Help Get Libraries Recognized on Oprah!

Yesterday this plea starting floating around listservs, and I think it's an excellent idea. Let's work together to try to get librarians recognized on Oprah Winfrey's talk show!!

Here's the full text of the note that came from ALA:

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From: Megan McFarlane [mmcfarlane@ala.org]

Sent: Tuesday, May 20, 2008

Subject: The Hollywood Librarian

Dear Library Colleagues,

Many of you have seen documentary "The Hollywood Librarian" at ALA Conferences or one of the many showings across the country. If you have not seen the film, you can see clips at http://www.hollywoodlibrarian.com. The film has been called "brilliant," "engaging," and "illuminating" and has been seen by thousands of people in the US, Canada, Ireland, the UK, Switzerland, Belgium, Germany and the Netherlands.

After showing the film in Normal, IL, the community where I live, I think this is a film that needs to go beyond library audiences. I would like the film to be viewed by Oprah. Copies have been mailed to her, to help promote librarianship. And when Oprah promotes an issue, it gets national attention.

I am asking every librarian to email Oprah asking her to at least view the film and suggest she have Ann Seidl on as a guest. There is a form that needs to be filled out at https://www.oprah.com/plugger/templates/BeOnTheShow.jhtml?action=respond&plugId=%20request.getParam(&_requestid=88266

In the "Tell us your story" box, please request that Oprah view the film "The Hollywood Librarian" by Ann Seidl and have her on the show. The form does ask for contact information, and the producers can contact me: Toni Tucker toni.tucker1@gmail.com or 309-212-2407 for more information about the documentary or Ann Seidl.

This could be a great campaign to get this film in front of Oprah and really promote our amazing profession.
Please forward to other library listservs.

Thank you,
Toni Tucker

Illinois State University

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I've long thought that getting Oprah to publicly recognize the good that libraries do could have a powerful effect on our reputation. Using this film seems like one good way to try to persuade her. I've already emailed the show via the link above. Won't you join me?!?

(Note: you might want to type your note in a word-processing doc, then paste it into the form. the first time I tried to submit, there was some sort of error and the form completely blanked out, so I had to start over. having your note elsewhere would make it easier to re-submit the form.)

~Kathy