RMRT (Retired Members Round Table)

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The Retired Members Round Table (RMRT) shall exist to develop programs of particular interest to retired persons from all types of libraries and all forms of library services, including formal opportunities for continued involvement and learning; a variety of leadership training and opportunities for mentoring; lifelong professional involvement and networking; and active engagement in the American Library Association and the profession of librarianship.

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ALA Advocacy Coordinating Coucil Annual Conference meeting notes

  • 1.  ALA Advocacy Coordinating Coucil Annual Conference meeting notes

    Posted Aug 29, 2016 12:12 PM

    As Chair of the RMRT Legislation/Advocacy Committee, I am automatically a member of the ALA Advocacy Coordinating Council.


    Here are my notes from that meeting.


    Please let me know if you have any questions or are interested in joining the committee.


     


    Thanks  Ma’lis Wendt


    Mwendt@nyc.rr.com


    Report to the Retired Members Round Table


    Ma’lis Wendt


    Liaison to the Advocacy Coordinating Group


    Sunday June 16, 2016


     


    Gina Millsap, Chair, welcomed the group.


    The Advocacy Coordinating Group’s charge at this meeting was to continue discussion of the ALA  Advocacy Implementation Plan.  The Office of Library Advocacy (OLA) is working with Chapter Relations to develop procedures on working with state and local organizations.


    OLA is working with the Office of Intellectual Freedom on a Boot Camp to be offered in the fall.


    Julie Todaro’s Presidential Initiative is “The Expert in the Library”.


    Each unit in ALA is expected to develop an Advocacy Plan in conjunction with the ALA Advocacy Implementation Plan.  Vivian Wynn’s RMRT program on Advocacy in Orlando was our first implementation activity and we need some discussion on next steps.


    Some ideas from other units included the ALSC “Take Action” emails every Tuesday.  OLA is working on a check list of competencies to be used with the Office of Accreditation information to accredited programs. 


    Jamie LaRue, the new Director of the Office of Intellectual Freedom,  mentioned that the most successful advocacy work he had seen breaks it down into 4 simple messages that just gets repeated over and over again into membership and individuals are: 


        o Libraries transform lives.


                                                                        o Libraries build communities and are a public good.


        o Librarians win when they are advocates.


         o Libraries are smart investments.


    He suggested using the same four messages over a five year period of time.


    Vivian Wynn noted that we are doing this work for everyone, and knowing the breadth of what we are trying to accomplish means that we are not just talking about one issue, there is not one single issue at hand. She suggested creating a flowchart of how things work and how to be an advocate.


    Ma’lis Wendt  mwendt@nyc.rr.com