Posted on

Advocacy and Strategic Partnerships Committee – April–August 2021 Report


The group met 2-3 times this reporting period.

Recent Activities

First Activity
We continued our conversations about best practices, communications, alignment with other PLA committees and next steps to reach some milestones in our committee work for the year.
Continued action items for us:
• Please share your examples of successful partnership and advocacy efforts for peer learning and help plan what and how to share more widely with PLA community. We are initially focusing on the following four areas of work: K-12 student and family support, digital equity and access, economic/workforce recovery, and community partnerships. Once we have your updated input and content, we’ll format and share as a PLA/ALA e-news segment or with public libraries online.
• Continue a discussion on the priority areas listed above to position libraries with newly elected officials all with guiding principles of equity, diversity and inclusion.

We have offered to partner and be of assistance to the ALA Committee on Legislation and the ALA Committee on Library Advocacy (COLA) as they move forward policy information at the state and federal levels. We continue to investigate as to whether a joint committee meeting (or committee liaison) would be helpful to leverage everyone’s work and move us forward.
Meets PLA’s strategic goals for Advocacy and Awareness, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice

Second Activity
• Library sharing- what’s top of mind
• BALA update, including op-eds and other outreach
• Other federal policy advocacy, including new broadband funding and advocacy for libraries in prospective American Jobs Plan (including workforce development and digital equity)
• ALA conference
• Committee appreciation and next steps
Meets PLA’s strategic goals for Advocacy and Awareness, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice

What will your group be working on for the next six months?
Our committee is welcoming new members and a new staff liaison. We'll be reviewing our work for 2021, aligning with the legislative teams, and looking ahead to 2022.

Does the group have any policy recommendations, ideas with financial impact, or other items to bring to the PLA Board for discussion or action
Not at this time.

Do you have any suggestions for future products or resources (excluding conference programs) to be developed based on your group’s work?
We are working on this right now and will submit in our next report.

Are there other PLA/ALA committees your group might collaborate with to benefit the work of all?
The ALA Committee on Legislation and the ALA Committee on Library Advocacy (COLA). The Advocacy and Strategic Partnerships Committee (as we have seen during our current advocacy for BALA) is an important supporting partner to these other two committees.

Have there been any issues related to meeting participation/attendance for any of the group’s members?
No

Is there anything PLA could have provided during this time that would have helped your group with its work?
Not at this time. Thank you!

Submitted by Susan Hempstead on 10/07/2021

Posted on

Advocacy and Strategic Partnerships Committee – April–August 2020 Report


The group met 0 times this reporting period.

Recent Activities

First Activity
We had great plans coming out of PLA – we were going to work on reviving a legal list/blog/community, where participants could ask questions about the law and libraries, with a member of the committee serving as moderator. But due to the Pandemic emergency, I was unable to call a meeting and check in with other committee members.
Meets PLA’s strategic goals for Advocacy and Awareness, Leadership

Second Activity
We were also going to look into a possible webinar on how to engage with other local government associations. But again, we had no meeting due to the pandemic, and I do not know where we stand on this.
Meets PLA’s strategic goals for Advocacy and Awareness, Leadership

What will your group be working on for the next six months?
trying to reconnect and get back on track for the items that were reviewed and discussed at our meeting at PLA.

Does the group have any policy recommendations, ideas with financial impact, or other items to bring to the PLA Board for discussion or action
No.

Do you have any suggestions for future products or resources (excluding conference programs) to be developed based on your group’s work?
No.

Are there other PLA/ALA committees your group might collaborate with to benefit the work of all?
Leadership Development – as we were trying to engage more with other Government Associations, this might feed into leadership development. It would help new leaders learn about local government groups and organizations that can be valuable in one's career.

Have there been any issues related to meeting participation/attendance for any of the group’s members?
No

Is there anything PLA could have provided during this time that would have helped your group with its work?
Not really – this period was unproductive entirely due to the Pandemic and the resulting emergency situation.

Submitted by Stephanie Beverage on 08/07/2020

Posted on

Advocacy and Strategic Partnerships Committee – September–March 2020 Report


The group met 1 time this reporting period.

