The Association for Library Service to Children is excited to announce its upcoming community forum, Our Work Matters: Advocating for Children’s Services. The forum will take place on February 25 from 12:00 to 1:00 pm Central Time.
The topic of the February Community Forum was developed from a blogpost by ALSC President Kirby McCurtis on Nov. 10 – Our Work Matters. As libraries respond to the circumstances of the pandemic by tightening budgets, it is vital for children’s library workers to advocate for the value of their work.
First, members of ALSC’s own Public Awareness and Advocacy Committee will invite ALSC members to consider how they define advocacy before highlighting current ALSC and ALA advocacy resources and sharing simple and concrete ways ALSC members can step up their advocacy game. This brief presentation will be followed by a member feedback and Q&A session.
Next, the Community Forum will feature an announcement of the 2021 ALSC Distinguished Service Award winner, which honors an individual member of ALSC who has made significant contributions to, and an impact on, library service to children and/or ALSC.
Register today for this timely and important event at the following link (for current ALSC members): http://www.ala.org/alsc/member-center/community-forums
We look forward to talking advocacy with you and discussing all the ways your work in youth library services matters.
This post addresses the following Core Competencies: V. Outreach and Advocacy and VII. Professionalism and Professional Development.
Erica Ruscio is a co-chair of ALSC’s Public Awareness & Advocacy committee. She is also the Young Adult Librarian at Ventress Memorial Library in the seaside beach town of Marshfield, Massachusetts.