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Register Here: https://forms.gle/AvLRYofdLooiknGUA

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Sample language for making your case to attend a library conference. 

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Sample language for making your case to attend a library conference. 

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2021 ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition (Virtual)

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Making the case for time off, support, or expenses to participate in a virtual conference requires a solid understanding of the potential benefits to your institution, supervisor, and colleagues. And you need to be able to communicate those benefits clearly-especially if your company is experiencing tight budgets and/or reduced staff. Use the following information to help "make your case."

Steps:

Familiarize yourself with the points in why you'll be more valuable to your library after the conference.

Tally your potential event costs.

Study any preliminary information about the program. Identify sessions, events, and programs that you believe can help you be more productive and efficient.

Share any preliminary program information with your colleagues. Let those who might not be able to attend know that your attending can benefit them. Inform them of the type of information that you can bring back to help them, and which sessions you can attend on their behalf.

Share program information with your manager. List the sessions and programs that you think will be of greatest benefit to your workplace.

Draft a plan listing how essential tasks will be handled while you're away. Include how, if necessary, technology can easily keep you accessible.

Draft a plan noting that when you return to the office, you'll share action items and fresh ideas learned at the conference(e.g., notes from speaker presentations and discussion groups, knowledgeable vendors you heard from, best practices, contacts you made through networking, etc.) with the rest of the staff.

Inform your supervisor that you can focus on implementing one new idea that will pay back many times over the investment of time and money spent to attend.

Put your request in writing. Feel free to use this sample letter.

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Making Your Case to Attend | 2021 ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition (Virtual)

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Making the case for time off, support, or expenses to participate in a virtual conference requires a solid understanding of the potential benefits to your institution, supervisor, and colleagues. And you need to be able to communicate those benefits clearly—especially if your company is experiencing…

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What is the one thing you are most proud of happening at your library in the next month? Make sure you include what it is (display, event, new titles) and a brief description. The right amount of detail can be a tricky balance, which is why I always give my writing to someone else to read. Fill in the Press Release Template and let it sit for a day to make any corrections BEFORE you send it.

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I know that my address book needs a little updating, and yours might, too. Make a list of newspapers and public access tv stations in your area, and find out who the contact is (by name if possible, by title if no name is available), and the best way to get in touch with them.

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Register Here: https://forms.gle/AvLRYofdLooiknGUA

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If the problem continues, contact the site owner.

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Remember that every day you have the opportunity to allow someone to access information they are looking for. Yay libraries! Think of one person you helped find out something new today and jot down what they learned and how it could impact their lives. This is the kind of thing you can use in your story as you connect with your board, community members, or elected officials. It is a good thing to help someone find something they need :)

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Most people think policy is dry and perhaps a little uninspiring. But policies can really help you by setting up a foundation for your programs and services. The Maine State Library has put together a Trustee Handbook that has some great recommendations and resources:

https://www.maine.gov/msl/libs/admin/documents/Chapter6_OCR.pdf

Take a few minutes to go through the list and see which policies you have and what policies you may want to recommend for your board.

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Your board is a built-in advocacy toolbox, and they are all connected to your community in unique ways. Think about who is on your board (or boards, depending on your library) and write down some key things about their place in the community. You can even get creative and make a mindmap if you think visually (a great way to use Canva, they have some templates all ready for you). You can get something down on paper in a few minutes and it will be a great resource as you think about getting the word about your awesome services out in the community!

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Find out more about public perception of libraries and library funding sources from this report (the summary is available on this page and you can download the full report...)

https://www.oclc.org/research/publications/2018/oclcresearch-awareness-to-funding/report.html

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From Awareness to Funding: Voter Perceptions and Support of Public Libraries in 2018

This summary includes key findings from the 2018 research and highlights notable comparisons to 2008 results. The analysis shows that libraries remain valued institutions that most voters have a positive association with and find useful. There continues to be stalwart support for library funding in many communities as evidenced by the fact that the majority of local library ballot measures in recent years have passed. This new national voter data, however, indicates a softening in committed support for libraries over the past decade. Libraries and library advocates should take action to address this downward trend.

Key Findings:

a majority of US voters believe public libraries are essential to communities and a source of civic pride

voters still highly value traditional library services such as free access to books and quiet areas, but also increasingly value the library as a community hub

there continues to be a disconnect between the services libraries offer and public awareness and support for those services

although a majority of voters are likely to support library funding at the local ballot box, fewer are committed to definite support than a decade ago

a majority of voters still do not realize that the primary source of library funding is local

Download Report (US Letter)

Graphics Gallery

OCLC Research encourages the reuse and distribution of this work by providing it with a CC BY-NC-SA 2.0 license. For your convenience we have created Power Point slides for the most requested images, complete with suggested citation. Please feel free to use these slides in your presentations or publications without the need to request further permission.

