Advocacy: District Days Coming Soon!

From YAttitudes electronic newsletter
Volume 9, Issue 6, July 2010

Advocacy Moment: Reach Out to Your Legislators During District Days

Congress is out of session August 9 to September 12, a period that many organizations call “District Days” because many senators and representatives spend that time connecting with constituents in their home districts. As you no doubt know, it’s more important than ever to advocate for legislative support for libraries — and this year’s District Days are a perfect time for you to do so. And remember, this year is an election year for all members of the U.S. House of Representatives and many U.S. Senators, so they will appreciate a chance to connect with potential voters!

How can you get involved with District Days?

* Download free brochures (PDF)from YALSA to distribute to your elected officials and stakeholders (or contact us - yalsa@ala.org - to get printed versions, available in packs of 25). These brochures were created using funds from the Friends of YALSA
* Incorporate advocacy and outreach into what you’re already doing. Are you hosting an event to celebrate the end of your summer reading program? Invite your congressional representative to attend! Are you at a school library? Host an open house at the start of the school year and add your representative or senator to the guest list.
* Plan your outreach with free professional development tools: watch a free webinar from ALA’s Washington Office on getting your legislator into your library or check out a presentation on Using District Days and Other Events to Advocate for Teens and Libraries from ALA’s Annual Conference.
* Take advantage of helpful advice from Beth Gallaway on the YALSA Blog’s District Days 101: What Are District Days and Inviting Your Legislator to an Event During District Days