Library Legislative Breakfasts Announced - Massachusetts Libraries: In Demand, Under Pressure

The nineteenth annual series of library legislative breakfasts begins in January.  Please see below for details in your area.   As advocacy continues to be a critical role for librarians in Massachusetts, these breakfasts have grown in importance and attendance.  Your legislators need to hear directly from you of your concerns and the needs of your users.

No library can meet the demands of its users with local resources alone. That’s why state funded programs are so critical to the provision of library services. Citizens of Massachusetts are using libraries more than ever, and they rely on the links between libraries provided through state funding administered by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC). Funding cuts since 2001 have placed immense burdens on local library budgets at a time when demand for services is rising.

The MBLC works toward equity of access to library services by creating a level playing field so that residents of all ages across the Commonwealth have access to essential library collections, services, facilities and electronic content regardless of where they live. Through libraries, residents find information and knowledge to improve their lives, to support education, to build their communities and to sustain our democracy. 

The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners’ (MBLC) Legislative Agenda for FY 2014 is available at http://mblc.state.ma.us/mblc/publications/agenda2014.pdf. 

Informing your legislators of your concerns and additional funding needs this year will allow Massachusetts libraries to meet today’s challenges.  Please show your support by mailing a contribution and by marking the date of your complimentary breakfast on your calendar.  Every library school, public, academic and special in every town needs a voice to be heard by our Western Mass. legislators.

Sincerely yours,

Lynn Coakley                                                                                                       Jan Resnick

Lynn Coakley                                                                                                 Jan Resnick

And the members of the Western Mass. Library Advocates Advocacy Committee

 Each library will be receiving a letter in delivery including dates/locations of the breakfasts and details of how you can donate to support this effort.  

 

Western Mass Library Legislative Breakfasts Schedule ~ 2013 Corrected

 Full descriptions of the Breakfasts, plus registration information and directions are available at http://mla.memberlodge.org/breakfasts2013

Thanks to the Mass. Library Association for hosting the information this year.

Senator Stanley Rosenberg

Friday, January 11, 2013 ~ 8:00 a.m. –The Nahman-Watson Library at Greenfield Community College
Host: Eric Poulin, Coordinator of Library Services

Registration email:  Pouline@gcc.mass.edu

Senator Gale Candaras

Friday, January 25, 2013 ~ 8:00 a.m. ~ Wilbraham Public Library

Host: Karen Demers, Library Director    

Registration email:  tonya@wilbrahamlibrary.org

Senator Benjamin Downing

Friday, January 25, 2013 ~ 8:00 a.m. ~ Mason Library, Great Barrington

Host: Kate Deviny, Library Director

Registration email: L.Kaufmann@mcla.edu

Senator Michael Knapik

Friday, February 8, 2013 ~ 8:00 a.m. – Westfield Athenaeum

Host: Christopher Lindquist, Library Director
Registration email: cpennington@westath.org

Senator James Welch

Friday, February 22, 2013 ~ 8:00 a.m. – West Springfield Public Library

Host: Antonia Golinski Foisy, Library Director 

Registration email   agolinsk@cwmars.org

Senator Stephen Brewer

Friday, February 22, 2012 ~ 8:00 a.m. ~ Monson Free Library andReading Room Association

Host: Katie Krol, Library Director

Registration email: kkrol@cwmars.org.

Find the names of your state Senator and Representative(s) by visiting the Massachusetts Library Association - Elected Officials website http://capwiz.com/ala/ma/state/main/?state=MAhttp://capwiz.com/ala/ma/state/main/?state=MA

Forbes Library: A New Look for the Season and Fundraising

For a clever look at seasonal donations, check out The Forbes Library's (Northampton) riff on the Twelve Days of Christmas.

Join WMLA on FaceBook

The Western Massachusetts Library Advocates (WMLA) has a new FaceBook page!  (Thank you Betty Purington Johnson!)  It's a great way to stay current on events and news from WMLA.  Like us - we're hoping to have over 100 friends by Friday, November 30.  Share information about your libraries and check it for updates as we move into our primary legislative season.
You can also take a look at our background information, our projects, and membership information on the WMLA website.

November is Family Literacy Month

November is Family Literacy Month both nationally and here in Massachusetts. If you are conducting family programs this month, please let Shelley know so the MBLC can post this information on their portal site http://libraries.state.ma.us/.

Family Literacy Month is sponsored by the Massachusetts Family Literacy Consortium  and its partner agencies including the Department of Early Education and Care  and the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education  and the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. 

This is a terrific opportunity for everyone to get good publicity and help raise awareness about how libraries support literacy and offer many family programs across the Commonwealth!  Let Shelley know what your library is offering.

Contact:  Shelley Quezada, Consultant, Library Services to the Unserved, Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, shelley.quezada@state.ma.us

Environmental Monitoring

The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) has been providing environmental monitoring services free of charge to libraries, archives, museums, historical societies, and town offices for sixteen years.  Normally two dataloggers are installed inside and one outside.  However, depending on the institution’s needs, more than three can be installed.  There are now openings on the waiting list starting in August 2013.  If you have never had this done, have done major renovations or changes to your facility since monitoring was done previously, or have moved into a new facility no later than this past summer, you might want to think about monitoring.  A description of the program is at http://mblc.state.ma.us/advisory/preservation/monitoring.php.

If you are interested in participating, please respond with the following information:

Name

Institution

Address

Phone #

Fax #

Email address

If you have any questions, please contact Gregor Trinkaus-Randall, Preservation Specialist,

Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, gregor.trinkaus-randall@state.ma.us, www.mass.gov/mblc

BOOK IT for the South Hadley Public Library 10/28/12

Great turnout for our 1st Annual BOOK IT for the library 5K Race/Walk!