In recent months, the ALA Washington Office has worked extensively with advocacy "guru" Stephanie Vance on several online initiatives. Ms. Vance has more than 15 years of experience in Washington, DC, both as a lobbyist and a Congressional aide, holding positions such as legislative assistant, legislative director and staff director for various members of Congress.
These webinars are a great way to get a feel for advocacy from one of the true experts in the field, all from the comfort of your chair. Each webinar is about a half-hour long and focuses on a different aspect of advocacy. The following links lead to where the webinars were originally posted, the District Dispatch blog.
Designed for both veteran library advocates and those who are new to Capitol Hill, the three-part online course Messaging and Talking with Congress: An Interactive Workshop will help library supporters build or hone effective messages and successfully communicate library needs to Congress. The ALA Washington Office is making this course -- led by Stephanie Vance of AdVanced Consulting -- available free to ALA members!
"Messaging and Talking with Congress" guides users through the process of developing messages, teaches users to communicate effectively with Members of Congress and other elected officials, and offers strategies on building lasting relationships with Congressional staff. Users may navigate the course at their own pace and download and print helpful worksheets.
To access the course: