, the issues brief discusses the range of library resources available to job seekers and the challenges to maintaining these services. Additional briefing reports are at: http://www.ala.org/ala/aboutala/offices/ors/plftas/Issues_Briefs.cfm. Get a free copy of the PDF by emailing Larra Clark at lclark@ala.org.

Advocating in a Tough Economy Toolkit
Get tips, tools and messages that work.

You can also use a PLA advocacy toolkit, Libraries Prosper with Passion, Purpose and Persuasion!, as a resource [http://www.ala.org/ala/mgrps/divs/pla/plaadvocacy/librariesprospertoolkit/index.cfm]. The guide is available via the ALA online store.

Get the word out!

For questions or support around media outreach, please contact Macey Morales, mmorales@ala.org, or Jennifer Petersen, jpetersen@ala.org, in the ALA Public Information Office.
For questions or support around advocacy tools, please contact Marci Merola, mmerola@ala.org, or Jaclyn Finneke, jfinneke@ala.org.
For questions or support around statistics and research, please contact Denise Davis, dmdavis@ala.org, or Larra Clark at lclark@ala.org.

Contributed by Macey Morales, manager of media relations, ALA Public Information Office

The media and the message

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

A Brian Williams report on msnbc.com is a prime example of crisis communication at work.

The segment, “Anatomy of a Talking Point,” part of an NBC special presentation, “Inside the Obama White House,” delivers an inside look at how the Obama administration handled a controversial statement made by Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor.

As Williams said, in countering criticism of the appointment, “(T)he White House decided to use its biggest weapon to hit back, the President himself.”

The report peeks behind the scenes, delving into the workings of the White House press office to show how it crafts an effective communication strategy to handle the crisis.

“I thought that the segment was the perfect illustration of crisis communication at its best,” said Macey Morales, manager of media relations in the American Library Association’s Public Information Office. “This segment provided a realistic behind-the-scenes approach to crisis management and how to develop and deliver effective messaging.”

The report follows the communications team as it gauges initial reaction to the controversy. At first, it underestimates that reaction, but as the talk shows pounce upon Sotomayor’s quote, it becomes clear a response will be necessary.

By late morning, the White House communications corps begins preparing a response.

Within a few hours, a press conference is held, while a senior staff member tests talking points during a cable news network interview.

Around the same time, the president is delivering a video address to be aired the next day. But as the avalanche of negative reaction gathers momentum, it becomes clear the president himself will have to take the reins, which he does during a news interview that evening, as he delivers the same talking points his staff delivered earlier.

The result of the president’s intervention is a quick turning of the tide of negative publicity in a positive direction.

The report underscores the importance of finding the right person to convey that message. Morales noted that while the press secretary hit a brick wall when using his talking points, President Obama hit a home run using those same talking points.

Contributed by Macey Morales, manager of media relations, and Steve Zalusky, manager of communications, ALA Public Information Office

Ten libraries receive gaming and literacy grants

gaming1

Ten libraries in 10 states from New York to Alaska will receive $5,000 grants as part of the American Library Association’s (ALA) Libraries, Literacy and Gaming initiative, funded by the Verizon Foundation.

For more information on the individual winners, visit http://www.pio.ala.org/visibility/?page_id=664.

Here is also a news story mentioning one of them.

The winners, representing a broad spectrum of libraries – seven public, two school and one academic – will use the funds to develop and implement gaming and literacy programs that provide innovative gaming experiences for youths 10-18 years of age. The 10 libraries were selected out of 390 that applied for the grant.

The following libraries were chosen:

* Anderson Public Library, Anderson, Ind.
* Brewster Ladies Library, Brewster, Mass.
* Cascade Middle School, Auburn, Wash.
* Hanshew Middle School Library, Anchorage School District, Anchorage, Alaska
* Indian Trails Public Library, Wheeling, Ill.
* Manhattanville College Library, Purchase, N.Y.
* San Pablo Library, San Pablo, Calif.
* Sewickley Public Library, Sewickley, Pa.
* Wayne Country Public Library, Goldsboro, N.C.
* Weber Country Library System, Ogden, Utah

“These library gaming programs will help tweens and teens build 21st-Century literacy and learning skills,” said Dale Lipschultz, literacy officer with the ALA’s Office for Literacy and Outreach Services.

The Libraries, Literacy and Gaming initiative is generously funded by the Verizon Foundation and managed by ALA’s Office for Literacy and Outreach Services. Dr. Scott Nicholson, an associate professor in the School of Information Studies, Syracuse University, is the evaluation specialist.

Linda Mays on El día de los niños/El día de los libros

CHICAGO – Linda Mays, program officer for the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), discusses El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children’s Day/Book Day), a national celebration of children, families and reading, in this podcast.

Held each April 30, El día de los niños/El día de los libros, or Día, is a national celebration that brings together children, books, languages and cultures, emphasizing the importance of literacy for children of all linguistic and cultural backgrounds.

Here, Mays describes Día as an “opportunity to bring attention to the importance and well-being of children as well as their languages and culture.”

Sponsored by ALSC, a division of the ALA, Día is an extension of Children’s Day, which began in 1925. In 1996, nationally acclaimed children’s book author Pat Mora proposed linking the celebration of childhood and children with literacy. REFORMA, The National Association to Promote Library Services to Latinos and the Spanish-Speaking, is a founding partner.

ALSC is the world’s largest organization dedicated to the support and enhancement of library service to children. With a network of more than 4,200 children’s and youth librarians, literature experts, publishers and educational faculty, ALSC is committed to creating a better future for children through libraries.

For more information, please visit the Día Web site or contact Jennifer Petersen at (312) 280-5043 or jpetersen@ala.org.

Submitted by Jennifer Petersen, ALA Public Information Office

Loading...