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!

We’ll be talking about all things book group. Community reads, cookbook clubs, the mechanics of book discussions, title selection, involving community groups, using graphic novels or audio and digital titles, increasing community awareness of book group options, bringing in local authors – the list goes on and on. But we need YOU and your curiosity or expertise to make the discussion work.

Here’s an annotated reading list of topics and ideas to start the discussion from the READS programming committee. READS Roundtable Prereading List annotated

Here’s just the links. READS Roundtable Prereading List_short

And we want to hear from YOU! Send reading and topic suggestions to bpl@belmontnh.org and we will update the list before the first discussion group on March 24.

Register here by clicking on the date below.

DATE                        LOCATION
March 24, 2017     Pease Public Library, Plymouth
April 3, 2017          Lebanon Public Library, Kilton Branch, West Lebanon
April 5, 2017          Hooksett Public Library
April 13, 2017        Lane Memorial Library, Hampton

Amy Lappin

ALA NH Chapter Councilor

Report from ALA Midwinter, Atlanta, GA

Here are the highlights and action items from my time at ALA Midwinter in Atlanta from January 20-24, 2017. As always, I’ve tried to give you the highlights, but I’m happy to discuss any of these topics or ALA any time.

I should also note that at MW, I was elected by Council to serve on the search committee for the next ALA Executive Director. I am looking forward to this process and welcome input from NHLA members. It is exciting for NH and small libraries to have a seat at the table.

In addition to the regular work of Council, a Town Hall meeting was held directly after Council I on Sunday morning regarding association values in uncertain times. It was facilitated by Cheryl Gorman from the Harwood Institute.

Conversation revolved around these questions:As we think about the member dialogue sparked by the recent election, what is our intention? What’s the deeper purpose (the big “why”) that is really worthy of our best collective effort?

• What do we know so far and what do we still need to learn about?

• Are there specific areas where our core values are being challenged that need more attention than others?

• As you reflect on the member discussion since the election, what’s taking shape? What are you hearing underneath the variety of opinions being expressed? What’s in the “center of the table”?

• If there was one thing that hasn’t yet been said in order to reach a deeper level of understanding and clarity, what would that be?

The session was well attended and live-streamed on the American Libraries’ Facebook page. The video of the session remains on the page.

Council I, Sunday, January 22, 2017

Council I was kept short to allow for the Town Hall meeting described above.

At Council I, a vote was taken to bestow an ALA Honorary Membership to Ann Symons.

Voted yes. Unanimous vote.

Executive Board actions taken since Annual presented by Keith Michael Fiels, ALA Executive Director.

Council II, Monday, January 23, 2017

A motion was presented to amend 2015 ALA Strategic Directions by adding a 4th Strategic Direction: Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, CD#35-35.2 & CD#37 (The original three were Advocacy, Information Policy, and Professional and Leadership Development).

The motion passed. I voted yes.

Policy Monitoring Committee report was presented by ALA Councilor Christopher J. Corrigan, Chair

ALA CD#17. Council was asked to vote on changes to the policy manual based on passed votes of Council.

I voted yes to each.

A passionate debate occurred over a resolution brought to Council by the ALA Executive Board in preparation for the upcoming search for an Executive Director. Resolution on the Education Requirements for Future ALA Executive Director, ALA CD#14-14.1_ACT.

I voted yes. In the end, I decided I was ok with strongly preferred. The vote was extremely close (78-75). If you are interested in the two sides of the topic, Steven Bell wrote an article, ALA Goes Looking for a Leader, Library Journal, January 26, 2017 addressing the issue.

Resolution Establishing Family/Caregiver Status as a Protected Class in ALA Volunteer Work, CD#31 passed and will go to Policy Monitoring Committee.

I voted yes.

