Hundreds of libraries across the country are preparing to celebrate National Gaming Day @ your library on Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009. How popular is gaming in libraries? A recent study shows that more than 75% of public libraries support gaming, by offering computer or board gaming, circulating games, or offering gaming events and programs.

A National Gaming Day @ your library publicity toolkit is now available at “http://www.ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/mediapresscenter/presskits/ngd09/ngd09mtk.cfm” to help libraries promote their gaming programs and events to the media. The Web toolkit includes downloadable artwork, customizable postcards, a sample press release, a sample letter to the editor and much more.

To learn more about National Gaming Day @ your library please visit http://ilovelibraries.org/gaming.

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

Tags: ALA Membership, ALA Midwinter Meeting, ALA News, Libraries in a tough economy, National Library Week, PR tools, State of America's Libraries Report by admin
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CHICAGO - Some of the nation’s top experts will participate in a series of public awareness and media relations programs at the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago (July 9-15).

“Pride and Passion: The African American Baseball Experience.” On Saturday, July 11, a panel discussion hosted by the ALA’s Campaign for America’s Libraries and Public Programs Office (PPO).will be held from 10:30 a.m. to noon at McCormick Place, room W-192B.

The program features Lawrence R. Hogan, author of “Shades of Glory: The Negro Leagues and the Story of African-American Baseball”; author Sharon Robinson, daughter of Jackie Robinson; Coretta Scott King Book Award winner Kadir Nelson, author and illustrator of “We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball”; Susan Brandehoff of ALA’s Public Program Office and others.

PR Forum: Delivering your key messages effectively through traditional and non traditional media. From 8 to 10 a.m., Sunday, July 12, in McCormick Place West room W-192B, a panel will address how to communicate effectively with multi-cultural audiences, reach audiences through social media, deliver library messages through radio and effectively use letters to the editor and op-eds.

Speakers include Tom McNamee, editorial page editor, Chicago Sun Times; Dave Baum, Chicago broadcaster and media trainer; Eric Friedenwald-Fishman, creative director/president, Metropolitan Group; Kevin Kirkpatrick, executive vice president, Metropolitan Group; George Eberhart, editor, American Libraries Direct; and Megan Humphrey, manager, Campaign for America’s Libraries.

The program is sponsored by the PR Assembly of the ALA Public Awareness Committee in cooperation with the ALA Public Information Office’s Campaign for America’s Libraries.

Media training: How to communicate effectively with the media and win. Legendary Chicago broadcaster Dave Baum returns Sunday afternoon to offer his popular media relations training session, from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., at McCormick Place West in room W-194B. Baum will provide tips on how librarians can effectively deliver their key messages and garner favorable media coverage. Baum has trained dozens of ALA presidents and division president-elects since 2000.

The Campaign for America’s Libraries is ALA’s public awareness campaign that promotes the value of libraries and librarians. Thousands of libraries of all types – across the country and around the globe - use the Campaign’s @ your library brand. The Campaign is made possible in part by ALA’s Library Champions.

For more information, contact John Amundsen at jamundsen@ala.org

Contributed by Mark Gould, Director, ALA Public Information Office

Tags: ALA Annual Conference, ALA Membership, ALA News, Campaign for America's Libraries, National Library Week, State of America's Libraries Report by admin
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In recognition of the valuable contributions of our nation’s libraries, Reverend Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., CEO and Founder, RainbowPUSH Coalition in Chicago, and American Library Association (ALA) Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels spoke at a televised forum about the value of libraries and then read to 20 children on April 11.

The event kicked off the 2009 observance of National Library Week and took place in RainbowPush’s library.

During the RainbowPUSH Coalition’s Saturday Morning Forum, Reverend Jackson and Fiels discussed how libraries are an important community hub of literacy and learning; and a place people turn to during difficult economic times. The Reverend also reflected on libraries as community equalizers, and places of opportunity and knowledge.

Reverend Jackson read “We Were the Ship” by Kadir Nelson, winner of the Coretta Scott King Award, and Fiels read Dr. Seuss’ “I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew.”

Submitted by Mark Gould, Director, ALA Public Information Office

Tags: ALA Membership, ALA News, National Library Week by admin
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The ALA would like to remind everyone that April 12 – 18 is National Library Week.

National Library Week activities include:

• Monday, April 13: The ALA’s Public Information Office (PIO) will release “The State of America’s Libraries” report detailing the impact libraries have on millions of Americans.
• Tuesday, April 14 is National Library Workers Day, which recognizes all library workers and their contributions.
• Wednesday, April 15: The “Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2008” list will be released from the ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. The list will include the reasons behind the challenges, as well as the overall number of challenges received.
• Thursday, April 16 is Support Teen Literature Day. Libraries will host programs to raise awareness that young adult literature is a vibrant, growing genre with much to offer today’s teens.

Celebrate School Library Media Month during April, sponsored by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL), a division of the ALA.

– Submitted by Jennifer Petersen, Public Information Office

Tags: ALA News, Campaign for America's Libraries, National Library Week by admin
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Judith Gibbons, ALA’s Public Awareness Committee chair, discusses the importance of public awareness activities in the latest video on Visibility @ your library.

Gibbons, who is the director of field services for the Kentucky Department for Libraries & Archives, works closely with the ALA Public Information Office and Campaign for America’s Libraries to spread the word about the value of libraries and librarians.

In the interview, Gibbons talks about the importance of the ALA’s various public awareness vehicles, especially the Campaign for America’s Libraries. “We look at initiatives such as Library Card Sign-up Month, National Library Week and summer reading programs as a great opportunity to stand up and speak out for libraries and let people know the value of their libraries in their local community,” she said. - Submitted by Mark Gould, Director, Public Information Office

Tags: Campaign for America's Libraries, National Library Week, PR tools by admin
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Rachel Johnson is director of Products and Promotions for ALA Graphics, in the ALA’s publishing unit. She is charged with developing products that promote libraries, literacy and reading and support ALA programs and initiatives.

In this video, Johnson talks about the new Kareem Abdul-Jabbar READ poster produced for Library Card Sign-up Month. She also discusses how ALA Graphics chooses celebrities for the posters.

She says it is easy for someone to suggest subjects for future READ posters. Just e-mail graphicsmarketing@ala.org. She said libraries can also order a CD through the ALA Store (http://www.alastore.ala.org) that enables them to create their own READ posters.

Tags: National Library Week, PR tools, Podcasts by admin
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