Schools all over the country participated in Banned Websites Awareness activities and some were featured in the New York Times. Colorado’s own Silver Creek High School in Longmont “held a “graffiti debate” on censorship on Wednesday: Should schools block Web sites? On sheets of white butcher paper hanging in the library, they wrote lists of the pros and cons of online access.” Silver Creek’s librarian, Phil Goerner, organized the debate to encourage students to think more deeply about ethical issues related to censorship, including how it can take away a person’s voice.

If your school participated in a Banned Websites Awareness Day activity, we would love to hear about it! Please email Michelle Gebhart with the details.

Library advocacy can’t just start and stop. It needs to be continuous. (Because those who speak against the public sector don’t take holidays.) To that end, I wanted to announce two things:

1. The BHAG website is still up and running, still the go-to place for ideas, tips, and support.
2. BHAG 3.0 is about encouraging all of us to start coordinating our messages. Which messages? The same four, because YOU HAVE TO REPEAT MESSAGES MANY TIMES BEFORE THEY ARE COMMUNICATED. (Sorry to yell at you.)

The top post at the BHAG website explains all this in more detail. But here’s the brief focus: between October and December, we should all try to underscore a message that resonates well with our patrons. That message is:
“Libraries build community.”

Here’s what we’ve learned about the best way to get something across:

• Tell a story. “Gloria moved to Highlands Ranch and for a while, being stuck in a new place with a toddler all day was pretty stressful. But then she took her daughter to a storytime at the library. There, she met three women, all with children the same age and Gloria’s. Now they’re the best of friends, and Highlands Ranch doesn’t seem so lonely.” (Person, problem, library solution, happy ending!)
• Back it up with some data. “In fact, the Highlands Ranch Library has 50 meetings scheduled for the month of October alone, NOT including the 3 storytimes every week day. Did you know that the library has over 1500 visitors every single day? That’s more business than many anchor stores.”
• Give it a tag line: Libraries build community.

Now it’s a matter of getting that story out there. How? Here are just a few ideas from the BHAG website.

• Give a talk at a local civic club.
• March in a local parade.
• Buy or bake an apple pie, and present it to the mayor.

Library advocacy. It’s What’s Next. (And be looking for at least one reminder every month.)

Download flyer (PDF)

AGENDA:

• 2012 statewide summer reading, presented by Kathy Barco: “Dream Big – Read” (children), “Own the Night” (teens)
• Lunch and networking
• Early literacy: Fun in the library for babies and new parents
• Update on Colorado youth services initiatives
• Distribute Summer Reading manuals and Highsmith catalogues

DATES and LOCATIONS (register at least 1 week in advance):

• 10/20/2011 – Rifle
• 10/21/2011 – Eagle
• 11/02/2011 – Pueblo
• 11/03/2011 – Englewood
• 11/04/2011 – Boulder
• 11/10/2011 – Dolores

REGISTRATION: All-day program, $20 per person. Includes breakfast, lunch, and materials. Register now!

QUESTIONS: Michelle Gebhart, 303-866-6894

We received 158 votes for this year’s pin (!!!), but this design (adjusted due to feedback from many of you) was the clear winner.

Following the same procedure as previous years, the Colorado State Library will place a large pin order and would be glad to “piggyback” and add your order to ours. This is a great way to promote next year’s programs, and placing a large order will make it cost effective for all of us.

Pricing details: $0.60 each (lower than last year!)

You will be emailed an invoice with the total amount owed, and this will be payable once you receive the pins in late September/early October. NOTE: A $5 shipping & handling charge will be added for orders being shipped outside of Colorado.

We will submit our bulk order on 8/12, so please submit your order NO LATER THAN Thursday, August 11th. Thank you!

The summer reading theme for 2012 is nighttime.

• Children’s slogan:  Dream Big – Read
• Teen slogan:  Own the Night
• Adult slogan:  Between the Covers

VOTE NOW!
We need your responses by Friday, July 29th, 5pm.

In contrast, use increased by between 6% and 28% during the recession (2007 to 2009).

View the complete report as well as a Fast Facts highlighting key findings

“She started with a slide of a DU Business School ad: “The top 10 jobs of 2015 don’t exist today.”  Then, over the next hour, Shelly Drumm gave me a glimpse of  a future for public libraries, particularly small, remote public libraries, that I can actually believe in. This is a topic I’ve really been struggling  with -  I just haven’t been able to buy the idea that if La Veta’s library becomes the ‘center of the community’ then we will remain relevant to our citizens. And it’s pretty obvious that books and DVDs aren’t going to keep public libraries relevant much longer either.  So I worried that I’d lost the faith – I figured that 10 years from now the most important function of La Veta’s library would be hosting Yoga classes for 80 year olds.

Shelly’s ARSL 2010 Conference presentation – 21st Century Librarianship – stretched my imagination, giving me a look at what’s already possible and a hint of where that might lead for my library.  Thanks to Shelly, La Veta is going to have a library that will help our citizens learn to create online content, and will enable them to talk about ideas and share knowledge and innovations with  people from all over the world. I know this won’t happen quickly (lack of trained staff and funding will slow us down), but at least we have a direction that feels valid.  As well as knowledge of tools that I had no idea existed before I heard Shelly speak – glogster, voicethread, animoto, etc. (all .coms).

I urge you to attend if Shelly offers a repeat performance.  Meanwhile, you can whet your appetite with  Shelly’s 21st Century Librarianship slides.”

Excerpted:

“I am passionate about Outreach work and the power that it holds for our libraries.  My work in Outreach has led me to believe that Library Outreach is our most powerful PR and our best and most efficient means of serving the masses. So with all of my enthusiasm for this work continually bubbling up, it was so uplifting to attend a gathering of people who share this love and passion for Outreach work.  I believe our success in Outreach work is dependent upon thinking outside of the box, looking for dynamic new approaches, and an unwavering ability to roll with the punches.  It refreshed my spirit to sit next to individuals that share these quirky personality traits with me and to partake in conversations that focus on ways that we can push through barriers and boundaries.

Our bookmobile arrived on display at the ABOS/ARSL conference.  Because this will be a new service for our community and a new adventure in my work as an Outreach Librarian, I was overwhelmed by the appearance of our brand new vehicle –the Clearview Mobile Branch.  Our tires were shiny and the bus smelled so good!  It was both educational and delightful to see our vehicle and show it off to other conference attendees.  I eagerly look forward to the next conference where I hope to perfect my knowledge of “the Library Cheer”.

“I came home from the ARLS-ABOS conference so motivated and excited and full of ideas from the many brilliant minds that I had the privilege to mingle with for three days!  Every class I went to was first rate.  The only complaint I had was that they were too short!  Shelly Drumm really opened my eyes to the huge impact technology has had and the vastly different way it is perceived by those who grew up with it and those of us who did not (I totally related to the monk being taught about the use of a book as opposed to the scroll!).  Pat Wagner’s and Vanessa Uribe’s presentations on dealing with people and providing excellent customer service made a real impact on me.  Excellent tools that can be used everywhere- home, work, and play!  Karol Sacca is an amazing presenter! I could have listened to her all day!  She must have been an absolutely remarkable teacher.  I can’t wait get my hands on some of the fascinating young adult books she shared with us!  I feel totally recharged and energized to touch my community more efficiently in the best job there is in the world – being a small town librarian! “