Other reports of interest:

Constitution and Bylaws Committee Report

Freedom to Read Foundation Report CD#22

Council III, Tuesday, January 24

Memorials and tributes (with links to the resolutions)

Memorials:

McRee (Mac) Elrod, M-#1

Robert (Bob) Alan, M-#2

Valerie Bross, M-#3

Sandra (Sandy) Friedman Dolnick, M-#4

Nettie B. Taylor, M-#5

Ruth Gordon, M-#6

John Shuler, M-#7

Karen Avenick, M-#8

Warren (Jim) Haas

Tributes:

Emily Sheketoff, T-#1

Action Items:

COL/IFC Joint Working Group on the Resolution on Gun Violence Affecting Libraries, Library Workers, and Library Patrons, CD#42, 42.1, & 45

Resolved, that the American Library Association (ALA) on behalf of its members:

1. Grieves with the families and friends of all those victimized by gun violence;
2. Calls upon the Directors of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to:

• publicly announce that their respective agencies will resume funding non-political, comprehensive research on causes and effects of gun violence in the United States; ensure that such research, and any uses to which such research is put by the NIH or CDC, does not violate the letter of the “Dickey Amendment” prohibition on the advocacy or promotion of gun control; and

• sponsor robust research for the dual purposes of “preventing firearm injuries” and identifying “ways to prevent firearm deaths… without encroaching on the rights of legitimate gun owners”

3. Encourages libraries to collaborate with appropriate local agencies to provide training and education

for library workers related to the presence of guns in the workplace; and

4. Encourages libraries to support community discussions around all aspects of guns in society.

This resolution was a result of a working group formed after Annual 2016. The original resolution (CD#45) can be found here. The resolution above was brought to Council by the working group for substitution of CD#45.

1st vote… to substitute/replace… Motion passed. Voted yes.

2nd vote… on replacement as it stands? Passed. Voted yes.

Committee on Legislation CD#20

Deaf Culture Digital Library Working Group postponed indefinitely. Needs to be more developed before ALA takes action. Council voted on the motion to postpone, CD#46.

Voted yes. Motion passed.

Intellectual Freedom Committee

CD#19-19.10_act  Resolution on Access to Accurate Information as Amended. The full resolution can be found on the last page of the Intellectual Freedom Committee Report (link above). The Resolved clauses read as follows:

Resolved, the American Library Association reaffirms the resolution on Disinformation, Media Manipulation and the Destruction of Public Information approved in 2005 (2005 ALA CD #64).

Resolved, ALA opposes the use of disinformation, media manipulation, and other tactics that undermine access to accurate information;

Resolved, ALA encourages its members to help raise public consciousness regarding the many ways in which disinformation and media manipulation are used to mislead the public;

Resolved, ALA urges librarians and library workers to actively seek and provide sources of accurate information that counter disinformation;

Resolved, ALA supports the critical role public, academic, and school librarians in teaching information literacy skills that enable users to locate information and evaluate its accuracy;

Resolved, ALA will pursue partnerships with news organizations, journalism institutions, and other allies to promote access to accurate information and defend the role of journalists and the free press in American society.

Passed. Voted yes.

FY 2018 Programmatic Priorities, CD#13.1_act

Strategic Directions for framing budget direction. The priorities for FY 2018 include:

Diversity

Equitable Access to Information and Library Services

Education and Lifelong Learning

Intellectual Freedom

Advocacy for Libraries and the Profession

Literacy

Organizational Excellence

Transforming Libraries

Voted yes. Motion passed.

Report from Conference Accessibility Task Force, CD#37_inf

Working on a survey going out in mid February re: people’s experiences with accessibility at conferences.

ALA Annual will be in Chicago from June 22-27, 2017.
Respectfully submitted,
Amy Lappin

NHLA Chapter Councilor, 2016-18

Member, ALA Council Orientation Committee, 2015-2017

Member, ALA Executive Board Search Committee, 2017-18

Deputy Director

Lebanon Public Libraries

Lebanon, NH

amy.lappin@leblibrary.com