ENGAGE the new Capwiz

Engage will be The New Capwiz,  the ALA’s online advocacy tool that enables library advocates to easily contact  their elected officials

Why the change? According to ALA, it will Engage your audience with integrated social tools (greater than those of Capwiz); and Micro target and mobilize your members to advocate when, where, and how they choose.

When? Migration from Capwiz to ENGAGE takes place end of October 2014.

Sample of ENGAGE, our soon to be Advocacy tool

http://cqrcengage.com/ala/home

Free Webinar – Election Update & Connecting with the New Congress

If you would like a recap of the 2012 elections, a preview of what library issues may be considered during the 113th Congress, and some ideas of how to connect with and influence members of Congress, this webinar is for you! Sign up for the “Election Update and Connecting with the New Congress” webinar being held on Monday, November 19th from 4:00-5:00pm, and sponsored by the American Library Association Washington Office. Click on this link for more information, including a registration form.

Also, if you haven’t already done so, you can use Capwiz to congratulate legislators who won in the elections (and help to put libraries on their radar). If you’re new to Capwiz, this is an easy way to try it out. Not sure who won? Check the election results on the Maryland State Board of Elections web site.

 

Action Alert! Virtual Maryland Library Legislative Days 2012

Let your voice be heard!  The third Virtual Maryland Library Legislative Days are being held to coincide with the live Maryland Library Legislative Day advocacy event.  Between January 25th and February 1st, members of the Maryland library community—library staff, trustees, Friends groups, customers, volunteers—are encouraged to use Capwiz to write to their state legislators.  Please take the time during this week to send a personal message to your state representatives to advocate for libraries!  If you are already going to Annapolis, use the Action Alert to send a thank you to the legislators you visited. To begin, go to Capwiz and click on the Take Action button below Maryland: Virtual Library Legislative Days.

Thank you in advance for your advocacy efforts!

Action Alert! Contact House to sign Dear Colleague Letters for LSTA & ILTSL

Please contact your representative in the House asking them to sign onto two Dear Colleague Letters—one for Library Services & Technology Act (LSTA) and the other for Improving Literacy Through School Libraries (ILTSL)—to support their funding in FY 2012.  For background information, as well as a pre-written letter, see the Capwiz Action Alert.  (The Action Alert also includes information about including an effective school library program in the reauthorization of Elementary & Secondary Education).

Congressman Ruppersberger has already signed on to these letters, so feel free to contact him to say “thank you.”

Action Alert! Ask Congress to support PATRIOT Act reforms; House & Senate bills pass out of committee

HR 1800, which was just introduced last Friday, passed out of the Judiciary Committee today with no amendments.  This bill would reauthorize the “John Doe” wiretap and Section 215, or “library provision,” until 2017, as well as make the “lone wolf” provision permanent.  It would allow for very little oversight of government authority in these areas for the next six years.  For more information on HR 1800, see the District Dispatch posting.

S 193 is the Senate bill which is more favorable for libraries and public privacy.  It passed out of committee in early March, but has not been voted on yet by the full Senate.  For more information on this bill, see the District Dispatch posting.

The USA PATRIOT Act is set to expire on May 27^th.  It is not clear if and when HR 1800 or S 193 may make it to the floor for a vote.  Regardless, it is important to contact members of the House and Senate now to support PATRIOT Act reforms.  A Capwiz Action Alert has been set up, with a pre-written letter, to facilitate contact with Congress.

Thank you in advance for any advocacy assistance you can provide!

Action Alert! Virtual Maryland Library Legislative Days 2011

Let your voice be heard!  The second Virtual Maryland Library Legislative Days are being held to coincide with the live Maryland Library Legislative Day advocacy event.  Between February 23^rd and March 2^nd, members of the Maryland library community—library staff, trustees, Friends groups, customers, volunteers—are encouraged to use Capwiz to write to their state legislators.  Please take the time during this week to send a personal message to your state representatives to share your story about the value of libraries!  To begin, go to Capwiz and click on the Take Action button below Maryland: Virtual Library Legislative Days.

Thank you in advance for your advocacy efforts!

Deadline extended to March 17th to sign on to LSTA and School Libraries & Literacy “Dear Colleague” letters

The deadline for Representatives to sign on to two “Dear Colleague” letters has been extended until March 17th.  One letter is in support of adequate funding for the Library Services & Technology Act (LSTA).  The other letter is to protect funding for the Improving Literacy Through School Libraries program.  For additional information about these two letters, please click on the above links for the appropriate program.  A Capwiz Action Alert is also available to facilitate contact via e-mail.  Go to Capwiz and click on the Take Action button below “Call now to support library funding!”

Virtual MD Library Legislative Days – Coming soon!

The American Library Association (ALA) and the Maryland Library Association (MLA) are using an online advocacy tool called Capwiz that allows libraries to disseminate information on important issues and to alert the library community when support is needed.  It only takes a few minutes to send email messages directly to your representatives. Messages sent by librarians and library supporters have already made a difference in Florida, New Jersey and Ohio. 

Each year, members of the Maryland library community participate in Maryland Library Legislative Day.  This annual event is an opportunity to advocate for libraries in Annapolis.  For those of you who cannot make it to Annapolis for the Maryland Library Legislative Day on Wednesday, March 17th, Maryland’s libraries still need you to add your voice to express the value of libraries.

This year’s live activities will be complemented by the first Virtual Maryland Library Legislative Day.  On the morning of March 17th the MLA Legislative Panel disseminate information, including on this blog, about an Action Alert that will contain a link back to the MLA Capwiz site.  Members of the Maryland library community-library staff, trustees, Friends groups, customers, volunteers-are encouraged to use Capwiz to write to their state legislators between March 17th and March 24th.  Please take the time during that week to send a personal message to your state representatives to advocate for libraries!