Recent Activities

First Activity
Activating and supporting engagement in the online Legal Issues in Public Libraries forum with Misty Jones serving as our moderator.
Meets PLA’s strategic goals for Advocacy and Awareness, Leadership

Second Activity
Working on raising awareness of the government association (NLC, NACo, ICMA, etc.) landscape through the development of a blog/webinar or some other communication/training piece for public librarians
Meets PLA’s strategic goals for Advocacy and Awareness, Leadership

Third Activity
Reviewing and providing recommendations on partnership requests to PLA, while working on a framework or list of guidelines to assist with determination
Meets PLA’s strategic goals for Advocacy and Awareness, Leadership, Organizational Excellence

What will your group be working on for the next six months?
Raising awareness of the local government association landscape, to enhance communication and advocacy for all public libraries

Starting a Legal Issues Forum on ALA Connect

Working on developing and refining a process for review of partnership requests.

Does the group have any policy recommendations, ideas with financial impact, or other items to bring to the PLA Board for discussion or action
Not at this time

Do you have any suggestions for future products or resources (excluding conference programs) to be developed based on your group’s work?
Perhaps a webinar or a blog on issues related to advocacy at the local government level, through the local government association landscape.

Are there other PLA/ALA committees your group might collaborate with to benefit the work of all?
Advocacy overlaps with Legislative advocacy, so there may be potential for collaboration.

Have there been any issues related to meeting participation/attendance for any of the group’s members?
No

Is there anything PLA could have provided during this time that would have helped your group with its work?
Larra was great and very helpful. I think we got off to a good start at our meeting at PLA and hope to have further progress to report after ALA Annual in Chicago.

Submitted by Stephanie Beverage on 03/05/2020

Posted on

Advocacy and Strategic Partnerships Committee – April–August 2019 Report


The group met 2-3 times this reporting period.

Recent Activities

First Activity
Update our charge
1. ALA mid-winter conference
Advocacy & Strategic Partnerships Committee
Committee Charge
To inform and advise PLA Board and staff on strategic partnership opportunities with federal agencies and national organizations with shared values and alignment with public libraries; to develop and support strategic relationships that are beneficial to PLA and public libraries; to capture and share examples of strategic partnerships with public libraries that positively impact communities and advance national priorities; to serve as a liaison with the ALA Office for Library Advocacy, the ALA Washington Office, and others as needed to help ensure that the advocacy needs of public librarians are represented in their initiatives; to strengthen the advocacy skills of public librarians; to work with PLA Board and staff toward achieving PLA strategic planning goals.
Meets PLA’s strategic goals for Advocacy and Awareness

Second Activity
 Finalize intake form(s) for requesting PLA collaboration. When complete, add to this web page: http://www.ala.org/pla/about/workingwith/partnerships
Meets PLA’s strategic goals for Advocacy and Awareness

Third Activity
 Establish standing bimonthly committee meeting calls to discuss partnership requests (and any other business). Discussion of requests may also happen via email.
Meets PLA’s strategic goals for Advocacy and Awareness

Fourth Activity
draft a proposal for PLA and/or public libraries to engage with US Chamber of Commerce and local Chambers.
Meets PLA’s strategic goals for Advocacy and Awareness

Fifth Activity
 Discuss in future meetings how to partner and who to partner with: best practices for libraries.
Meets PLA’s strategic goals for Advocacy and Awareness

What will your group be working on for the next six months?
Our group will be working on the action items listed above.

Does the group have any policy recommendations, ideas with financial impact, or other items to bring to the PLA Board for discussion or action
Not at this time, waiting for members to be confirmed

Do you have any suggestions for future products or resources (excluding conference programs) to be developed based on your group’s work?
not at this time

Are there other PLA/ALA committees your group might collaborate with to benefit the work of all?
This committee will work with any committee that will benefit PLA.

Have there been any issues related to meeting participation/attendance for any of the group’s members?
No

Is there anything PLA could have provided during this time that would have helped your group with its work?
waiting for members to be confirmed for the year so work can continue.

Submitted by Sara Charlton on 08/30/2019