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Looking to state legislatures for support of local libraries
Looking to state legislatures for support of local libraries
1:48 PM EST 12/5/08
What should we be looking at from state legislative angles that can prevent erosion of local support for libraries?

Please discuss!
RE: Looking to state legislatures for support of local libraries
Tags: advocacy
5:04 PM EST 12/8/08 as a reply to Jennifer Peterson.
One of the issues that gets lost in many discussions is that of broadband access. Even our own legislators in Minnesota - which is largely rural - were amazed that there was limited broadband access outside major metropolitan areas.

Libraries, however, usually have high-speed internet access, which makes us a magnet for anyone looking for a job, creating an online resume, filling out a job application, etc.

Remind your legislator that you're providing this invaluable service!
RE: Looking to state legislatures for support of local libraries
2:01 PM EST 12/15/08 as a reply to Jennifer Peterson.
It's a difficult issue that necessarily varies by state. That said, I don't know if the public perceives a link between state support and local libraries ... nor do I know if having significantly greater state support is a "good thing" from the POV of the local library.

There may well be strings attached, eh?

There are, of course, things that can be done at a state level due to greater purchasing power (such as for databases) and there are things which can be done through enabling legislation or state regulation (expanding high-speed access, as Mary Beth proposes, would be one such thing).

One thing which could be done would be to raise standards, giving carrots to those libraries which reach them, but this has fundamental limitations. The representatives of those libraries which do *not* do what is necessary, perhaps for good financial reasons, to meet higher standards may not want to fund such a program.
RE: Looking to state legislatures for support of local libraries
11:54 AM EST 12/16/08 as a reply to Bob Watson.
I think that now would be a dangerous time to raise standards. Libraries that have not met existing standards may find it even harder to achieve those standards in this time of economic uncertainty.
RE: Looking to state legislatures for support of local libraries
1:33 PM EST 12/23/08 as a reply to Tom Taylor.
I don't think libraries need to be punished (isn't having a poor library punishment enough?) but there do need to be carrots.

Also, state libraries need to be raising aspirations ... helping library boards define what they *should* offer.
RE: Looking to state legislatures for support of local libraries
2:20 PM EST 2/24/09 as a reply to Jennifer Peterson.
Of course, we can make a plea to the state legislature to give libraries a helping hand. With the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act signed into law, there is a possibility that libraries could benefit from this stimulus plan. We can appeal to senators or congressmen to fulfill our request by informing them about the importance of maintaining our public libraries, with a circulating petition to prove how much they are valued by the communities. I cannot guarantee that they will approve and I more than certain that a government cannot always be there to help. However, I might know of another way to preserve our libraries. If the libraries are indeed valued by their communities, this can be a perfectly good opportunity to do some fund-raising. I can elaborate on this if you like. (I do not mean to be so abrupt by ending this way, but I do want to avoid going off topic.)