Deep Thinking

I wrote the following letter to a school librarian who is newly chairing a legislation committee in her state. Perhaps you can add to this with your ideas. I did try to be more eloquent than my usual rant “Do something!”

There are many ways you can be involved with finding legislation. When I started, I contacted the ALA-Washington Office (http://www.ala.org/ala/washoff/washingtonoffice.htm) because I really had no idea where to start. I also researched every affiliate school organization that is a member of AASL by going to their websites and looking to see if they had legislative committees. I discovered that most of them did and they had a variety of duties.

Some kept track of state legislation, informed their members, helped advise legislators on good school library leg., and organized responses to bad leg. Others focused upon communicating both top down from the ALA-Washington Office and bottom up - sending to Emily Sheketoff and her staff the needed information on what was really happening in the states so they could advocate for us in a more informed manner.

One exciting way for Leg chairs and all members to stay in touch and informed is to join the ALA-WON lists, the new E-Advocacy site at http://www.capwiz.com/ala/home/ , the new Online Advocacy training at http://www.ala.org/ala/washoff/gettinginvolved/onlineadvocacy/OnlineAdvocacy.htm and now the Flickr pages http://www.flickr.com/photos/alawash .

I’d advise you to attend National Library Legislation Day in DC and/or to send others to advocate for you on NLLD. My state also has a state level Tennessee Library Legislation Day that is sponsored by TLA and partners with several organizations including TASL and TENN-SHARE.

I’d say the final thing to do is to develop a relationship with your local, state, and federal legislators. I introduced myself to them and to their staff members (the true keys) and let them know about my position as leg chair. I offered to share information and provide advice whenever leg. arose that affects school libraries. I always make them aware that I share information with others on how they vote and why so I appreciate their responses when I contact them. I try to contact my legislators every couple months so they know that I’m still here, listening and watching what they are doing and that I am standing by to help in any way on behalf of school libraries.
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Other things I should have added:
Emily Sheketoff has written an article in the December 2006 School Library Media Activities Monthly entitled “Federal Legislative Action: Key to your library media center’s success.

Advocacy Guru Stephanie Vance presented at NLLD 2006. Here she shares additional information from a 2005 ALA/ACRL workshop.

Sandy Schuckett has written a book which really helps begin the process of legislating. Political Advocacy for School Librarians: You have the power!

Debra Kay Logan and Sandy Schuckett presented at AASL Pittsburgh on advocacy. They are worth hearing! Notes from their presentation is available here.