https://12ft.io/

This is why my emails and calls aren’t being responded to.

Usually it’s pretty easy, I reach out, ask how their day or week is going and if they mention kids I ask how the family is doing. We talk about random things for a bit, then we start going into the latest projects the library is working on and how I could use their help. The usually response is, I never thought a Library would need that, and we schedule the next set of meetings to talk with their internal experts.

Our city’s purchasing policy says we have to go through state approved contracts/vendors before going to other vendors. I was just informed that Staples has a state wide contract, and the sales rep is answering my emails, so they get our business going forward.

For the record, yes I have contacted their manager and still no response. We needed some Chrome Management licenses, and could get them from CDW-G (I work at a library) with a 30% discount. Sent in the order, provided the needed on and off domain emails, then nothing. It’s not the first time, with previous times documented, so I have taken the issues to the Purchasing Coordinator for my city. No idea what, if anything, is going to happen next.

We do this where I work, we call it the teen space. The only difference is we don’t want to sell you anything, but ask you to signup for a library card.

That helps with the Presidential elections, there is still the House and local assembly. I live in Wi and hope that we can start having fair maps for our assembly. 40% of the vote shouldn’t result in 60%+ of the seats.

Edit: I do agree that 1 person 1 vote should be the norm, we just have other issues to worry about with gerrymandering and civic engagement.

They were arguing that teens would show up, because we don’t prevent them from attending the event. This would lead to awkward conversations that the MFL group members are not ready to have as parents.

I don’t know what universe they live in, it’s hard enough to get teens to attend programs that are focused towards them let alone something like this.

This is definitely part of it. Meetings are usually at 5pm but I have seen some start at 7pm and go on for hours, looking at you budget hearings. These are important; however, the information is usually in a giant PDF or print only. I think the other part of the equation is how the municipality communicates and engages with its population.

As a librarian, I want to help with organizing the information and make it available in different formats, but it takes a lot of buy in from elected officials and other departments. Not saying that’s how all local governments work, it’s just my experience with a couple.

On a side note, Data Governance and Analytics now falls under my department. This thread just gave a goal for next year, just got to figure out how to word it.

Reposting my comment from a while ago, with some edits:

The library I work at has had Moms for Liberty attend several meetings demanding we withdraw books that are against their beliefs, no specific titles, just a general demand. This would include anything on LGBTQ+, children’s books with rainbows, our Banned Books display, and anything promoting voting and civics education. More recently, they want us to stop holding some events, including adult focused events about race relations in the Midwest, and we should no longer host any programs funded by State and Federal grants. Lastly, they have said we need to stop allowing the staff from joining ALA or the state library association.

If any of these restrictions or censorship upsets you at all, please attend a library board meeting and voice your support for the library. Some even let you write in. Groups like MFL make it a point to attend a lot of the meetings in hopes to get their way, and it’s working.