Download the Power Point Slides (19)

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From Awareness to Funding Summary Report

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This summary includes key findings from the 2018 research and highlights notable comparisons to 2008 results. The analysis shows that libraries remain valued institutions that most voters have a positive association with and find useful. There continues to be stalwart support for library funding in many communities as evidenced by the fact that the majority of local library ballot measures in recent years have passed.

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Remember, voters frequently visit the library. Seventy percent (70%) of voters have visited the library in person in the past year, an average of 8.6 times. Two-thirds of voters place high importance on foundational library services such as:

More than half (56%) of voters feel it is important to be able to download a variety of materials via the library’s website; and 52% have accessed their library’s website in the past year, an average of 7.6 times.

The community aspect of the library is important to many voters. A notable percentage of voters (44%) value the library as a gathering place for community members,
and nearly half (48%) believe it is important that libraries offer enriching activities that can’t be found anywhere else in the community.

Thirty percent (30%) of voters view their local library as a community hub. Of those who visited their library in the past year, 37% have attended community meetings; and 33% have attended a library-organized program or event in the past six months.

So if you can think of one community meeting you can host at your library, you're on your way to Connecting Your Library!

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Welcome to Maine Library Legislative Day 2022!

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Welcome to Maine Library Legislative Day 2022!

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Start here with our welcome video.

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Follow MASL, MLA, and MSL on social media
Facebook:
MASL @MASLibraries
MLA @MaineLibraryAssociation
MSL @MaineStateLibrary

Twitter:
@MASLibraries
@MaineLibAssoc
@MaineStLibrary

Instagram:
@maslibraries

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During National Library Week 2022, share the connections you've made thanks to your library!

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During National Library Week 2022, share the connections you've made thanks to your library!

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Did you find a great book? Get access to computers? Attend a great program or storytime? Did you make new friends at the library’s book club?

Tell us by posting to Instagram, Twitter, or on the I Love Libraries Facebook page. Use the hashtag #MyLibrary.  We'll gather all the entries, and one randomly selected winner will receive a $100 Visa gift card.  The promotion starts Sunday, April 3 at noon CT and ends on Saturday, April 9 at noon CT. Don’t forget to tag your library!

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Who’s Who? Find out who your local elected officials are.

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Who’s Who? Find out who your local elected officials are.

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Advocacy is easier when you have an existing relationship. Visit the site linked above to find out who your state officials are and visit your town website to find out who is on the select board, planning board, rec board, etc.

Find out who is already a supporter, reach out and tell them what your library does (broadband, Senior/elder issues, etc)

Read some minutes from a recent meeting - get a sense of the landscape of what is happening in your town/community

Find out when your town meeting is and attend! You may have missed it for 2022 (many happen in March), but put it on your calendar for 2023!

Bonus: send an intro email to an elected official and ask them to join your library enews list or come for a visit!

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Welcome to the State of Maine Voter Information Lookup Service. Find election related information based on your home address. This information includes the location of your voting place, the candidates that will appear on your ballot, and your elected officials and how to contact them.
Voting place locations can be updated by municipalities up to ten days prior to the election. Please check back prior to election day for final voting place locations.
Please enter your address information and select the "Submit" button. All fields are required.

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Maine.gov: Government: eDemocracy: Voter Information Lookup

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Welcome to the State of Maine Voter Information Lookup Service. Find election related information based on your home address. This information includes the location of your voting place, the candidates that will appear on your ballot, and your elected officials and how to contact them.

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Join Ian Ware, Communications Associate - ALA Office of Public Policy and Advocacy, for a presentation on how to effectively use social media for library advocacy!

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Did you know that nonprofits have access to Canva Pro for FREE? Find out more about how to use it here:

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Social media stressing you out? Us too! Check out this blog post from Hootsuite about how to plan, create, and schedule your social media content.

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Social Media Marketing & Management Dashboard

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A social media calendar is a lifesaver for busy social marketers.

Creating and posting content on the fly is tricky. You're more prone to typos, tone problems, and other mistakes. Spending a little time upfront creating a social media calendar is much more efficient. That way, you've got dedicated time to create, tweak, proofread, and schedule posts.

Social media content calendars don't just make your workday less stressful. They also make it easy to plan an effective content mix and allow you to time your posts to reach the largest possible audience.

