ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries February 1997/ 79 National Library Week celebrates connections By Linda Wallace Celebrate National Library Week, April 13– 19, 1997 N ational Library W eek, April 13– 19, w ill celebrate the ways libraries connect chil­ dren w ith fun and learning. T h e theme is “Kids Connect @ the Library.” If you think the them e d oesn ’t connect with your co llege or university library, think again. Some suggestions: • Join in givin g tours o f the information superhighway on W ednesday, April 16, as part o f the second Log-on @ the Library Day. A n estimated thousand libraries participated in the first event held in 1996, including Northeastern State University in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, popu­ lation 10,500, w hich conducted Internet dem ­ onstrations for local high school students and the public. H ave staff w ear “Cybrarian” sports hats and t-shirts available from the ALA Graph­ ics catalog. • Encourage faculty and students to enter the Kids C on n ect @ the Library Contest. A $20,000 grand prize w ill be aw arded for the best 150 w ords from a parent about h o w the library helps his or her fam ily connect to books, computers, better grades, free fun, and more. Contact the ALA Public Inform ation O ffice for a free poster/tip sheet. connect, Libr @ a t r h e y National Library Week April13-19,1997 • Display the handsome National Library W e e k materials available from A LA Graphics— not in the library but in campus day care cen­ ters and School o f Education facilities. The Bank Street C ollege o f Education in N e w Y o rk will sponsor a folk lore festival with children and adults telling folk tales to on e another. • G et rid o f the “kid.” M ake your o w n post­ ers and banners with a shortened version o f the them e “Connect @ the Library.” Publish a David Letterman style list o f 10 ways you can con n ect at the campus library. N u m ber 10: W here else can you hunker d ow n for days on end skipping classes and have everyon e think y o u ’re a m odel student? Num ber 1: W h ere else can you find … ? (fill in the blank). Linda Wallace is director o f the ALA Public Information Office, e-mail: lwallace@ala.org; Mary Somerville is director o f the Miami-Dade Public Library System and president o f ALA; mpres@dcfreenet.seflin.lib.fl.us mailto:livallace@ala.org mailto:mpres@dcfreenet.seflin.Hb.fl.us 8 0 / C&RL News O ARY K id s ca n ’ t w a it … L ib ra ry A d vo cacy Now! By M ary S om erville ALA Goal 2000 calls for the American Li­ brary Association to play a leadership role in advocating the public’s right to a free and open information society, one in which all people can fully participate. 1 am focusing my year as ALA president on raising public awareness and support for library services to youth. Why? B e ­ cause kids who aren’t logged on and literate will be lost in the 21st century. And they will not be able to participate fully in our democ­ racy. School and public libraries have a critical role to play in turning kids into readers and teaching them the computer skills they will need to succeed later in college and throughout life. No one un­ derstands this better than you who work in higher education. In fact, many college and uni­ v ersity lib ra r ie s are a ctiv e ly reaching out to youth in their communities. T h ese activities take many forms. At som e schools, such as York College o f Pennsylvania, W estern K entucky University, and Utah State University, staff speak regularly with 4-H, scouts, NATI and other youth groups about ca­ LIBR reer opportunities. A growing number, such as the University o f New Or­ leans Earl K. Long Library , the University of Illinois at Chicago, and the University o f Cali­ fornia, Riverside, Library are providing tech­ nical assistance and instruction to help get local schools connected to the Internet. Many, es­ pecially those in low incom e and rural areas, regularly open their doors to elementary and high school students for library instruction and research. The University o f T ennessee’s Schol­ ars in Schools program places three faculty members, including one from the library, in local schools to work on programs tied to their expertise during the school year. Needless to say, it is in our own profes­ sional self-interest to advocate libraries that are wired, well stocked, and staffed so that children will learn at an early age the b en ­ efits o f using and supporting libraries. Together we must persuade community leaders and state and national legislators that an investment in libraries is an investment in the future o f our youth and this country. As a representative o f higher education, you are in a position to speak with authority about the importance o f preparing children to be information literate. If each o f us does only three things this year, collectively we can make a dramatic difference. I urge you to: 1) Reach out to school and public librar ies in your area. Find out how and what you can do to support their efforts. In South Bend, Indiana, elemen­ tary students who previously re­ ceived failing grades now earn A’s, thanks to students from Holly Cross College w ho con­ duct volunteer tutoring sessions at the public library. 