From the Florida Library Association:
LIBRARY DAY IS FEBRUARY 16!
Be a part of this major advocacy activity in support of Florida libraries.
Deadline for Early Bird Registration is January 30 – Register now and save $10
· Mail check to FLA office or pay by phone with credit card
· Registration form attached and available at http://www.flalib.org/advocacy.php
Registration includes legislative update, materials packet, Friends’ Idea Exchange, admission to reception and a beautiful new art print provided by Mumford Library Books.
Library Day Schedule - All onsite events will be in downtown Tallahassee.
· Advance briefing by webinar on Feb. 9 at 10 am and Feb. 11 at 2:00 pm. Contact Legislative Committee Chair Charlie Parker cparker@tblc.org for more information.
· Registration and packet pick up will be in the Capitol Rotunda.
· Ongoing on-site briefing for library supporters at Capitol Rotunda.
· Friends Idea Exchange and Reception at LeRoy Collins Leon County Public Library.
· See full schedule at http://www.flalib.org/advocacy.php
Hotels – an updated list of Tallahassee hotels with new additions is available at http://www.flalib.org/advocacy.php. Book soon to be sure to get a room and a good rate.
Issues – Check the advocacy web page http://www.flalib.org/advocacy.php for FLA’s legislative platform and other information on issues facing Florida’s libraries.
See you in Tallahassee!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Monday, January 11, 2010
Message to FLA Library Advocates
The Florida Library Association has learned that it is receiving the first ever American Library Association President’s Award for Advocacy. We are receiving the award because of you, because of the incredible job that you did last spring at the end of the regular legislative session when State Aid to Public Libraries funding was threatened with elimination. This is tremendous national recognition of the great work everyone did – and keep in mind that, because of the weak economy, the competition for this award was intense, as many states and communities had to rally just as Florida did, and you are the ones selected for the prize!
So thank you again for the wonderful job you did! Thank you to folks who picked up their phone, or sent an e-mail message, or sat outside the legislative meetings with signs, or called their relatives and community groups and asked them to join in the effort. Thank you to Secretary of State Kurt Browning, to State Librarian Judi Ring and their staff. Thank you to April Herrle and the great folks at Salter Mitchell who helped get out the word. Thank you to Chris Holley and the Florida Association of Counties for working the halls. And special thanks to Governor Crist, Senator Fasano and Representative Glorioso and all of those in the legislature who used their influence to help preserve library funding.
It is important for Florida library advocates to learn some important lessons from this award and recognition:
§ Your advocacy and hard work efforts pay off! – Your calls, letters, e-mails, and visits made the difference. It’s estimated that 20,000 individual contacts were made.
§ It is all about relationships! - When you work year around at building and maintaining relationships with legislators like you do, it pays off when libraries are in need. When you have met legislators at home in their district offices and in your libraries it is hard for them to tell you no.
§ You are really good at this! – Successful advocacy requires knowledge, skill and finesse and you demonstrate all of these. You have a strong reputation and credibility in Tallahassee and in your local communities. You are respected by the state's leaders - by legislators, lobbyists, and officials and now you have national recognition.
But we cannot rest on our achievements. Committee meetings are already underway as the legislature prepares for the next regular legislative session beginning March 2 and the state budget will be even tighter than last year. Please, it is time to focus on the session ahead.
§ Maintain contact with your legislators! – Advocacy and relationship building are year round activities and over the intervening months, library advocates have been visiting with legislators and preparing for the challenges ahead. If you have not seen your legislators recently, it is time to check in.
§ Build local advocacy networks! – Put together board and friends e-mail lists so you can communicate quickly when the need arises. Identify groups that you are a part of that you can reach out to for help – family, the folks in your e-mail directory, civic groups, book discussion groups, book fair participants, authors, publishers – any group likely to support libraries when you send out a call.
