THE RECORDING IS NOW STARTED. >> EXCELLENT. WELCOME, EVERYONE, AND THANK YOU, JENNIFER, KENDRA, JULIE, FOR YOUR EXPERT ABILITY TO NAVIGATE US THROUGH SOME UNRULY WEBINAR SOFTWARE. MY NAME IS MARCI MEROLA, AND I AM THE DIRECTOR OF THE ALA OFFICE FOR LIBRARY ADVOCACY, AND YOU ARE HOPEFULLY THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE VOTER PERCEPTIONS OF LIBRARIES, GETTING FROM AWARENESS TO FUNDING, 2018. OKAY. I'M MARCI MEROLA, AS I JUST MENTIONED, I'M JOINED BY MY COLLEAGUE LARRA CLARK, DEPUTY DIRECTOR OF THE ALA OFFICE FOR -- AS WELL AS SHARON STREAMS, DIRECTOR OF WEBJUNCTION AND OCLC RESEARCH, AND VAILEY OEHLKE, DIRECTOR OF LIBRARIES AT MULTNOMAH COUNTY LIBRARY IN OREGON. WE ARE VERY EXCITED TO BE PRESENTING THIS WEBINAR TO YOU TODAY. WE PRESENTED -- WELL, THE STUDY LAUNCHED AT THE PUBLIC LIBRARY ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE LAST MONTH,S AND THERE WAS A PANEL DISCUSSION, AND WE'RE HAPPY TO BRING THIS TO A LARGER GROUP OF PEOPLE HERE TODAY. HERE'S A ALSO BIT ABOUT WHAT WE PLAN TO DO. FIRST, WE WANT TO JUST SORT OF GET THE INFORMATION OUT THERE FOR THOSE WHO HAVEN'T HAD A CHANCE TO LOOK AT THE REPORT YET, OR WEREN'T ABLE TO ATTEND THAT PANEL DISCUSSION AT THE PLA CONFERENCE. WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT KEY FINDINGS AND THE COMPARISON TO THE ORIGINAL AWARENESS TO FUND, SHARON WILL TAKE THE U.S. VOTERS OVERALL, LARRA WILL TALK ABOUT THE SAMPLE VOTER MARKET SECOND, VAILEY, AS THE ACTUAL PRACTITIONER AMONG THE SPEAKERS TODAY, WILL GIVE US SOME CONTEXT AND HOW THIS AFFECTS LIBRARIES AT THE -- AT THE LOCAL LEVEL. AND I WILL HOPEFULLY BE ABLE TO SAY A LITTLE CONTEXT FOR THE DISCUSSION THAT IS TO FOLLOW. WE ARE VERY EAGER TO HEAR FROM YOU AS WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE RESULTS OF THIS. SO WITH NO FURTHER ADO, I WILL TURN THIS OVER TO SHARON. >> OKAY. HELLO, EVERYBODY. SO TODAY IS -- WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING ABOUT THIS REPORT THAT IS -- YOU CAN SEE ON THE SCREEN RIGHT NOW, IT'S AVAILABLE AT THE URL LISTED ABOVE, AND I HOPE THAT YOU'VE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO READ IT, SINCE IT CAME OUT A COUPLE WEEKS AGO, AND JUST BEAR WITH ME AS I HOP OVER TO ANOTHER SLIDE. AND I SHOULD MENTION, AT THAT WEBSITE YOU WILL FIND IN ADDITION TO THE SUMMER REPORT, WHICH WE'RE GOING TO BE HIGHLIGHTING TODAY, THERE'S ALSO A DOWNLOADABLE INFO GRAPHIC, AND A SLEW OF ADDITIONAL RESEARCH MATERIALS FROM OUR STUDY, INCLUDING THE FULL DATA SET, SUMMARY BANNER TABLES, AND VERBATIM RESPONSES FROM THE SURVEY RESPONDENTS. THE QUESTIONNAIRE THAT WAS USED FOR THE SURVEY, AND SOME SUPPLEMENTAL ANALYSES. IF YOU HAVEN'T CHECKED OUT AND YOU WANT TO GET UP ON THE DATA, CHECK OUT THAT WEBSITE. SO ONE QUESTION THAT WE HAD WAS, HOW FAMILIAR YOU MIGHT BE WITH THE ORIGINAL SURVEY THAT CAME -- AND RESEARCH THAT CAME OUT IN 2008. BECAUSE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT TODAY IS AN UPDATE TO A VERY EXTENSIVE RESEARCH STUDY THAT OCLC PUBLISHED IN 2008. SO