Keep reading for your complete guide to making a practical (and powerful) social media content calendar. We've even included some free social media calendar templates to get you started!

What is a social media calendar?

A social media calendar is an overview of your upcoming social media posts, organized by date. Social marketers use content calendars to plan posts, manage campaigns, and review ongoing strategies.

Social media calendars can take many forms. Yours may be a spreadsheet, Google calendars or interactive dashboard (if you're using a social media management tool).

A social media calendar usually includes some combination of these elements for each post:

The date and time it will go live

The social network and account where it will be published

Copy and creative assets (i.e., photos or videos) required

Links and tags to include

How to create a social media calendar

Follow the steps below to create a lean and efficient social media content plan.

More of a visual learner? Let Brayden, our Social Media Lead, walk you through planning your calendar in under 8 minutes:

1. Audit your social networks and content

Before building your social media posting calendar, you need a clear picture of your existing social media accounts.

Use our social media audit template to create a precise, up-to-date record of:

Impostor accounts and outdated profiles

Account security and passwords

Goals and KPIs for each branded account by platform

Your target audience, their demographics and personas

Who's accountable for what on your team

Your most successful posts, campaigns and tactics

Gaps, underwhelming results, and opportunities for improvement

Key metrics for measuring future success on each platform

As part of your audit, note how often you're currently posting on each social network. Look at your analytics for any clues about how your posting frequency or time of posting impacts engagement and conversions.

2. Choose your social channels and content mix

Deciding what kinds of content to post is a key part of your social media strategy - and an important step to building a social media calendar. There are a couple of standard marketing strategies for content mix that you can use to get started:

The social media rule of thirds

One-third of your posts promote your business or drive conversions.

One-third of your posts share curated content from industry thought leaders.

One-third of your social posts involve personal interaction with your followers.

The 80-20 rule

80 percent of your posts inform, educate, or entertain

20 percent of your posts promote your business or drive conversions

You'll also need to determine which social channels to use for which types of content. Some may not be necessary at all.

Don't forget to schedule user-generated content and curated content. That way, you don't get overwhelmed creating everything yourself.

3. Decide what your social media calendar should include

Your social media calendar won't look exactly like anyone else's. For example, a small business owner doing their own social posts will likely have a much simpler calendar than a large brand with a full social team.

Map out the information and functions that are most important to you. That way, you can get the most out of your social calendar.

Start with basic details, like:

Platform

Date

Time (and time zone)

Copy

Visuals (e.g., photo, video, illustration, infographic, gif, etc.)

Link to assets

Link to published post, including any tracking info (like UTM parameters)

You may also want to add more advanced info, like:

Platform-specific format (feed post, Story, Reel, poll, live stream, ad, shoppable post, etc.)

The associated vertical or campaign (product launch, contest, etc.)

Geo-targeting (global, North America, Europe, etc.)

Paid or organic? (If paid, then additional budget details might be helpful)

Has it been approved?

If you're just getting started, a simple spreadsheet works well. If you're looking for a more powerful solution, check out our top calendar tools at the end of this post.

4. Invite your team to review, and use their feedback to improve

An effective social calendar makes sense to everyone on your marketing team. Ask for feedback and ideas from stakeholders and your team to make sure it serves everyone's needs.

As you start to work with your calendar, evaluate how it feels to you, and ask the team to provide ongoing feedback. For example, if it feels onerous and finicky, maybe you want to dial back some of the detail. If it's not detailed enough, you may need to add a few columns.

Your calendar will probably continue to evolve as your business does - and that's okay!

Free social media calendar templates

We've created two Google Sheets templates for you to use as a basis for your own social media calendar. Just open the link, make a copy, and plan away.

The social media content calendar template linked above has room for the major platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and TikTok). But it's highly customizable, and you're free to make it your own with the channels that make sense for you.

Make sure to create a new tab for each month, and plan out your editorial content week by week.

Among the many helpful items in this calendar, don't miss the tab for evergreen content. This is where you can keep track of blog posts or other content that always performs well on social, despite seasonality.

This template includes columns for you to track and schedule:

Type of content

Original publication date (keep track of this, so you know when it's time for an update)

Title

Topic

URL

Top-performing social copy

Top-performing image

Use the editorial calendar template linked above to plan individual content assets. Think blog posts, videos, new research, etc. This is where you plan out the content that your social media efforts will be promoting.

The template is easy to use. Just create a new tab for each month, and plan your editorial content out week by week.

This social media editorial calendar template includes the following columns:

You may want to adapt your template to include other important information, like target keyword or content bucket.

Why use a social media content calendar?