2 ) As a p u b l speak out b efo re com m unity groups, the League o f Women Voters, and church and temple groups about the importance o f NAL library se rv ic e s to ch ild ren . WEEK Show the free video “K id s c a n ’t wa i t ” (see Resources on next page). Encourage members o f the public to express their support for libraries to public officials. 3) Support ALA’s national campaigns. Cel ebrate National Library W eek. B eco m e a m em ber o f the Library Advocacy Now! Net­ work. Attend a library advocacy training ses­ sion at an ALA conference or organize a work­ shop for libraries in your community or state. Call, write, or visit your community leaders, state legislators, and members o f Congress to discuss issues o f concern to libraries (see Resources on next page). Library advocacy is critical to the future o f our children but it’s not kid stuff, and it requires the commitment o f all o f us. Kids can ’t wait. ­ ic a d v o ca te, ­ F ebru ary 1 9 9 7 / 81 • T a k e th e A m e r i c a R e a d s C h allen g e. President Clinton has set a goal o f hav­ ing all children reading in­ dependently by third grade. His ch a lle n g e provides a tim ely o pp ortun ity for li­ brarians to take a leadership role. Start or join a coalition o f libraries and community a g e n c ie s c o n c e r n e d with youth. M obilize your stu­ dents as volunteer tutors to help children improve their reading skills. • W rite an d p la c e a story in the local new spa­ per about how technology is revolutionizing libraries as did Marcia Dworak, direc­ tor o f the Thorndike Library at the College o f the Atlan­ tic , w ith h e lp fro m th e college’s public affairs direc­ tor during National Library W eek 1996. Write a letter to the editor or an editorial col­ umn for the local new spa­ per. See ALA’s “Kids ca n ’t wait” National Library W eek tip s h e e t f o r e x a m p le s (available on the ALA W eb page or from the Public In­ formation O ffice). • P ost a N ation al Li­ b rary W ee k m e s s a g e on you r In tern e t h o m ep a g e. Send e-mail m essages invit­ ing administrators, faculty, and others to the library for c o f fe e , d o o r p riz es, and other festivities. • G et students involved as library advo­ cates. Recruit campus sports stars to visit schools and public libraries in the community and talk about the im portance o f reading and using the library. Resources • Colorful posters, t-shirts, and other library promotional items with the “Kids Connect @ the Library” them e (and without) can be or­ dered from the fall ALA Graphics catalog. To receive a free catalog, call (8 0 0 ) 545-2433, ext. 5046. To place an order, call (8 0 0 ) 545-2433, press 7. For bulk or institu­ tional sales use ext. 3252. • K ids c a n ’t w a i t … K ids N eed L ibraries, a handsome, p h o to -filled b ro ch u re di­ rected at community lead­ ers and p o licy m a k e rs is available from the ALA Pub­ lic I n f o r m a t i o n O f f ic e ; phone: (8 00) 545-2433, ext. 5044/ 41; fa x: ( 3 1 2 ) 9 4 4 - 8520; e-mail: pio@ ala.org. • K id s c a n ’t w a i t … Li b r a r y A d v o c a c y N o w , P resid en t’s P a p e r by Virginia Mathews. Single copy, free. $25/25 copies. Contact the ALA Public Information O f fice (see above). • K id s c a n ’t w a i t … , a fre e v id e o ta p e w ith ALA President Mary Somerville discussing why “kids ca n ’t w ait” and how the public can support libraries. D e signed for showing to the p u b lic. C o n ta ct th e ALA Public Inform ation O ffice (see above). • The Library Advocacy Now! N etw o rk p ro v id e s training and support m ate­ rials and alerts on key na­ tio n a l le g is la tiv e is su e s. Free. Contact the ALA Pub­ lic Information O ffice (see above). T o sign on to the ALA Library Advocacy Now! listserv, send a message to listproc@ ala.org. Leave the subject blank. In the body type: “subscribe aladnow ” follow ed by your first and last name. • Subscribe to the ALA W ash in g ton O ffic N ew slin e, an online newsletter offering timely updates on federal legislation and policies. Send the e-mail m essage described above. The list name is ala-wo. For m ore information about National Library W eek and ALA’s advocacy efforts, see the ALA W eb page at http://www.ala.org. Or contact the ALA Public Information Office, 50 E. Hu ron St., Chicago, IL 60611; (8 00) 545-2433, ext. 5044/41; fax: (3 1 2 ) 9 4 4 -8 5 2 0 ; e-m ail: pio@ ala.org. ■ e mailto:pio@ala.org mailto:listproc@ala.org http://www.ala.org 8 2 / C&RL News