It’s time to celebrate excellence!

Thank you to all who planned, contributed to, and attended the READS Roundtables this year! This year’s theme was “Programming around Books”. We talked all things book group, exchanged suggestions for community reads and outreach events, and compiled lists of things that really worked in our individual libraries.

Here are links to :

• The READS Roundtable pre-reading list
• 3/24/17 Plymouth Roundtable notes
• 4/3/17 Lebanon Roundtable notes
• 4/5/17 Hooksett Roundtable notes
• 4/13/17 Hampton Roundtable notes

Save the date! The READS Fall Conference is October 10, 2017 at the McLane Center in Concord.

A college professor has created a resource that would be very helpful for teenagers who visit the library, or a library website. It’s focused specifically on helping teenagers find jobs and it’s 100% free to use. It has very useful information including work permit information, labor laws, jobs for teens by city/state, non-traditional job ideas, and more.

You can find it here: JobsForTeensHQ.

On April 19 at 3:30 pm, the Flume/Isinglass committee will meet at the Hooksett Public Library.  The committee will be choosing the nominees for the 2018 lists.  Anyone interested in taking part is welcome to attend.  The committee would love to have more people involved.  If you are unable to attend, you can still help by sharing your thoughts of the current nominations on the Flume wiki.

Can New Hampshire Libraries lead the way in garnering Congressional support for libraries?

Here is a chance for library staff, trustees, Friends, volunteers and patrons to tell Congress how important libraries are in New Hampshire. First, the ALA has asked for our help before April 1 (http://www.districtdispatch.org/2017/03/house-library-champions-release-fy18-dear-appropriator-letters/) asking Congressional House members to sign the FY18 appropriation letters. (Senators will be asked later) Ask all your stakeholders and then friends and family across the state and the country to speak out as well.

Then get involved for the long haul…

As you know, the White House budget that was released last week 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.  You have likely also seen State Librarian Michael York’s letter concerning our NH delegation in Washington. So what is the most effective way to get and stay involved and aware of what is happening over the long period between now and a final budget?
Here’s what you can do right now:

1.  Sign up via this web page to receive updates on the #SaveIMLS effort

2.  Become informed! When the opportunity to speak to friends, family, neighbors and other local stakeholder arrives, know what you need to about IMLS and its work with libraries, here in NH and across the nation.
–Visit https://www.imls.gov/grants/grants-states to learn about the money sent to each state.
–Take a look the interesting map showing where IMLS monies have been going recently – look at NH and then share with others.

3.  Gather stories and send them to ccfriese@cityofportsmouth.com. We will collate and have them for our Legislative Day visits and beyond. Consider our audience: how has your library changed lives? In addition to numbers, gather and share stories about job hunters, “new Americans”, entrepreneurs, career changers, career explorers and others. Topics that resonate with elected officials include things that save money or make solid investments in education and jobs. Youth literacy is another talking point and anything helping to keep young people in school, through high school and beyond. Please ask permission to use a name and town to personalize where possible.

4.  A handwritten letter or a phone call has twice the value of an email. Now that you are informed and have some stories, you are ready to contact representatives as the occasion appears. Put your representatives in your Contacts. Do you know how to reach your Representative and our Senators? Save email, phone and addresses:

https://shea-porter.house.gov/contact
http://kuster.house.gov/contact
https://www.hassan.senate.gov/
https://www.shaheen.senate.gov/

5.  Like, if you have not already, IMLS, ALA and PLA on Facebook

6.  If you are a regular Twitter user, follow our NH delegation on Twitter and encourage others to do so: Here are the Twitter handles for US Senators and Representatives
Our Senators and Representatives are good at updating on Twitter. And while our delegation may not necessarily need a lot of pushing, making our voices heard is a good tradition and will be shared out to other states for their members of Congress to see.
If you wish to tweet yourself, please be clear, brief and focused. Here are some samples:

Sample Tweet
Students depend on libraries to succeed in school & prep for jobs. Say no to cutting the Institute of Museum & Library Services

Sample Tweet
Job seekers depend on libraries for internet access and research. Say no to cutting the Institute of Museum & Library Services

Sample Tweet
NH residents depend on access to research databases. Say no to cutting the Institute of Museum & Library Services

7.  Talk with local media – perhaps you or a trustee can write a letter to the editor. Tie an advocacy message to a library program and get a two-for-one with your local media.

Youth/Teen and school librarians specifically:
–Want to take further action to support teens and libraries?  Check out the free online resources YALSA offers.
–Use the sample messages in this document to contact the offices of your members of Congress
–Use the resources on YALSA’s wiki

We will post appropriate resources, news and stories to the NHLA website so stay tuned, stay informed and keep advocating.
Questions? Please feel free to contact me, NHLA President Marilyn Borgendale or Legislative Committee Chair Randy Brough.

Thank you.
Christine Friese, Chair, Advocacy Committee

The New Hampshire Library Association invites you to attend the 2017 Spring Conference:

A Sea of Change
Thursday and Friday, May 4th and 5th
Sheraton Harborside in Portsmouth

Registration is Now Open!!!

Visit the conference website: http://nhla2017.weebly.com/

Please join us for this exciting opportunity to navigate a sea of change in libraries with fellow library professionals as we network and motivate one another to provide New Hampshire with excellent library services. If you are interested in learning more about marketing your library, digitization, facilities projects, copyright issues, and much more, take a look at the schedule. Keynote speakers will be Gene Ambaum of the library inspired comic strip, Unshelved and motivating librarian George Needham.

We are offering special rates for NHLA members. Not a member? Join now to receive a reduced rate and join us in Portsmouth for fun and professional development.

Find out about hotel rates and information and NHLA’s cancellation policy.

The Association of College and Research Libraries, New England Chapter (ACRL/NEC) invites you to attend the 2017 Annual Conference:

REFRAMING LIBRARIANSHIP in the 21st CENTURY
Friday, May 12, 2017
Davis Center, University of Vermont in Burlington, VT

Registration Now Open!
Visit the conference website: http://conference2017.acrlnec.org/

It is an era of reinvention for college and research libraries. Whether we work in cataloging and metadata, scholarly communication, archives, public services, instruction, or another area of librarianship, we have all heard a rhetoric of crisis, transformation, and rapid change applied to our work. The challenges we face have provided an opportunity to refocus on the foundations of our profession: our purpose and our areas of expertise. In reflecting on and redefining our work and ourselves, we are reframing librarianship for the 21st Century. This exciting topic will be kicked off by keynote Suzanne Wones, Director of Library Digital Strategies and Innovations at Harvard Library.

• In this era of reinvention, how are we reframing ourselves, the work that we do, and our libraries?
• How are we communicating around this shift within our institutions and beyond?

Join us for a day full of professional enrichment, loaded with fantastic programming, networking opportunities, and ideas that will pique your curiosity and challenge your intellect. Since we’ll be situated in beautiful Burlington, we encourage you to come for the conference, stay for the weekend!
Not already a member of ACRL New England? Join our organization today!