All Sessions

The Chapter Leaders Forum, presented by the ALA Chapter Relations Committee at each ALA Midwinter and Annual, provides a great opportunity for Chapter Leaders (especially incoming leaders) to meet and discuss a full agenda on topics to help prepare them to lead an association. Topics have included Membership Development and Retention, New Revenue Ideas, Social Media, and Advocacy. This event requires advance registration and includes lunch.

Come learn how to create leaders not only able to adapt to change but also efficient in developing and implementing brand-new ideas and concepts for the betterment of your association.

The mission of the CRC is to develop and recognize Chapters as integral components of ALA; to encourage discussion, activities and programs that support the mutual interests of ALA and the Chapters; to provide a forum wherein Chapters can share ideas and concerns of common interest and identify common needs and goals; to communicate these Chapter needs and goals to ALA and ALA goals, programs and priorities to the Chapters; to encourage and maintain a cooperative and supportive relationship among ALA, its units, and the Chapters; to serve as an advisory committee to the Chapter Relations Office.

International Council of Library Association Executives (ICLAE) is comprised of ALA Chapter Executive Directors and other Chapter Leaders

Join expert library advocates for face-to-face conversations about the latest issues affecting libraries and ways to deal with them. A series of short discussions , workshops and Q&A sessions will take place, designed to improve advocacy skills and to showcase current advocacy initiatives from all facets of the profession. Location: ALA Member Pavilion, Exhibits Floor

Keeping Public Libraries Public: What Advocacy by Librarians and Patrons did in California
12 – 12:30 p.m.
Cindy Singer, Parent Outreach Coordinator, County of Los Angeles Public Library
When the libraries in the Santa Clarita Valley were taken over by a private company a group of Librarians and Patrons took the  bull by the horns and made a change in legislation.  This session will discuss what we did and the results of  those efforts including passage of AB438.  Major points of the discussion will be how the public involvement made the difference, and how we got them involved.

Storytelling – Utilizing Time Tested Methods to Personalize Legislative Appeal
12:30 – 1 p.m.
James Pletz, Director, The Library Network
Michigan Library Association has partnered with Gale Cengage to develop patron specific stories about the value of libraries in their daily lives. 1. Learn how to move from output measures to stories of positive outcomes. 2. Identify and build strategic community partnerships. 3. Provide a positive forum for patrons to champion library services. 4. Challenge key state holders with outcome based stories, which impact their value system and/or touch their personal beliefs.
Sponsor: Association for Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA)

Emerging Leaders Seeking States to Host Librarians Build Communities      
1 – 1:30 p.m.
Ingrid Abrams, Children’s Librarian, Brooklyn Public Library; Erin Davis, Reference Librarian, Utah State University; Eboni Dickerson, Team Leader I, Columbus Metropolitan Library; Jeffery Loo, Librarian, UC Berkeley Librarian; and Coral Sheldon-Hess, Web Services Librarian, UAA/APU Consortium Library, University of Alaska Anchorage
The 2012 Emerging Leaders Team G is exploring ways to transform and extend the former American Library Association (ALA) annual volunteer service day, Libraries Build Communities, into Librarians Build Communities (LBC). LBC will replace the annual volunteer event at ALA, beginning with this year’s conference. The newly named and purposed LBC would provide libraries and other community organizations with librarian-volunteers all year round. Team G envisions Librarians Build Communities as a national volunteer program that connects librarians and library staff interested in volunteering with community organizations in need of their specialized skill sets. This is vital in times when organizations providing key services and resources to their communities lack funding and staff.
Sponsor: Chapter Relations Committee (CRC)

Louisiana Library Association‘s Legislative Days at the State Capitol
2 – 2:30 p.m.
Stephanie Braunstein, Head Government Documents/Microforms Librarian at Louisiana State University Libraries; ALA Chapter Councilor from Louisiana; member of LLA Legislative Committee and Melanie Sims, Government Information Librarian at Paul M. Hebert Law Center Library, Louisiana State University; Past-President of Louisiana Library Association and Co-Chair of LLA Legislative Committee
Every spring, Louisiana Library Association holds a legislative day at the State Capitol. In the simplest of terms, it is like a local version of the legislative day held by ALA in DC.  However, because of our local issues, we tailor our event to be most effective with our state legislature.  Examples include last year’s emphasis on renewing funding for our state consortium, LOUIS.  With budgets being slashed for education (both K-12 and higher ed), our Board of Regents voted to stop funding for LOUIS –a move that would essentially decimate library services to all academic libraries in the state. Since the Board of Regents gets its funding from the state, we lobbied for a reversal of this vote at not only the Board level but at the Legislature level as well. After an incredible amount of collaborative work, we won. This success story should be shared with others who may find themselves in similar situations and would benefit from our experiences. Sponsor: CRC

