Category Archives: Advocacy

Advocacy, Public

Mayor Craig Petersen: Library Hero!

 

The Mayor of Logan, UT is a supporter of libraries, and he’s not afraid to put his money where his mouth is – literally!

“Mayor Craig Petersen proposed Friday that he will work without pay for the remainder of the year and donate his salary to the Library Building Fund.

Last month, Petersen recommended to the City Council that a new library and community center be built at the site of the old Emporium building, 55 N. Main St.

New libraries aren’t cheap. The city is looking at a $12 million price tag, but most of that would be paid through existing resources without raising taxes. The remaining $2.8 million would be raised from private donations, including about $93,000 from the mayor’s salary and benefits.

“I want Logan to move forward with a library and a community center Logan can be proud of. And we just don’t have that right now,” Petersen said.”

In a time where too many politicians do not see enough value in libraries to fund them (#SaveIMLS!), it is great to see a Mayor who understands the value a good library will bring to his community!

At CMLE Headquarters, we nominate Mayor Petersen as our latest Library Hero, and we join his community in thanking him for his work on behalf of libraries!

Advocacy, CMLE

Urgent! Contact your MN Senator about Library Funding

From the MLA Legislative Committee:

Please immediately contact your Senator about including SF 1033 in the Senate Omnibus Education Finance bill. Time is of the essence!  Regional public library systems & the multitype systems need your support for their requested funding increases. Hearing from constituents is important for this issue.

 

Don’t know what to say? Here are some talking points–feel free to customize/tailor as you wish:

  • No new dollars have been invested in MN library systems since FY2009. An increase in funding for Minnesota’s library systems will provide a stable funding source to allow systems to strengthen & maintain current services & move into the future stronger & better able to serve all Minnesotans.
  • Multitype systems support rural & urban school library media programs, special & academic libraries through training around ever-changing library products and services including information literacy, ELM, MnLink, eBooks, use of portable devices, & more.
  • Regional public library systems serve as a cornerstone for public library services throughout the state and provide the foundation for Minnesota residents to access cooperative statewide services including Minitex/MnLINK interlibrary loan, ELM databases, reciprocal borrowing privileges, staff training, and more.

If your Senator is not on the Committee, ask her/him to ask their colleagues to include SF 1033 in the omnibus education finance bill. Senate Information: https://www.senate.mn/members/

Don’t know your Senator? Find them here: http://www.gis.leg.mn/iMaps/districts/

 

If your Senator is on the E-12 Finance Committee (roster below), ask her/him to please include SF 1033 in their omnibus education finance bill.

 

E-12 Finance Committee Leadership

Carla J. Nelson (26, R) 
Chair
651-296-4848

sen.carla.nelson@senate.mn
Eric R. Pratt (55, R) 
Vice Chair
651-296-4123

sen.eric.pratt@senate.mn

Charles W. Wiger (43, DFL)
Ranking Minority Member
651-296-6820

Email form: https://www.senate.mn/members/member_emailform.php?mem_id=1067&ls=

Committee Members
Paul T. Anderson (44, R)
651-296-9261

Email form: https://www.senate.mn/members/member_emailform.php?mem_id=1232&ls=

Justin D. Eichorn (05, R)
651-296-7079

Email form: https://www.senate.mn/members/member_emailform.php?mem_id=1219&ls=

Melissa H. Wiklund (50, DFL)
651-297-8061
sen.melissa.wiklund@senate.mn

Roger C. Chamberlain (38, R)
651-296-1253
sen.roger.chamberlain@senate.mn

David J. Tomassoni (06, DFL)
651-296-8017

Email form: https://www.senate.mn/members/member_emailform.php?mem_id=1064&ls=

Gary H. Dahms (16, R)
651-296-8138
sen.gary.dahms@senate.mn

Patricia Torres Ray (63, DFL)
651-296-4274

Email form: https://www.senate.mn/members/member_emailform.php?mem_id=1151&ls=

 

Questions? Contact Jami Trenam, MLA Legislative Chair (jamit@grrl.lib.mn.us)

or Ann Walker Smalley, Incoming MLA Chair (ann@metronet.lib.mn.us)

 

Thank you for contacting your Senator.

Advocacy, Resources

Let the world know what angry librarians are like!

CMLE members: it’s time!

Angry tiger
We get a pittance of money at all levels to provide an extraordinary amount of services to our communities – and our federal money is being threatened. Our federal money is threatened, our federal office is threatened – and our libraries will suffer!