§ Keep the library message upbeat and positive! - One of the reasons for your success is that library folks are positive and persistent. We respect and appreciate legislators and the difficult decisions they are forced to make, we treat them with dignity and respect and we expect their respect too.
On FLA’s behalf I ask that you support FLA’s advocacy efforts by contributing to the Library Honor Roll as an individual or as a group. FLA’s budget is very modest and advocacy support is not cheap. During the last legislative crisis, FLA’s lobbyist, Chris Lyon’s, spent untold hours pacing the halls of the Capitol to help make sure you were heard. and learn how to contribute to financially to support advocacy for Florida libraries. Please review the attached information on how to contribute financially to support library advocacy by participating in the FLA Honor Roll or visit the FLA website and click on Advocacy.
Again, congratulations on this wonderful recognition and take it to heart – you earned it! And thank you – thank you a thousand times over for the wonderful job you do advocating for Florida libraries! We appreciate each and every one of you!
Sincerely,
Wendy Breeden, President
Florida Library Association
So thank you again for the wonderful job you did! Thank you to folks who picked up their phone, or sent an e-mail message, or sat outside the legislative meetings with signs, or called their relatives and community groups and asked them to join in the effort. Thank you to Secretary of State Kurt Browning, to State Librarian Judi Ring and their staff. Thank you to April Herrle and the great folks at Salter Mitchell who helped get out the word. Thank you to Chris Holley and the Florida Association of Counties for working the halls. And special thanks to Governor Crist, Senator Fasano and Representative Glorioso and all of those in the legislature who used their influence to help preserve library funding.
It is important for Florida library advocates to learn some important lessons from this award and recognition:
§ Your advocacy and hard work efforts pay off! – Your calls, letters, e-mails, and visits made the difference. It’s estimated that 20,000 individual contacts were made.
§ It is all about relationships! - When you work year around at building and maintaining relationships with legislators like you do, it pays off when libraries are in need. When you have met legislators at home in their district offices and in your libraries it is hard for them to tell you no.
§ You are really good at this! – Successful advocacy requires knowledge, skill and finesse and you demonstrate all of these. You have a strong reputation and credibility in Tallahassee and in your local communities. You are respected by the state's leaders - by legislators, lobbyists, and officials and now you have national recognition.
But we cannot rest on our achievements. Committee meetings are already underway as the legislature prepares for the next regular legislative session beginning March 2 and the state budget will be even tighter than last year. Please, it is time to focus on the session ahead.
§ Maintain contact with your legislators! – Advocacy and relationship building are year round activities and over the intervening months, library advocates have been visiting with legislators and preparing for the challenges ahead. If you have not seen your legislators recently, it is time to check in.
§ Build local advocacy networks! – Put together board and friends e-mail lists so you can communicate quickly when the need arises. Identify groups that you are a part of that you can reach out to for help – family, the folks in your e-mail directory, civic groups, book discussion groups, book fair participants, authors, publishers – any group likely to support libraries when you send out a call.
§ Keep the library message upbeat and positive! - One of the reasons for your success is that library folks are positive and persistent. We respect and appreciate legislators and the difficult decisions they are forced to make, we treat them with dignity and respect and we expect their respect too.
On FLA’s behalf I ask that you support FLA’s advocacy efforts by contributing to the Library Honor Roll as an individual or as a group. FLA’s budget is very modest and advocacy support is not cheap. During the last legislative crisis, FLA’s lobbyist, Chris Lyon’s, spent untold hours pacing the halls of the Capitol to help make sure you were heard. and learn how to contribute to financially to support advocacy for Florida libraries. Please review the attached information on how to contribute financially to support library advocacy by participating in the FLA Honor Roll or visit the FLA website and click on Advocacy.
Again, congratulations on this wonderful recognition and take it to heart – you earned it! And thank you – thank you a thousand times over for the wonderful job you do advocating for Florida libraries! We appreciate each and every one of you!
Sincerely,
Wendy Breeden, President
Florida Library Association
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