ISLMA partnered with RAILS, IHLS, and the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) in collaboration with American Library Association’s Office for Library Advocacy (OLA) and the ALA Washington Office to offer a comprehensive workshop on the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA). AASL leaders facilitated the session. The workshop will: • Provide the most current information on developments at the Federal level and work through the sections of ESSA that can be directly linked to the school librarian/library program. • Connect ESSA language to the school librarian’s role. • Discuss current state work with recommendations for opportunities at state and local levels to ensure the effective school library program’s language in ESSA.  This hands-on session will aid in identifying stakeholders, building coalitions, message crafting and elevator speech development. While the content will be directly related to ESSA, the tools and exercise portion is advocacy for positioning school librarians in general as leaders for teaching and learning. The recording is approximately 2 1/2 hours in length and was originally broadcast on September 24, 2016. 

If you don't tell your story, someone else will tell it for you. At a time where libraries are constantly facing budget cuts, it is imperative that librarians effectively communicate the value and benefits of libraries in the community. This 90-min workshop will walk you through the steps to make marketing and sharing your message attainable and sustainable. Topics: -Storytelling: what it is, what it is not, and where libraries fit in -Social media: the do's, the dont's, templates, and strategic plans -Developing a SWOT analysis of your library -How, when, and where to network and make it count -The power of language in marketing materials, newsletters, flyers, and websites Desired Outcomes: -Tell library's story pitch and tailor it to specific stakeholders and community leaders -Create and implement an actionable and effective social media and marketing plan that gets attention -Understand how to use technology in a way that is effective and not burdensome -Identify the library's strengths and weaknesses and create a strategy to close gaps -Access templates and fill-in-the-blank resources provided in the webinar -Know when and where to network in a way that makes the library memorable -Access templates and fill-in-the-blank resources provided in the handout   This webinar was recorded on October 9th and is approximately 90 mins long.     

Is your data sitting around in spreadsheets, dusty, unused, and forgotten about? Your data deserves to be out in the world: utilized, actionable, talked about. Visualizing data through charts, tables, and diagrams helps you deliver bite-sized information that viewers can understand at a glance and retain for the long run. You’ll learn how to move beyond overused charts like pies and bars and how to format your new chart so that your message stands out.   Topics -Analyze Your Audience - Choose the Right Chart - Declutter - Clarify Your Message with Color - Clarify Your Message with Text - Before/After Makeovers Learning Objectives After this webinar, participants will be able to: - weigh the pros and cons of presenting data through various chart types; - declutter visualizations by removing unnecessary ink; - emphasize key findings with dark/light contrast; and - write titles, subtitles, and annotations that explain key findings. Intended Audience: Staff who produce graphs for reports, slideshows, or dashboards. This webinar was recorded on June 20, 2019, and runs approximately 90 minutes.

Presented by Caitlin Cowart, Community and Public Relations Manager for the San Antonio Public Library. This webinar focuses on the importance of community partnerships and their connection to comprehensive marketing efforts for libraries. The presentation will include tips for identifying key partnerships and marketing them effectively as well as examples from the San Antonio Public Library. Topics: 1. Community Partnerships Overview 2. Comprehensive Marketing Efforts 3. Identifying and Promoting Key Partnerships 4. Examples of Community Partnerships   This webinar was recorded on January 16th and is approximately 60 minutes long.

An introduction to adding a story on the Library Stories section of the My Library Is... website. Libraries can also add code to their own website to collect and display patron stories.

An introduction to the Get Started portion of the My Library Is... campaign website

An introduction to the Training section of the My Library Is... campaign website.