Library News Rodeo April 17, 2019

Campaign Updates

Save IMLS -  Week 5

Americans from all walks of life know that libraries, museums, and archives matter. It was amazing to watch the House of Representatives vote to reauthorize the Museum and Library Services Act last December.

Unfortunately, the president’s FY2020 budget has forgotten that bipartisan bill and is calling for the complete elimination of IMLS. Thousands of people like you who have stepped up over the last 2 years to talk to your Representatives and Senators about federal funding for libraries and museums. Please take a moment to remind Congress of your personal belief that these cuts should not stand.

EveryLibrary Events

Join us in Washington DC for our Annual Fundraiser to Support Libraries!

We’re excited to bring you another fun fundraiser during the American Library Association Conference in Washington DC. Built on the success of the sell-out fundraiser at ALA in New Orleans and the fun we had throwing axes in Philadelphia during PLA, we are planning another sell-out event with a lot of fun activities, free drinks, light snacks, and networking opportunities for attendees as well as special guests!

Local Spotlight (please take action on these petitions)

PA Action Alert

Help the Pennsylvania School Librarians keep up their momentum after their successful Legislative Days in Harrisburg last week. Sign the petition and send a message to your state representatives and senators that school librarians matter.

Keep Libraries on the Agenda in Florida

Florida libraries serve every resident, but state aid has been cut year after year. Now is the time to start to fix these funding problems. As the state’s largest association for public and academic librarians, our partners at the Florida Library Association know what’s needed. Sign the 2019 Virtual Library Day petition to send an email to your members of the state House and Senate about libraries today.

Trainings

Michigan's Small Libraries Big Impact Conference - April 29 & 30

Join executive director John Chrastka for two sessions at one of the best Small Libraries conferences in the country. He will present a keynote on “Building a 'front porch/back room' coalition for library funding” and then a breakout session on “The Librarian as Candidate: Getting Your Library’s Vision, Mission, and Values Funded”. Registration closes on April 20th. Please go to https://www.mmlcevents.info/small-libraries-big-impact-registration/ to share in this great event.

Design Institute by Library Journal - May 3rd, 2019

If your library is considering a design project, a new building, or just a refresh, the Library Journal Design Institute on May 3rd in Columbia, SC. is a must-do. Join EveryLibrary’s executive director John Chrastka for a session on Funding your idea along with several amazing designers, architects, and solutions providers for sessions and small group workshops. See you at the wonderful Richland Library!

Promoting Library Card Sign-up Month (from inside and outside the library) - Free webinar on May 8 at 2pm est

Why is it so important to get people to sign up for library cards? How do you do it if you’re a small library with limited resources or a large library system that’s already tried everything? Join EveryLibrary and LibraryAware for an interactive, practical, and actionable webinar about new and innovative ways to reach non-users. In this free webinar, you’ll learn about ways you can use marketing and awareness-building resources—along with the most effective techniques from political or issue campaigns—to make this year’s (and every year’s) Library Card Sign-up Month interactive, engaging, and successful. Please RSVP.

Public Library Academy - Pre-Conference FLA Conference on May 14

Coalitions are at the heart of every library funding success story. Too often, library leaders are isolated from other parts of the community and may not know how to start or join a coalition. Learn how to break through those barriers by being neighborly and build the coalition you need for library funding. This session will help you identify the organizations, agencies and stakeholder groups to align with, as well as how to frame the conversation with “important” individuals about the library in a new, high-impact way.

Neat Stuff Libraries and Librarians Do

How Libraries Help Authors Boost Book Sales

There are numerous ways libraries help increase book sales, from stocking a wide range of titles, partnering with local bookstores for sales when hosting author events, running book-related podcasts and more.

The City that Crowdfunded its Only Library from a Facebook Post

In August 2017, businessman Imtisunup Longchar put up a post on Facebook seeking help to build a library for his community. The reason: There was no library in all of Dimapur, the largest city in Nagaland, India.

The response was overwhelming: People offered books, money, and advice. One of the first respondents was resident Susan Lotha, a single mother and honorary member of the Juvenile Justice Board — who also dreamed of owning her own library.