1. Get organized and save time

Social media content creation and posting take time and attention every single day. A social media calendar lets you plan ahead, batch your work, avoid multitasking, and note down all your content ideas for later.

Social media planning calendar tools even allow you to schedule social media posts ahead of time. That means you can share content every day without logging into all your social platforms every hour on the hour.

The average internet user regularly uses 7.5 social media platforms. For social media managers, the number can be much higher. When you're managing multiple accounts, getting organized is essential.

Planning your content frees up time for more strategic work, which is often more fun anyway.

2. Make it easier to post consistently

There is no hard and fast rule about how often you should post on social media. That said, there are some generally accepted best practices to use as a baseline.

The most important rule, no matter how often you decide to post, is to post on a consistent schedule.

Sticking to a regular schedule is important, so your followers and fans know what to expect. It's also a good way to make clever use of weekly hashtags like #MondayMotivation. (I prefer #MonsteraMonday, but that might not be for everyone.)

For a real-world example, take a look at the weekly content calendar for The Winnipeg Free Press. Sure, this isn't a social media content calendar, but it is a weekly plan anchored by consistent content ideas.

Content frameworks like these give you one less thing to consider as you create your posts. Scheduling posts in advance allows you to stick to a schedule while ensuring you always have quality content ready to go.

Social media calendar tools also allow you to post at the best times for your audience, even if those times don't align with your core working hours. Which leads us to...

3. You can take a real vacation

When you create content and schedule it in advance, you can actually take time off. No logging into your work accounts on Thanksgiving, late at night, or early in the morning.

For busy social media managers, creating a social media calendar is an act of self-care.

Reminder to our community, check in on your mental health. Take a break away from your screens when you can ❤️

- Hootsuite 🦉 (@hootsuite) March 4, 2022

4. Reduce typos and avoid big mistakes

Planning posts ahead of time allows you to check your work and build a safety net into your workflow. Everything's easier when you're not rushing to post.

A social media calendar - especially one with an approval process - is the best way to prevent everything from minor mistakes to social media crises.

5. Make higher-quality content and cohesive campaigns

Social media production values have skyrocketed since the early days. Today, it's not unusual for a single post to have a whole social media team of creatives behind it.

Asking your team to drop everything for an emergency Instagram Reel won't win hearts or minds. It's not going to result in your best possible content or a cohesive account either.

A social media calendar helps you distribute resources and make sure your team has the breathing room to do their best work.

Following a long-term plan also allows you to craft content that supports your social media marketing goals and beyond.

6. Time your content to important holidays and events

Planning your content in a calendar forces you to keep an eye on what's happening in, well, the calendar. This means you're prepared for everything from Daylight Savings Time to the Super Bowl. (And everything else: We're looking at you, National Pizza Day.)

we know pineapples on pizza is controversial, but how about on final score graphics since it's #nationalpizzaday? 😅 pic.twitter.com/AQ2P2P1J2v

- Seattle Kraken (@SeattleKraken) February 10, 2022

We've created a Google Calendar of holidays you can use to frame social media posts. You can import it into your own Google Calendar to give your content planning a little extra relevance.

Let's take a look at the Charlotte Parent magazine's 2022 editorial calendar. It shows how content themes and specific articles align with relevant events, like Mother's Day and Father's Day.

7. Spot opportunities for partnerships or sponsored content

Planning content in advance gives you time to think about partnership opportunities. Or to approach influencers about working together on sponsored content.

It also makes it easier to coordinate your organic and paid content, so you can make the most of your social advertising dollars.

Influencers and bloggers usually have their own editorial content calendars. This is another opportunity to compare notes and find more partnership opportunities through content planning.

8. Track what works, and improve it

What gets scheduled gets done, and what gets measured gets improved.

Your social media analytics are an informational goldmine. You can use those insights to improve lackluster results and produce more of your best content.

If you're using a social media marketing tool like Hootsuite, you can use the built-in analytics tools to capture a complete picture of all your social media efforts, so you don't have to check each platform individually.

For example, Hootsuite always makes room in our posting calendar for social media experiments. It's important for us to make sure the team is working from real-world results, not just theories.

Social media content calendar apps and tools

There are probably as many different social media content calendar tools as there are social media managers. These are our favorites.

Sure, Google Sheets isn't fancy. But this free, cloud-based spreadsheet tool certainly makes life easier. A simple Google Sheet is a good home for your social media calendar, especially if you use one (or both) of our templates as your starting point.

It's easy to share with team members and stakeholders, it's free, and it works.

