Tools You Can Use! Toolkits and Resources from the American Library Association's Office for Literacy and Outreach Services

OLOS Toolkits: A Primer OLOS toolkits are member-created and focus on outreach and outreach advocacy. Toolkits are designed to be quick, handy, and easy- to-understand. Toolkits are 8 pages in print format, available online as a pdf, or available as easy-to-navigate web pages. Toolkits are FREE! Individuals may to request up to 20 copies (orders over 20 incur a small shipping charge).

The Small But Powerful Guide to Winning Big Support for Your Rural Library © Steps to Success Hints for reaching people, winning friends and influencing decision- makers, speaking successfully, making the most of media, and building powerful partnerships. Describes essential tools for advocacy--annual report, communication plan, fact sheets, etc.

Technology as an Advocacy Tool: Facebook With over 500 million users, Facebook has become one of the largest communities in the world. Facebook "pages" allow organizations to share information with Facebook members. The average Facebook user is connected to 80 community pages, groups or events. Facebook pages can be created and managed from a personal account. From a Facebook page, organizations can share news and updates, post pictures and videos, publicize events and cultivate a network of “fans.”

Technology as an Advocacy Tool: Twitter Microblogging service that allows users to send and read “tweets”—text-based posts of up to 140 characters. Follow and be followed by other users, creating a network for sharing information. Libraries can use Twitter to connect with followers, sharing information on upcoming events, highlighting new materials in their collections or putting out a call for support. In addition to text, “tweets” can include hyperlinks pointing users to more information or the library’s web page Twitter can also help libraries track issues in their community of users.

Keys to Engaging Older your library © 2010 Key Terms for Addressing the Aging Population Finding Funding Measuring Success Accessibility

Key Terms for the Aging Population Aging in place: The ability to live in one’s own home – wherever that might be – for as long as confidently and comfortably possible. Livability can be extended through the incorporation of universal design principles, care options, and other assistive technologies. Encore careers: The term “encore careers” generally refers to people over 50 doing work that combines continued income/compensation with personal meaning and social impact – to meet society’s biggest needs; paid work with a social purpose; often fills a need of experienced workers for meaningful, post-retirement work. See Service America Act ( Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities: Neighborhoods, buildings/apartments and communities that gradually transitioned into living spaces where most of the population are older adults. Universal design: The design of products and environments to be usable by people of all ages and abilities, to the greatest extent possible, without the need for significant adaptation or specialized design.

The Accessibility Factor: Auditory Announce yourself visually or auditorily, as appropriate, and don’t leave without the patron knowing. Be sure to speak patiently with the customer, not through a caregiver. Be on eye level and face your customer directly; speak clearly without jargon. Offer assistive listening devices that block out ambient noise. (i.e., audioloops and FM or infrared systems) Have a TTY (text telephone) or video phone for the hearing impaired to access the library. Offer an assistive listening device in a quieter space to have a one-on-one conversation or reference interview.

The Accessibility Factor: Visual Provide public access computers with screen reader software that reads digital text aloud, screen magnification features, and scanners to feed print to either a magnifier or the screen reader. Offer handheld magnifiers, large print materials, audio recordings, closed-circuit TV (CCTV) enlargers, enlarging photocopiers, and descriptive videos/DVDs with voice-over narration of visual plot elements. Assure proper lighting is available, without glare. Promote the talking books program ( that provides audio materials and Braille for persons who can’t utilize standard print due to a visual or physical disability.

How to Serve the your library © 2008 Based on a 2007 analysis of library demographics, services, and programs Top “To-Do’s” for serving non-English speakers Programming Ideas

OLOS Outreach Pages OLOS focuses it efforts on improving library outreach to traditionally underserved populations, including: – Adult New and Non-Readers – Older Adults – People with Disabilities – Rural Communities – Tribal Communities – And More OLOS is currently enhancing its web pages to include more information on these communities, greater focus on the equity of access issues these communities face, and resources, policies, and member groups focused on improving library services for these communities

OLOS on Delicious OLOS uses Delicious, a social bookmarking site, to keep lists of resources for each of our outreach areas. Featured resources include a short annotation and are “tagged” with one or more of outreach area labels (rural, olderadults, literacy, etc.). It an easy way to find resources that can help improve your library’s services

National Bookmobile Day Celebrating America’s Bookmobiles Since 2010, National Bookmobile Day celebrates our nation’s bookmobiles and the dedicated library professionals who provide this valuable and essential service to their communities every day.

Celebrations Across the Country ALA and its partners provide resources for libraries to host National Bookmobile Day celebrations nationwide In 2011, celebrations included: Parades Special bookmobile stops Guest appearances by celebrities and dignitaries Contests Reading

National Bookmobile Day Honorary Chair Audrey Niffenegger, library supporter and acclaimed author of The Time Traveler’s Wife, Her Fearful Symmetry, and the illustrated novel The Night Bookmobile, has lent her support to America’s bookmobiles as the first- ever National Bookmobile Day Honorary Chair. Audrey Niffenegger behind the wheel of the Aurora (Ill.) Public Library bookmobile

National Bookmobile Day Resources Everything you need to host your own NBD celebrations! Publicity resources – Press release templates – Letter to the editor – Proclamation template – Fact sheet and key messages Marketing – Customizable bookmarks – Sticker templates – Flyer/Print PSAs …and much more!

National Bookmobile Day 2012 Mark Your Calendars! National Bookmobile Day 2012 is Wednesday, April 11

National Bookmobile Day Partners National Bookmobile Day is coordinated by the ALA Office for Literacy and Outreach Services (ABOS), the Association of Bookmobile and Outreach Services (ABOS), and the Association for Rural & Small Libraries (ARSL).

Let’s Hear From You What Tools Can You Use?