WE'RE GOING TO DO A QUICK POLL TO FIND OUT WHETHER YOU'RE FAMILIAR WITH THIS, AND SO THIS IS GOING TO BE MAKING USE OF THE CHECK MARK TOOL IN WEBEX. IF MY SUPPORTERS CAN CONFIRM THAT THAT IS ENABLED NOW IN THE ANNOTATION TOOLS? >> EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE ACCESS TO THE ANNOTATION TOOLS. IF YOU GO TO THE TOP LEFT CORNER OF THE SLIDE, YOU'LL SEE A GRAY MARKER. YOU CLICK ON IT, IT TURNS BLUE, AND IT OPENS UP THE MENU. HALFWAY DOWN THE MENU LOOK FOR THE SQUARE, AND THEN YOU CAN CLICK ON THAT LITTLE SQUARE AND A SUBMENU WILL APPEAR, CLICK ON THE CHECK MARK, ONCE YOU'VE CLICKED ON THE CHECK MARK OPTION, YOU CAN USE THIS SLIDE TO TEST AND FEEL FREE TO CLICK ON THE SLIDE AND WE SHOULD SEE LOTS OF CHECK MARKS. EXCELLENT. GOOD TO KNOW FOLKS ARE FINDING THE CHECK MARKS. >> WONDERFUL. SO HOLD YOUR CHECK MARKS AND I'M GOING TO TURN IT TO THE NEXT SLIDE, AND THIS IS WHERE YOU'D ANSWER THE QUESTION ABOUT HOW FAMILIAR YOU ARE WITH THE ORIGINAL FROM AWARENESS TO FUNDING, FROM NEVER HEARD OF IT, ALL THE WAY TO BOY, IT TOTALLY SHAPED MY ADVOCACY STRATEGY OVER THE PAST DECADE. GREAT. YOU'VE ALL GOT THE HANG OF IT. AND WE'RE SEEING A REALLY NICE SPREAD ACROSS THAT WHOLE CONTINUUM. GREAT. OKAY. THAT'S HELPFUL FOR US AS WE GO THROUGH THIS. SO WE WILL BEAR THAT IN MIND. GREAT. HOLD YOUR CHECK MARKS AGAIN, AND LET'S DIVE IN. FIRST WE TOOK A PEEK AT THE REGISTRATION LIST OF WHO ALL SIGNED UP TO SEE WHERE YOU COME FROM. AND WE SEE QUITE A LARGE VARIETY IN THE ROOM. FROM LIBRARY SERVICE POPULATION SIZE, THAT'S WHAT YOU SEE THE BREAKDOWN HERE, REALLY ACROSS THE BOARD FROM VERY SMALL, TO VERY LARGE, AND WHILE MOST OF YOU ARE FROM PUBLIC LIBRARIES, WE ALSO HAVE ATTENDEES FROM STATE LIBRARY AGENCIES, ECONOMIC LIBRARIES, SPECIAL LIBRARIES, FEDERAL DEPOSIT LIBRARIES, SCHOOL LIBRARIES, SO WELCOME, EVERYBODY, SO GLAD THAT YOU ARE INTERESTED IN THIS TOPIC. THERE WAS ALSO A QUESTION ABOUT ROLE, AND ABOUT HALF OF YOU INDICATED WERE YOU AT SOME DIRECTOR OR ASSISTANT DIRECTOR, HEAD LIBRARIAN TYPE OF ROLE, BUT A SIGNIFICANT PERCENTAGE OF YOU DID NOT FIND IN THE WHOLE LONG LIST OF ROLES ONE THAT MATCHED WHAT YOU DO, SO WE HAVE A LARGE SEGMENT OF "OTHER." SO PROBABLY WE NEED TO WORK ON HOW WE ASK FOR ROLES. SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, LET'S DIG INTO THE DATA. WHAT I'M GOING TO BE DOING IS TALKING ABOUT THE RESULTS FROM THE NEW STUDY AND ALSO DOING COMPARISONS TO DATA FROM THE ORIGINAL STUDY. JUST AS A LITTLE BIT OF A BACKGROUND, THE 2008 RESEARCH STUDY UNCOVERED THAT VOTER SUPPORT FOR LIBRARY FUNDING IS NOT DRIVEN PRIMARILY BY DEMOGRAPHICS, THINGS LIKE AGE, GENDER, INCOME, RACE, POLITICAL AFFILIATION, LOCATION, ALL OF THAT. BUT RATHER BY ATTITUDES, PERCEPTIONS, AND BEHAVIORS. AND SO THE STUDY IDENTIFIED THESE SIX KEY DRIVERS FOR FUNDING -- FOR VOTER SUPPORT FOR LIBRARY FUNDING. THOSE SIX DRIVERS ARE LISTED HERE. SO THE NEW RESEARCH LOOKED AT THOSE SAME SIX DRIVERS AND LOOKED AT BOTH U.S. VOTERS OVERALL AND ACROSS NINE DIFFERENT SEGMENTS OF THE VOTING