MHLS Home Advocacy
Advocacy for Public Libraries is a year-round job.
What is advocacy? "Advocacy is working to change policies. This can mean something as formal as sitting down and talking to your legislator, or as simple as telling your neighbor about the impact of a law." Source: NPAction.org

MHLS Advocacy Toolkit
MHLS Advocacy Network
Mid-Hudson Library System Legislators
History of Funding for Libraries and Library Systems in New York (NYS)
2000 Census Money Explanation (NYS)
Current Legislation | New Century Libraries Proposal (NYS)
NYLA Lobby Day (NYS)
ALA Lobby Day (Federal)
Meeting With Your Legislator (by MHLS Executive Director, Josh Cohen)
Quotable Facts about MHLS

10 FAQs About New York's Libraries
Marist Poll on Libraries 2003 (HTML or PDF)
"Results of Zogby Polls Support Libraries"

Library Advocate Resources
Library Advocate's Handbook (from the American Library Association) (Spanish Version)
Telling the Library Story Tooklit (from the State Library of Iowa)
How to Tell Your Story - ALA LSTA Success Stories Page
CITIZEN'S ACCESS TO STATE GOVERNMENT
Advocacy Glossary
Advocating for Better Salaries Toolkit

Advocacy Support Organizations
NYS
New York Library Association
New York State Library

New York State Association of Library Boards (NYSALB)
Empire Friends

National
American Library Association (ALA)
ALA Legislative Action Center
Libraries for the Future
Friends of Libraries USA
Association for Library Trustees and Advocates (ALTA)
Congressional Budget Office
US Senate Finance Committee

2008 Advocacy Central

Budget Finalized - 4.08
The $5 million was restored for a total of $8 million over the 917 legislated amount. However, a 2% cut was imposed to all state aid including base System Aid, Outreach Central Library and Local Library Services Aid (LLSA) - the money local libraries receive directly from the state.

The $14 million for public library construction was retained.

Next on the agenda are the 2008 Legislative Priorities.To send letters in support of any of these pieces of legislation go to the New York Library Association web site.

Lobby Day Report - 3.12.08
More than twenty libraries and all five counties sent representatives to Albany on Tuesday, March 11th for Library Lobby day to meet with the 13 legislators that represent the MHLS Service area.

We heard very good news!

  • Both the Senate and Assembly have restored the $5 million left out of the Governor's budget in their budget proposals.
  • Next come the budget negotiations - stay tuned to hear how the Governor will respond to the legislature's proposal for libraries.

2008 Legislative Season Update - 1.23.08
Governor Spitzer released his proposed 2008-2009 budget yesterday, there is good news and bad news:

  • First the good news: $14 million for construction included
  • Bad news: $5 million less than last year in library aid.

What does this mean for library advocates? We need to speak up and ask that the cut be restored! 1 - Call or visit your local legislators and ask them to restore the cut. 2 - Join us on March 11th in Albany to bring that message to our legislators. Coordinated transportation to Albany is being arranged, more details coming soon.

2008 Legislative Season Update - 11.14.07
The web site for the NEW YORK LIBRARY INITIATIVE, the Regents budget and legislative proposal for libraries for 2008 - 2009, is now online. Here you can find: estimates of proposed aid, fact sheets, research on libraries, links to other library organizations, and other information and tools.

2007 Legislative Season Update - 7.16.07:
The MHLS Board of Trustees voted last week to suspend the $6 ILL fee for patrons of member libraries who are seeking items obtained through OCLC searches done at the System as of September 1st, 2007.

It is very important that staff explain to patrons that this fee is suspended due to the one-time funding increase and that patrons can help make the increase permanent by writing or calling their state legislators to thank them for the additional funds given to the Systems in NYS this year.

 

Questions? Contact Rebekkah Smith Aldrich, MHLS Coordinator of Member Information (rsmith@midhudson.org or 845.471.6060 x39)

Sign up for the MHLS Advocacy Network to learn the latest about library funding and how you can help most efficiently and effectively.