DO NOT STAND FOR THIS! Let the world know just how valuable libraries are, and about the work that you do!! Let’s NOT just sit passively and quietly as our structures are dismantled, and our organizations ruined!!

Be proud of yourself, and of your library!

Our work is important – and should not be devalued and defunded!!

Even if your library does not directly receive money from IMLS, you receive services through the state from IMLS. Losing our federal agency – the only voice our profession has in the federal government – will be a disastrous blow to us.

In 2016, Minnesota received $2,732,686 from IMLS. That money goes to individual libraries in LSTA grants, and helps support  statewide programs and services we all use. Let’s not let this go!

Read this press release from the Young Adult library services association of ALA, and DO SOMETHING today!!

YOUR VOICE MATTERS!!

If you have other questions, or want to talk about emails you can send, phone calls you can make, or other things you can do to, you can always reach out to us here at CMLE Headquarters! We are here to support you, and the work you do for your community. Continue reading Let the world know what angry librarians are like! →

Advocacy, Books

Teen read week and other teen news

Teen Read Week 2017

Excited for Teen Read Week 2017? This year’s Teen Read Week will be celebrated October 8th-14th. You can expect updates starting in April at teenreadweek.ning.com. So, don’t forget to sign up for an account to get the latest news, if you haven’t already.

Teen Book Finder Database

Our Teen Book Finder Database was released last month! As the web version of our Teen Book Finder App, it’s the newest, easiest way to find all the winning books on YALSA’s book and media awards lists. And we’ll soon be updating it with 2017 titles. Check it out now!

Newest YALSA Resources

Summer Learning Position Paper

If you haven’t already, check out this position paper on the benefits of making your summer reading program a summerlearning program.

Save the Date! 2017 YA Services Symposium

YALSA’s 2017 YA Services Symposium will take place in Louisville, KY, November 3 -5, 2017, at the Hyatt Regency Louisville with the theme of: Libraries:  Helping All Teens Build a Better Future. Registration opens in April. Sign up for updates here. Two travel stipends are also available to help offset travel costs to the symposium. Apply by June 1.

YALSA’s Spring E-Course
Building Reflective Collections
3/20/2017 – 4/16/2017
$155 YALSA members/$215 nonmembers
“Julie did a great job presenting the material and letting us come up with our interpretations and how to make the ideas work for our community.” That’s just what one student said about this great course, which will give you the chance to not only explore building great teen collections, but will also discuss ways to learn about patrons — both users and “not-yet” users, in addition to assessing current collections. Learn more and register.

Taylor Crossley

Communications Assistant

Young Adult Library Service Association

50 E. Huron St. Chicago, IL 60611

tcrossley@ala.org

 

Advocacy, CMLE

Take action to save federal library funding! Yes: You!!

Librarians have always been cool and cutting edge!
From:
Beth Yoke, CAE
Executive Director
Young Adult Library Services Association

The White House budget that was released today calls for eliminating the Institute of Museum & Library Services (IMLS), the only federal agency charged with providing support to the nation’s hundreds of thousands of libraries and museums.  ALA and YALSA need your help to ensure that IMLS is saved, because without libraries teens will not have the resources and support they need to succeed in school and prepare for college, careers, and life.  Here’s what you can do right now:*   Use the sample messages in this document to contact the offices of your members of Congress

*   Share your photo or story via this form of how support from IMLS has enabled you and your library to help the teens in your community.  YALSA will use this information to advocate against the elimination of IMLS
*   Sign up via this web page to receive updates on the #SaveIMLS effort
*   Add your name to this online petition being circulated by EveryLibrary
*   Start planning how you, your teen patrons, and library advocates will participate in National Library Legislative Day on May 2.  Use the resources on YALSA’s wiki.

*   Encourage your friends, family, and colleagues to do the above as well

Don’t know much about IMLS?  Here’s a quick overview: through IMLS, every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. territories receive funding to support their state’s libraries and museums.  In FY14 the total funding IMLS distributed to states and territories was $154,800,000.  In addition, IMLS offers competitive grant opportunities that individual libraries and museums can apply for.  In FY14 they awarded 594 grants (from 1,299 applications) totaling more than $54,700,000.  Visit the IMLS site to see how much funding your state receives from them.

Want to take further action to support teens and libraries?  We salute you!  Check out the free online resources we have to make speaking up for teens and libraries easy.

-Beth

Beth Yoke, CAE
Executive Director
Young Adult Library Services Association
50 E. Huron St. Chicago, IL 60611
1.800.545.2433 x4391
fax: 312.280.5276
byoke@ala.org<mailto:byoke@ala.org>
@yalsa_director