WMRLS Night at the MassMutual Center A Grand Success!

John Ramsay, Administrator of the Western Massachusetts Regional Library System (WMRLS) prepares to drop the ceremonial puck at the Springfield Falcons Game on January 23, 2010 at the MassMutual Center in Springfield. Accompanying him for the faceoff are Wally, The Green Monster (Red Sox Mascot) and opposing captains for the Falcons and the visiting Hartford Wolf Pack.

Some 150 WMRLS supporters, from all 4 western counties, attended the match, which was a fundraising benefit to honor WMRLS. During the puck drop, the announcer read off this message to the large, near-capacity crowd: “John and the Western MA Regional Library System want you to know that, in difficult economic times, people use their libraries more. Right now, and for the last 10 years, usage has risen to all-time highs. Please support your local libraries at town meetings, and encourage our legislators to support State funding of library services, especially the Regional Library Systems.”

To cap off a great evening, the home team tied the game in the third period and won it in a thrilling overtime.

Wheeler Memorial Library Maintains Essential Services

Photo caption: At the final stop of the Western Massachusetts Regional Library System's bookmobile at the Moore-Leland Library in North Orange, Dianne Salcedo and Manuel King, library employees; bookmobile driver David Ferland, and library volunteer Norman Flye, select materials to supplement the library's collections.


Wheeler Memorial Library Maintains Essential Services

Wheeler Memorial Library Director Walt Owens has announced that the Western Massachusetts Regional Library System's (WMRLS) bookmobile service made its last stop today at the Moore-Leland Library in North Orange. The bookmobile, which provided supplementary deposit collections for Wheeler Memorial Library and other libraries across Western Massachusetts is the latest victim of the continuing state budget crisis.

Fortunately, the heavily used delivery service that allows library patrons to receive books and other materials from libraries across Massachusetts will continue unchanged, at least for now. According to Owens, this service is essential for library patrons to have access to a much broader range of media and books than the Orange libraries could possibly afford. "While we will miss the supplementary bookmobile collections", said Owens, "we are very pleased for our patrons to still be able to benefit from the access to materials from all Massachusetts libraries." The Wheeler and Moore-Leland Library patrons borrow approximately 10,000 books per year through the regional library's delivery service.

Owens reports that the Library Trustees are committed to maintaining programs and services during the current economic downturn. The use of reserve funds from bequests and accumulated state aid has allowed the library to maintain hours and staff at current levels, although those funds are very limited. "Orange residents need the library more than ever during hard times, and the Trustees and Library Staff are committed to being here for them," said Owens.

According to Mary King, Regional Librarian with WMRLS, a variety of things make this step necessary---a decade of budget problems, a more recent lack of drivers to take the bookmobile out and also a lack of technical services staff to promptly acquire and process a collection, and most recently the very real threat of huge budget cut for next year with possible mergers of regional library systems.

~ Walt Owens, Wheeler Memorial Library, Orange

10 Things to do at a Library that Don't Involve Renting Books

Anna Miller, author of the Online Degree Blog, recently posted a tribute to libraries titled
"10 Things to do at a Library that Don't Involve Renting Books".  Anna's blog begins:

"Libraries have long stood as a cornerstone of neighborhoods across the world, offering access to books and other resources for entertainment in addition to research purposes. In their continuing devotion to nurturing a love of reading and knowledge in the citizenry, many have expanded their offerings beyond the ability to rent books. Some newer features embrace technological advances, while others provide free services blending education and enjoyment. No matter what extras these libraries offer, all of them continue the tradition of intellectually and creatively stimulating their respective communities... "Read More ...

MLA "Don't Close the Books on Libraries!" Rally on November 4

Approximately 300 library supporters (including the 46 western and central Massachusetts librarians and supporters who took our Friends of WMRLS and Friends of CMRLS  funded "Bus to Boston") rallied for our libraries at yesterday's MLA Legislative Committee's Don't Close the Books on Libraries protest at the State House in Boston. 

Visit the MLA Website for a listing of media coverage of this important event.

AND

Visit our WMRLS Flickr Website to view photos of this rally taken by our western Massachusetts contingent (we'll be updating this webpage throughout the day).

Bus to State House for MLA Rally for Libraries

Dear Western Region Library Supporters:

The Friends of the Central and Western Regions have chartered a bus to help people get to the State House in Boston for the Nov. 4 MLA Library Rally. This year, with deep State budget cuts threatening the very existence of Regions and other statewide services, it is extremely important that library supporters show up and let legislators, decision-makers and the media know how important libraries are, especially in these difficult economic times.