We'd never knock a spreadsheet. But if you're looking for an even simpler solution, Hootsuite Planner takes your social media content calendar to the next level.

You can use Hootsuite to draft, preview, schedule and publish your social media posts. And not just for one platform, either. Hootsuite works with Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube and Pinterest. You can even use Hootsuite's Bulk Composer to schedule hundreds of posts across multiple social profiles.

Unlike a static spreadsheet, the social media calendar you can build with Hootsuite's Planner is flexible and interactive. If you want a post to go out at 3PM on Wednesday instead of 9AM on Saturday? Just drag and drop it to the new time slot, and you're good to go.

Hootsuite even suggests the best time to post for each social media account.

Once you've planned your social media content calendar, use Hootsuite Planner to manage your social media posts, engage with your followers, and track the success of your efforts. Sign up for a free trial today. Get Started

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How To Create a Social Media Calendar [2023 Guide]

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A social media calendar is a lifesaver for busy social marketers. Creating and posting content on the fly is tricky. You're more prone to typos, tone problems, and other mistakes. Spending a little time upfront creating a social media calendar is much more efficient.

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The message triangle is a tool designed to help you speak to your audience successfully by getting across your key messages in a compelling, concise and credible manner. It is based on the principle that it is easier to visualize an image than it is to memorize a lot of words.

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The message triangle is a tool designed to help you speak to your audience successfully by getting across your key messages in a compelling, concise and credible manner. It is based on the principle that it is easier to visualize an image than it is to memorize a lot of words.

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The MSL Intellectual Freedom page has some excellent sample polices. 

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The MSL Intellectual Freedom page has some excellent sample polices. 

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As news stories around book challenges abound, the Maine State Library reaffirms its commitment to the right of all Maine residents to seek information in all formats. MSL stands in steadfast support of Maine's libraries' mission to provide equitable access to the widest range of viewpoints, opinions, and ideas and to stand opposed to censorship of any kind. State Librarian Jamie Ritter released the following statement: "The Right to Read and the Right to Freedom of Thought are innate values that define our commitment to ideas, thoughts, and the ability to learn. These timeless values are essential to a functioning democracy, and libraries have been long-standing champions of these fundamental values and rights. The Maine State Library will forever support the Freedom of Thought and the Right to Read."
Additional resources from the American Library Association about censorship , the Library Bill of Rights , and Interpretations of the Library Bill of Rights .

For Library Boards, Trustees, and Friends Groups
The United for Libraries Intellectual Freedom Task Force has compiled two new resources to support Trustees and libraries to prepare for program, material, and access challenges.
Both Tip Sheets are featured on the United for Libraries resource page " Trustee Resources for Program & Material Challenges."

The Intellectual Freedom Committee of the Association for Library Services to Children (ALSC) created a for library staff that work with young readers to raise awareness of intellectual freedom and information literacy in fun and engaging programming.

Intellectual Freedom books are available through the Maine State Library professional collection . Here are a few to start with.
Many of the book challenges are happening in schools, and the Maine Association of School Libraries stands strong for intellectual freedom. MASL has partnered with Maine's education organizations in a joint statement affirming and protecting students' rights to intellectual freedom. Visit their Intellectual Freedom webpage for more information and resources.
Want to Learn More?
Now is a good time to brush up on your knowledge and understanding of how Intellectual Freedom relates to library services in YOUR library. Check out these free on-demand courses in Niche Academy in the Fundamentals of Librarianship collection. Do you need to review your policies? Check these out.
Follow the Conversation on Twitter
Libraries and library supporters across the country are sharing their experiences. Add your voice to the conversation on Twitter using #intellectualfreedom and #FReadom. Make sure to tag MSL @MaineStLibrary.

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As news stories around book challenges abound, the Maine State Library reaffirms its commitment to the right of all Maine residents to seek information in all formats. MSL stands in steadfast support of Maine's libraries' mission to provide equitable access to the widest range of viewpoints, opinions, and ideas and to stand opposed to censorship of any kind.

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ALA - Working with the Media: Strategies and Tips for Success

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ALA - Working with the Media: Strategies and Tips for Success

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LibGuides: Library Policy Development: General

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When developing policies, each library needs to consider the community that it serves.

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There are so many excellent thought pieces coming out about IF topics. What are your favorites?

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There are so many excellent thought pieces coming out about IF topics. What are your favorites?

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https://scholarlykitchen.sspnet.org/2022/03/03/libraries-and-the-contested-terrain-of-neutrality/

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Opinion | The Battle for the Soul of the Library

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Librarians should be politically neutral. Too many aren’t.

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Download and use!