Advocacy in rural libraries and the use of Power Mapping (the visual tool that allows you to identify and focus on those people most likely to help you in your advocacy efforts on behalf of libraries and the communities they serve) in those advocacy efforts is at the center of the latest California Library Association Ursula Meyer Library Advocacy Training workshop.

	1/14/2026
When:	Wednesday, January 14th 10:00am PT
Where:	Virtual/Online United States
Contact:	info@cla-net.org

• Building early relationships with stakeholders at the local level

• Sharing successes and opportunities that she has experienced through relationship building

• Power Mapping: what it is and how it can be an effective tool in library advocacy and networking

She will also walk attendees through an exercise that helps them begin their own process and identify steps to take as they build those connections.

N.B.: Ledley is providing access to a “Getting to Know You” worksheet that will be used for Power Mapping during the session: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/bc2e372toefnm89oue7l1/Ledley-NetworkingAdvocacy.pdf?rlkey=fahaypk0h04mmwqt0wppr7hep&st=7sdn94px&dl=0

Goal and Objectives:

Participants will be able to describe and apply basic principles of advocacy involving building relationships with stakeholders at the local level and using Power Mapping to accomplish this goal in their work as advocates on behalf of rural libraries and the communities they serve.

By the end of this session, you will be able to:

Cite at least three steps successful advocates in rural communities take in building relationships with stakeholders at all levels

Describe why it is important to build relationships with local stakeholders long before engaging in formal advocacy efforts on behalf of libraries and the communities they serve

Summarize how you can incorporate Power Mapping into your rural-library advocacy efforts and describe a situation in which you will apply Power Mapping into your advocacy work within the next 30 days

Cite at least three resources you will incorporate into your advocacy work on behalf of rural libraries and the communities they serve.

Presenter:

MacKenzie Ledley has nearly two decades of leadership as the Executive Director of the Pulaski County Public Library in Indiana. A passionate champion for libraries, she served as co-chair of the state’s Advocacy Committee and has contributed to multiple ALA committees. MacKenzie frequently presents on developing advocacy skills to engage decision-makers and secure support for libraries. She has shared her expertise with organizations including the ALA, PLA, Freedom to Read Foundation, United for Libraries, and the Association for Rural & Small Libraries. MacKenzie enjoys visiting friends in California and never misses the chance to stop by In-N-Out.

About the Ursula Meyer Advocacy Fund Training Series

This program is part of an ongoing series of monthly online sessions organized offered through the Ursula Meyer Advocacy Fund Training Series; sessions are generally held online on the second Wednesday of each month, beginning at 10 am PT. The series 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. Archived recordings of previous sessions are available on the California Library Association YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/@californialibraryassociati2705/videos.

To support the series through a donation, please visit the CLA website at https://www.cla-net.org/donations/fund.asp?id=23440.