Virtual Exchanges, Privacy and Summertime Advocacy
Advocacy Updates from Indiana Library Federation
July 29, 2019
In this issue of your ILF Advocacy Update
Coming Virtual Exchanges about criminal history checks and ILF policy priority setting. Link to archived sessions
2019 Advocacy Results to date
Privacy Rights in a digitally connected world
Quick Links
What YOU can do
Help build our collective advocacy strength.
Members may RSVP for Virtual Exchanges
Continuing the success of the virtual exchanges, ILF members (including trustees) may register for:
8/5 - Criminal History Checks- While legislation requiring criminal history checks for public library staff and volunteers did not pass in 2019, ILF seeks to lead any efforts on similar legislation. Learn what some libraries are already doing and how to craft your policies.
8/19 - Input on ILF Advocacy Priorities - ILF is already planning for the 2020 and 2021 sessions of the Indiana General Assembly. Join this session to learn about ILF's policy priority setting process and to provide input.
Virtual Exchanges are provided as a member benefit. Institutional members may invite staff and trustees to participate.
Indiana Library Federation
Advocacy Results January - June 2019
Advocacy is one of the most important activities for the Indiana Library Federation. Some of our advocacy efforts may not be visible. We work diligently to keep members and key stakeholders informed. We also hear you that it is hard to keep up with the "ILF firehose of information." Check out this quick summary of our ILF Advocacy Results for the first half of 2019. Thank you to all the dues-paying members and charitable donors who enable our work and to all the advocates who contact their policymakers.
Privacy Rights Under Fire
Libraries advocate for people's right to privacy and confidentiality in their library use as a part of the Library Bill of Rights. Digital resources present a new range of challenges to privacy and confidentiality for libraries. For example, LinkedIn Learning, formerly Lynda.com, is a learning platform provided to patrons for self-paced learning. Not unlike other vendors, LinkedIn Learning recently came under fire for its terms of use policy. Learn more about privacy issues from ALA or the Office of Intellectual Freedom's post about LinkedIn Learning.
What can YOU do?
Conduct a privacy audit in your library. Check out ALA's Privacy Toolkit for resources.
Educate your patrons and students about their own data. Teach how apps are not necessarily "free."
In the last issue, we shared a list of things that you can do during the summer to advocate for libraries. Thanks to these members for sharing their experiences in how they connected with policymakers over the summer. Other ideas are in the ILF Advocacy Guide.
Thanks to Cheryl Dobbs at Greenwood Public Library who shared how Rep. Woody Burton toured the library in July and shared the post on his social media.
Follow your legislators on social media. Show how your library connects with their interests and serves your community.
Back-to-school time is a perfect time to feature library resources at an open house or orientation.
