Wednesday, November 10, 2021

10 am – noon PT

CLA Members:           $25

CLA Non-members:   $35

Full-time Students:     $10

Registration: https://www.cla-net.org/events/register.aspx?id=1551914

Description: Movements or causes are often referred to as “people powered” when they have large numbers of supporters who donate, volunteer, sign petitions, or take actions that apply pressure to political systems in order to make change. In this highly-interactive online session, we’ll explore many of the strategies and tactics used by some of the best community organizers, political action committees, and politicians to build real actionable support from networks of supporters through community organizing and political action. We will emphasize the resources and skills that librarians and library staff need to develop if they want to have the political and community support that they need in order to increase support and funding. And we’ll discuss the ways in which you can use tools and tactics that will help your library cultivate large numbers of supporters who donate, volunteer, sign petitions, or take actions that apply pressure to political systems in order to make long lasting change.

Goals:

Upon completing the session, you will be able to:

1.     Describe how a people-powered approach can increase your successes as an advocate for libraries and the communities they serve

2.     Identify at least three steps you can to attract support for a library-related issue or initiative

3.     Cite at least one action you will take, as a library advocate, within the week following your participation in this session

Session Facilitator: 

Patrick “PC” Sweeney

Patrick “PC” Sweeney is a graduate of the San Jose School of Library and Information Sciences and former Administrative Librarian of the Sunnyvale (CA) Public Library. He was Executive Director of EveryLibrary California, a statewide initiative to support library propositions. He is co-author of “Winning Elections and Influencing Politicians for Library Funding” as well as “Before the Ballot; Building Support for Library Funding.” He was recently recognized with a “40 Under 40” award by the American Association of Political Consultants for his work fighting for libraries at EveryLibrary. He is a lecturer at the San Jose Information School where he teaches courses on politics and libraries. He is active across social media as PC Sweeney.

About the Ursula Meyer Advocacy Fund Training Series

This program, the third of four monthly online sessions organized and to be offered initially through the Ursula Meyer Advocacy Fund Training Series from September through December 2021, honors the memory of Ursula Meyer, 1977-78 CLA President, California Library Hall of Fame inductee, longtime director of the Stockton-San Joaquin Public Library, and fierce advocate for library services and intellectual freedom. The Ursula Meyer Fund was established to provide for the training of librarians in all stages of their careers, and library supporters, in political advocacy and political action, in honor of Ursula’s belief that librarians need effective political skills to advocate for library support at all levels of government.