Speaking with One Voice: Tools & Strategies for Collaborative Communication
2:30 – 3 p.m.
Tiffany McClary, Director of Marketing & PR, New Jersey State Library
People are bombarded by various messages every day. How can we make sure our messages are heard, remembered, and effective in compelling the communities and governments we serve to value, support and sustain libraries? It’s simple: we can increase the visibility and repetition of our messages and maximize our communication impact through collaboration. When advocating for important causes, it’s imperative that all programs work together to deliver consistent messages that resonate. Learn how the New Jersey State Library is implementing a statewide marketing collateral library and marketing web portal to bridge the gap between libraries across the state and “speak with one voice”.

Committee Work that Works: Public Library Advocacy in Kentucky
3 – 3:30 p.m.
Lisa R. Rice, Director of the Warren County Public Library
Kentucky Public Library Association’s Advocacy Committee has become  a unifying force supporting Kentucky’s public libraries. Strategic planning, dynamic teamwork and marketing efforts have rallied public library supporters to articulate the library’s value to elected and appointed officials.

The ALA Membership Pavilion is booth 1939 in the Anaheim Convention Center. The event takes place from noon to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 23 and from Noon to 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 24.

The 2012 Emerging Leaders Team G is exploring ways to transform and extend the former American Library Association (ALA) annual volunteer service day, Libraries Build Communities, into Librarians Build Communities (LBC). LBC will replace the annual volunteer event at ALA, beginning with this year’s conference. The newly named and purposed LBC would provide libraries and other community organizations with librarian-volunteers all year round.

Team G envisions Librarians Build Communities as a national volunteer program that connects librarians and library staff interested in volunteering with community organizations in need of their specialized skill sets. This is vital in times when organizations providing key services and resources to their communities lack funding and staff.

Last April many libraries participated in Money Smart Week @ Your Library. Come hear the success stories, what's planned for next year, and how your library can participate next year!

Every spring, Louisiana Library Association holds a legislative day at the State Capitol. In the simplest of terms, it is like a local version of the legislative day held by ALA in DC. However, because of our local issues, we tailor our event to be most effective with our state legislature. Examples include last year’s emphasis on renewing funding for our state consortium, LOUIS. With budgets being slashed for education (both K-12 and higher ed), our Board of Regents voted to stop funding for LOUIS –a move that would essentially decimate library services to all academic libraries in the state. Since the Board of Regents gets its funding from the state, we lobbied for a reversal of this vote at not only the Board level but at the Legislature level as well. After an incredible amount of collaborative work, we won. This success story should be shared with others who may find themselves in similar situations and would benefit from our experiences.

Louisiana Library Association‘s Legislative Days at the State Capitol is part of the Advocacy Corner, a series of short discussions, workshops and Q&A sessions designed to improve advocacy skills and to showcase current advocacy initiatives from all facets of the profession. Join expert library advocates from across the association for face-to-face conversations about the latest issues affecting libraries and ways to deal with them in the ALA Membership Pavilion (Booth #1939) in the Anaheim Convention Center. The event takes place from noon to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, June 23 and from Noon to 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 24.

The mission of the CRC is to develop and recognize Chapters as integral components of ALA; to encourage discussion, activities and programs that support the mutual interests of ALA and the Chapters; to provide a forum wherein Chapters can share ideas and concerns of common interest and identify common needs and goals; to communicate these Chapter needs and goals to ALA and ALA goals, programs and priorities to the Chapters; to encourage and maintain a cooperative and supportive relationship among ALA, its units, and the Chapters; to serve as an advisory committee to the Chapter Relations Office.

The Chapter Councilors Forum is conducted by the ALA Chapter Councilors on Monday, 4:00-5:30pm prior to the ALA Council Forum on Monday, 8:30-10:30pm