Spring on the Hill: Advocacy for Every Season

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

REFUNDS /CANCELLATION POLICY

Written requests for refunds or cancellations for a full refund must be submitted by May 1, 2025, to [email protected]. Registrations will not be “swapped” for alternate attendees. Registrants who have paid their registration fee and wish to cancel their registration, can use the paid fee to cover an alternate registrant. A written request must be made to the office at [email protected] to set this up by the May 1st deadline.

After the May 1, 2025, deadline has passed, no refunds will be issued. Registrants who do not attend the event and fail to submit a written request of cancellation will be liable for their entire conference fee.

Questions? Registration form and event questions can be directed to [email protected]. 

NYLA has secured a room block at the Renaissance Hotel for Monday, May 19 - Tuesday, May 20th.  Nightly rates for single/double occupancy are $239.

**Please adjust the Start and End dates of your stay accordingly.

CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR ROOM

Keynote Kick-off with The Moth

Session details coming soon!

We Love New York: State Laws Supporting Our Libraries
Speaker: Stephanie “Cole” Adams

New York's strong library community does not happen by chance. The state's commitment to intellectual freedom and strong libraries is built on a bedrock foundation of law, regulation, and case law. Join "Ask the Lawyer" writer and attorney Stephanie "Cole" Adams for a presentation that will review these foundations in plain language, and answer your questions in the moment. You'll leave this session with clear knowledge about how our libraries are created and supported by state law, and how YOUR library can build on that strength. Cole will also linger after the presentation for questions you would rather ask one-on-one.

View from the Inside - Best Advocacy Practices from a Legislative Staffer
Speaker: Elissa Kane

Understanding “how the sausage gets made” is essential for legislative advocacy. Legislators have their priorities and their unique political landscapes but they are all juggling hundreds of completely different issues coming at them at the same time. Unless they are already laser focused on your issue, they will need to be reminded many, many times to speak up on your behalf. Legislative staffers are key to keeping your issue on the elected’s agenda. In this workshop, you’ll learn what you need to know before advocating, what to ask for and when, and how effective it is to maintain a relationship with legislative staff.

Elissa Kane was a legislative staffer for then Assemblymember Patricia Fahy for 10 years. Finishing as Chief of Staff where she met with hundreds of advocates each legislative session, she communicated their requests and issues through the lens of the member's priorities, the legislative calendar, political muscle and oh so much competing attention.

A National Look at State Advocacy
Speaker: Amelia Aldred, ALA

Amelia Aldred, Deputy Director of State and Local Advocacy for ALA , will present on state/local library advocacy trends across the US. Hear about what is going on around the nation regarding library funding and legislation, giving context to our statewide advocacy efforts.

2025 State of the State Library
Speaker: New York State Library

This session will provide updates on the current state of funding and legislation affecting the New York State Library and libraries statewide.  

Spreadsheets to the Streets: Organizing Basics with Emily
Speaker: Emily Drabinski

Tired of all the talk and want to learn how to organize and take action? Join Emily Drabinski, Chair of the NYLA Intellectual Freedom Committee and ALA Past President, to learn the basics of organizing and turning thoughts to action.

Incorporating Advocacy into Organizational Operations
Speakers: Grace Riario, RCLS Executive Director; Jen Park, RCLS Government Relations Specialist

In 2021 it became apparent that library advocacy efforts needed to advance at the regional level at a rate in which the library system had not seen before. The Ramapo Catskill Library System (RCLS) had always engaged in advocacy efforts at the state level and kept local relationships with legislative partners, but the resurgence of book ban attempts and levels of censoring was quickly rising. In order to respond to such requests, as well as further professional development opportunities and connections with elected officials, RCLS created a Government Relations Specialist position that would work at the state level in support of the New York Library Association, regionally with library associations, and support member libraries in their efforts. This program will detail the formation of this position, the out-of-the-box internship completed, and the resulting partnerships and support with elected officials and member libraries.