ALA Washington Office

1615 New Hampshire Ave NW1st Floor
Washington DC 20009-2520

Phone : 202-628-8410
Toll Free Number: 1-800-941-8478
Fax : 202-628-8419

Save the Date

Library Advocacy Day

For one year only, Library Advocacy Day will replace National Library Legislative Day (NLLD). On June 29, 2010, library advocates from all 50 states and Washington, D.C. will meet at Upper Senate Park on the U.S. Capitol grounds. The event, which will begin at 11 a.m., will feature guest speakers, photo ops, and a chance to cheer on libraries! After the rally, participants will meet with their elected officials and their staffs.

Your NLLD coordinator will be running point for your state, so please get in touch with them if you plan to attend. To find out whom your NLLD coordinator is, please click here.

More details

Libraries: Getting America back to Work

The American Library Association (ALA) Washington Office has prepared a proposal (pdf) to include jobs for librarians in the “Jobs for Main Street Act,” which will be taken up on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives today.

The bill, which bypassed the standard procedure of introduction and passage in committee, calls for immediate action by library supporters.

“This is a perfect example of how ALA’s grassroots can make a difference for library services. We are asking everyone to call their member of Congress first and then both of their Senators,” Emily Sheketoff, executive director of the ALA Washington Office, said.
A legislative proposal to save libraries and help job seekers (pdf)

ALA Washington Office in the News

news 02.02 President’s FY2011 budget proposals calls for cuts to school library

02.01 President Obama Proposes Eliminating Federal School Library Funds

02.01 Federal Library Funding Frozen, as Expected, in President's Budget

ALA Washington Office News and Media Archives

Initiatives & projects

Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA)
On August 26, 2009, the Consumer Product Safety Council (CPSC) released its final rule on children’s products containing lead. In the rule, the CPSC confirmed that libraries have no independent obligation to test library books for lead under the law. The CPSC also announced its intention to release a Statement of Policy specifically providing guidance for libraries with regard to the treatment of older children’s books that could potentially contain lead. According to our conversations with CPSC officials, that Statement of Policy should be released this fall. Read more....

Popular resources

Libraries: The Place of Opportunity (pdf)
Ensuring that librarians deliver quality library services to the public impacts many issues. For this reason, the ALA Washington Office offers this helpful guide to highlight these issues for non-librarian audiences. In "Libraries: The Place of Opportunity," you'll find out which issues concern libraries most and how those issues impact the public. This resource also includes information on how library users can join our efforts to build coalitions and promote the role libraries play in our communities.

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Legislative Scorecard
The Legislative Scorecard outlines votes and support of legislation that is important to and has an impact on the library community. We hope you will use this scorecard as a tool to gauge your elected official's support of library related legislation.

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State Library Statistics
The ALA Office for Information Technology Policy (OITP), in partnership with the Information Institute at Florida State University, has developed a new tool for library advocates: the State Statistics Module.

This interactive website contains copious information about broadband connectivity in libraries and allows for the creation of customized reports, based upon 11 variables from the "2006 Public Libraries and the Internet Study." Users have the opportunity to create tables and charts of data at the national and state levels and create comparisons of the data. Users also have the ability to write descriptions of the graphs and tables, as well as an introduction and conclusion to their report.

Mission

The American Library Association's Washington Office was established in 1945 to represent libraries on Capitol Hill, and now consists of the Office of Government Relations (OGR) and the Office for Information Technology Policy (OITP).

Responsibilities

The ALA Washington Office provides executive leadership and administrative support to OGR and OITP, in addition to conducting media outreach and public relations efforts. The Washington Office also builds coalitions and partnerships with Washington-based representatives of other groups with interests similar to the library community.

Staff

Emily Sheketoff - Executive Director
Email: esheketoff@alawash.org

Office of Government Relations (OGR)

Lynne Bradley - Director
Email: lbradley@alawash.org

Jeffrey Kratz - Assistant Director
Email: jkratz@alawash.org

Don Essex - Legislative Information Specialist
Email: dessex@alawash.org

Corey Williams - Associate Director
Email: cwilliams@alawash.org

Jessica McGilvray - Assistant Director
Email: jmcgilvray@alawash.org

Kristin K. Murphy - Government Relations Specialist
Email:kmurphy@alawash.org

Office for Information Technology Policy (OITP)

Alan S. Inouye - Director
Email:ainouye@alawash.org

Carrie Russell - Director, Program on Public Access to Information
Email: crussell@alawash.org

Carrie Lowe - Director, Program on Networks
Email: clowe@alawash.org

Kathy Mitchell - Project Coordinator
Email: kmitchell@alawash.org

Timothy Vollmer - Information Technology Policy Analyst
Email: tvollmer@alawash.org

Marijke Visser - Information Technology Policy Analyst
Email: mvisser@alawash.org

Communications & Media

Jenni Terry - Press Officer
Email: jterry@alawash.org

Jacob Roberts - Communications Specialist
Email: jroberts@alawash.org

Administration

Pat May - Director, Administration
Email: pmay@alawash.org

Rosalind Reynolds - Assistant Director, Administration
Email: rreynolds@alawash.org