The bus will start at Table & Vine in W. Springfield, then the Palmer Public Library and the Central Region headquarters in Shrewsbury. Due to the cost and short advance notice, we are not able to provide a stop at WMRLS Headquarters in Whately.

For more details and the registration form, click on
http://www.eventkeeper.com/code/events.cfm?curOrg=WMRLS#1550289

After clicking on “Register” please complete the form, including your stop, and submit the form.

Seating is limited, so please register as soon as possible.

There is no charge for the bus to riders, although donations will be accepted on the bus if people want to help defray the costs.

Many thanks for your interest and support of statewide library services.

~ John Ramsay, WMRLS Regional Administrator

November 4 - RALLY FOR LIBRARIES!!!

Please join library colleagues and supporters for MLA’s rally for libraries! “Don’t Close the Books on Libraries” will take place on Wednesday, November 4th at 11:00 a.m. on the steps of the State House in the “well area”. Massachusetts Center for the Book’s annual MA Book Awards will be held inside the State House from 12:30 – 2:30 p.m., so plan to attend this exciting event following our rally so that we can celebrate and support Massachusetts libraries and authors!

We will have 250 signs printed with our slogan, and so need a minimum of 250 people to carry them. We need every MA public library to send at least one staff members, trustee or friend, so that a big message can be sent regarding the devastating impact of funding cuts to the Commonwealth’s libraries. Now more than ever we must let our legislators know that cuts to libraries will negatively impact the many citizens who rely on their libraries for Internet and technology resources, books and research materials, and for help in finding jobs.

Your participation is vitally important to the future of MA libraries!

Krista McLeod & Jackie Rafferty, Co-Chairs

MLA Legislative Committee

Buy None, Get Eight Free

Check it out! Great tips on marketing your library and some good ideas you can use almost immediately are included in Alison Circle's blog Bubble Room. In a February posting, she highlighted several British techniques for marketing library value in these tough economic times. My favorite uses the phrase we see every week in the market and goes one better to encourage library use. It's worth a look.

~ N. Janeen Resnick

Library Legislative Breakfast at Grace Hall Library

Representative Peter Kocot speaks about his support of libraries to people attending the Legislative Breakfast at the Grace Hall Memorial Library in Montgomery on February 13. Listening are Representatives Don Humason and Rosemary Sandlin, who also spoke about how important they consider State funding for libraries. Also attending were aides from Senator Michael Knapik and Rep. Michael Kane.

‘Tis the season to let our legislators know how important libraries are to us, by writing to them (contact information at http://www.mass.gov/legis/legis.htm), attending legislative breakfasts (http://www.wmrls.org/wmrls/legislativebfast.html) and taking the Friends of WMRLS bus to the State House on April 2 for Library Legislative Day (http://friends.wmrls.org/2009-bus.pdf).

~ John Ramsay, Regional Administrator, WMRLS

WFCR Broadcast: "Libraries Popular in Tight Times"

WFCR reporter recently interview WMRLS Administrator, John Ramsay, on the impact of area libraries during the current tight times. Listen to: Libraries Popular in Tight Times

Information on upcoming Library Legislative Breakfasts

Take the (Legislative) Bus!

To all:


Please open the link below to find information about Taking the Bus to Boston for Library Legislative day. This year it will be held on Thursday, April 2. It will leave from WMRLS at 6:45, travel to Table & Vine (formerly Town & Country) in West Springfield, on to the Palmer Public Library and the CMRLS Headquarters in Shrewsbury. Our final stop will be the state house where we will have the opportunity to visit with our legislators personally to convey to them the importance of library service in our communities.

I'm told that the start of the day is held up until our bus gets there! So be a part of this important group and travel to Boston to make your voices heard. Hope to see you on the bus!


http://friends.wmrls.org/2009-bus.pdf


Lynn

ALA's Tools to Help Libraries in a Bad Economy

From YouTube: "ALA Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels discusses the economy, its effect on libraries, and what ALA offers to help libraries survive in tough times. This video also serves as an introduction to a special issue of AL Direct to be sent January 20 on the economy. To subscribe to AL Direct, visit www.ala.org/ala/alonline/aldirect/aldire ct.cfm."

See Also: ALA's Advocating in a Tough Economy Toolkit