Emily Sitz, Director, Southwest Kansas Library System recapped Derby City Manager, Kathy Sexton’s presentation, “Advocacy from a City Manager’s View” for the SWKLS Spring Assembly in the May-June 2009 issue of System Scene. For those of us who couldn’t attend Kathy Sexton’s presentation, Emily’s article hits the highlights and can serve as a road map for anyone thinking about building an advocacy plan for their library. Take a few minutes to read Emily’s article (it’s on the front page) – it will give you ideas for getting started.
Here are some additional library advocacy resources:
Librarians from across Kansas converged at the Statehouse today to participate in the Kansas Library Association’s annual Library Advocacy Day.
Two briefings highlighted the day with updates on where the Legislature is with the State Library 2010 budget, and tips on what topics to focus on with individual legislators. Tips included reminding legislators that state aid to community libraries comes directly through the State Library, and thus any reductions will be shared by all. Librarians were asked to tell their legislators how important Kan-Ed is to local libraries in both connectivity and in content. And finally, the librarians were asked to explain how the potential loss of the Homework Kansas tutoring service will affect their communities.
More than 80 members joined in the effort to meet with their legislators, and networking while sharing breakfast and lunch in the State Library. If you couldn’t be here today, you can still contact your legislator either by email or by phone and address the same issues.
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Sign Up for Stephanie Vance’s “Persistence Pays” Advocacy Webinar! Advocacy “guru” Stephanie Vance has hosted several advocacy webinars in the past few months and now is your chance to sign up for the next one, set for Thursday, June 12! |
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The question is, what is the number one thing that separates the effective advocate from the, well, not so effective? It’s not cash, it’s not access, it’s persistence! By investing just a few minutes of your time per week, you can build an amazing relationship with your elected officials. And the good news is that you can do all this without having to travel or do much more than pick up the phone and arrange a tour. You’ll come away from the session with specific ideas on following up from your National Library Legislative Day meetings (if you participated) or connecting with lawmakers while they’re back home during the summer months. If you want more attention, more support and, frankly, more financial support for your library, this is the session for you!
Persistence Pays! Ideas for Connecting with Lawmakers at Home Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now at: Thursday, June 12, 2008 |
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