Music Library Advocacy Committee Annual Report 2020

submitted by Linda Fairtile

Build and promote the Music Library Advocacy group site on Humanities Commons (HC), with a special focus on public libraries.
- The HC Music Library Advocacy group has been active for about 14 months and currently has 62 members.
- The Committee created and uploaded a document to our HC site titled “Outreach Initiatives by Music Librarians in Public Libraries.”
- The Committee added 22 advocacy resources to our collection of web links, sharing a new one on MLA-L weekly (April-September), and later, monthly (October-November).
Monitor the advocacy activities of selected professional organizations, identifying areas of potential collaboration.
- The Committee assisted the IAML Advocacy Committee in publicizing their survey of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on music libraries.
- Committee members continue to monitor and learn from the advocacy efforts of a host of related professional organizations, including IAML, MOUG, ARSC, ARLIS, ALA, and TLA.

Create resources (brochures, talking points, etc) to help members affirmatively answer questions related to the hiring and retention of specialized staff: This initiative addresses objective 1 of the Organizational Excellence goal of developing and sustaining the necessary resources to ensure the vitality of the Association, its programs, and services. Quite simply, without securely employed music librarians and other music specialists, there is no Music Library Association.
- “Why does our library need a music librarian?”
- “Why does our library need a music cataloger?”
Reach out to the Theatre Library Association (TLA) to explore areas of collaboration in the area of library advocacy: This initiative addresses objective 3 of the Organizational Excellence goal of pursuing joint ventures with other organizations.
- Identify TLA members with an interest in advocacy
- Work together to identify areas for future collaboration

Music Library
Association