On Jan. 7, 2011 the American Library Association (ALA) will unveil video PSAs produced by ALA’s “Our Authors, Our Advocates,” a national library advocacy public awareness campaign. Library advocates will be able to download audio and video PSAs from ilovelibraries.org, from such best-selling authors as Sharon Draper, Brad Meltzer, Sara Paretsky and Scott Turow. The website will also offer statics, customizable English and Spanish PSA scripts, to assist advocates with making the case for libraries.
As the demand for library resources continues to soar, deep budget cuts are forcing libraries to make difficult choices. A majority (56 percent) of libraries report flat or decreased operating budgets in FY2010, up from just over 40 percent in FY2009. Data from the American Library Association’s 2010 State of America’s Library Report also shows 41 percent of the states experienced a decline in state funding for public libraries during the current fiscal year. Lack of funding has been compounded by reductions of funding at the local level – creating a snowball effect that has forced many libraries to cut hours, reduce staffing, charge fees and fines, or explore privatization.
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Participating authors taped :15, :20 and :30 second video PSAs on such issues as library funding, libraries support of literacy, value of libraries and much more. Authors also shared personal stories on their love for libraries which also will be available for download.
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At a later date ILoveLibraries.org will feature audio PSAs and stories from authors Carmen Agra Deedy, “14 Cows for America;” Laurie Halse Anderson, “Chains;” Holly Black, “White Cat;” Tony DiTerlizzi, “The Search for WondLa;” M.T. Anderson, Octavian Nothing series and Judith Viorst, “Lulu and the Brontosaurus”
Our Authors, Our Advocates is one of two presidential initiatives launching at the ALA Midwinter Meeting. The other, Why I Need My Library, encourages teens ages 13 to 18 to create original videos on why they think libraries are needed now more than ever. More information is available at
www.ilovelibraries.org.
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