Library Love Story: we broke 100 stories this morning!

Keep ‘em coming! Any love stories I receive by the end of the weekend will go to Madison with us. Continue to use the Library Love Story tool if it’s helpful for you and your staff as a way to collect user testimonials. (You should be collecting testimonials all year, whether or not you use this tool.)

Not going to Library Legislative Day? You can still participate!

Library Legislative Day is this coming Tuesday. Your communications with your elected officials will add a boost to this great advocacy opportunity. If you need guidance, there are some good resources on the WLA website. (You’ll have to ignore all the in-person details.)

First choice would be to write a note to your elected official and invite them to visit your library! Share a story about how the library helps people in your community. Here are some suggestions from the WLA:

Need a space to hold a listening session for your constituents?  Let us know how we can help!

Passing through town and looking for a friendly comfortable place to relax with free WiFi, a clean restroom and a refill for your water bottle?  The public library is a community’s living room!

Looking for information about local history, community resources or upcoming events? Give us a call!

Please stop in the next time you visit our community. We would enjoy giving you a tour to show you the many services our library has to offer!

{Fill in the blanks spaces and adjust, personalize as needed}

Library name:
Library address:
Contact person:
Phone number:
Email inquiries to:
Website:
Library hours:
Regional Library System member:

If a handwritten note isn’t possible, please send an email or make a phone call. You can encourage board members to do the same! Find your elected officials here.

New on website: summer library program page

It’s up! Leah created a page just for Summer Library Programs. It’s linked on the Youth Services page or you can find it in the Article Index.

IFLS Workshops and Webinar series supports your summer library program success

First in the series: Programs with Intention with Amy K. Smith, Red Hook (NY) Public Library on Thursday, February 9, 1-2 pm

REGISTER HERE

Does program planning feel like Groundhog Day every month? Do you find yourself repeating programs that have reliable attendance, but wonder if there’s another way to bring people through the door? In this interactive webinar, Amy Smith presents ways to invigorate your calendar using a holistic approach to librarianship. With examples from several public libraries’ missions, she’ll show us how the lofty goals we put on our websites can become concrete intentions for public programs with implications for collection development and community engagement. Taking a broader view of the ways in which programs, collections and users overlap will turn your programs into powerful ways to build relationships with your library’s regulars and new users alike.

Amy K Smith is the Head of Programs & Youth Services at Red Hook Public Library in New York’s Hudson River Valley. Recipient of NYLA’s 2019 Moshier/ Wynkoop Award for Distinguished Librarianship and Outstanding Efforts in Community Service, Smith is easy to find at work – just listen for the kids, that’s where she’ll be.

This webinar will be recorded and captioned. It will provide one contact hour for public library directors needing certification.

This webinar is the first part of the IFLS All Together Now Youth Services Series.  Other offerings include:

• Developing Minds at the Library webinar with Brooke Newberry, February 15, 2-3 pm
• T(w)eens:  Programming, Partnership, and Burnout webinar with Kymberlee Powee, February 21, 1-2 pm

Workshops (hands-on activities and discussion about summer and beyond):

• In-person workshop at the Amery Area Public Library, February 23, 10 am – 4 pm
• In-person workshop at the L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library, March 2, 10 am – 4 pm
• Abbreviated virtual workshop (via Zoom), March 9, 1-3 pm

Go to the IFLS calendar for other upcoming events

Find out what’s coming up on the IFLS website calendar. Search by subject or date. Toggle between agenda view and month view.