POPULATION. SEGMENTS THAT WERE DEFINED BASED ON WHERE THEY ARE AMONG THESE DRIVERS. SO WHAT I'M GOING TO DO IS GO OVER THOSE OVERALL RESULTS, AND THEN TURN IT OVER TO LARRA, WHO WILL REVIEW SOME OF THE SEGMENT RESULTS. IN THE INTEREST OF TIME AND ATTENTION SPANS, I'M GOING TO STICK MOSTLY TO STATING THE HEADLINES, BUT EACH OF THE SLIDES THAT I PRESENT WILL HAVE A NUMBER OF DATA POINTS TO SUPPORT THOSE HEADLINES AND REMINDER THAT THESE SLIDES ARE AVAILABLE FOR YOU TO DOWNLOAD AND REVIEW MORE CLOSELY AT YOUR OWN PACE AND OF COURSE THE SUMMARY REPORT AND RESEARCH DATA HAS ALL OF THIS AS WELL. SO STARTING WITH THE PERCEPTIONS OF LIBRARIES OVERALL, THE MAJORITY OF TODAY'S VOTERS VALUE PUBLIC LIBRARIES AS AN ESSENTIAL LOCAL INSTITUTION THAT ADVANCES EDUCATION, QUALITY OF LIFE, AND AS A SOURCE OF COMMUNITY PRIDE. AND THAT'S REALLY GREAT TO SEE. WHEN WE COMPARE IT TO A DECADE AGO, WE SEE THAT EVEN MORE DID SO 10 YEARS AGO. AND SO I HAVE THE COMPARATIVE PERCENTAGES IN THOSE TOP TWO BULLETS. AND NOW FOR QUESTIONS THAT WE DIDN'T ASK IN 2008, I DON'T HAVE ANY COMPARISON. SO YOU'LL NOTE THAT POPPING UP THROUGHOUT. AND ALSO FOR MOST, BY FAR MOST VOTERS, THE INTERNET AND COMMERCIAL PROVIDERS ARE NOT AN ADEQUATE SUBSTITUTE FOR LIBRARIES. THAT HAS NOT CHANGED OVER THE DECADE. WHAT WE DO SEE, THOUGH, THERE IS SOME UPTICK HERE OF PEOPLE WHO BELIEVE THAT THE INTERNET MAKES LIBRARIES OBSOLETE. WE'RE UP TO ALMOST A QUARTER OF VOTERS WHO AGREE WITH THAT STATEMENT. LARRA WILL BE TALKING A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT DURING THE SEGMENT ANALYSIS. TWO-THIRDS OF VOTERS RATE THESE SEVEN OFFERINGS LISTED HERE AS VERY IMPORTANT. THAT'S BETWEEN 64 AND 67% OF VOTERS AGREE THESE ARE VERY IMPORTANT. THESE ARE PRETTY BASIC, PROBABLY NOT SURPRISING SERVICES THAT THEY'VE INDICATED. A DECADE AGO MORE THAN TWO-THIRDS OF VOTERS RATED MORE OFFERINGS AS IMPORTANT, SO IN ADDITION TO THOSE ONES LISTED TODAY, THEY'RE THE ONES IN BOLD BELOW THAT WERE ALSO HIGHLY RATED BY MOST VOTERS. BUT A MAJORITY OF VOTERS TODAY DO GIVE HIGH RATINGS TO THEIR LOCAL LIBRARY ON THOSE MOST VALUED OFFERINGS. AND THERE HAS BEEN SOME CHANGE IN THOSE RATINGS COMPARED TO 2008. SOME SLIPPAGE AND SOME OF THOSE RATINGS WITH THE OBVIOUS NOTABLE EXCEPTION OF WIRELESS ACCESS, WHICH HAS HAD A LARGE INCREASE IN THE RATINGS. MORE VOTERS TODAY THAN 10 YEARS AGO SAY THAT IT'S IMPORTANT FOR A LIBRARY TO BE A COMMUNITY HUB. INCLUDING OFFERING ACTIVITIES AND ENTERTAINMENT YOU CAN'T FIND ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE COMMUNITY, BEING A PLACE FOR PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY TO GATHER AND SOCIALIZE, AND SUPPORTING CIVIC DISCOURSE AND COMMUNITY BUILDING. THAT LAST ONE NOT BEING A QUESTION WE ASKED IN 2008. MORE VOTERS SEE THEIR OWN LIBRARY AS SERVING AS A HUB TODAY. SIGNIFICANTLY MORE. AND IN ADDITION TO THEIR PERCEPTIONS, ALSO THEIR USE OF SOME OF THESE ACTIVITIES SUCH AS ATTENDING COMMUNITY MEETINGS, OR PROGRAMMING, OR COMMUNITY EVENTS THAT THE LIBRARY HAS INCREASED. MORE VOTERS TODAY SEE THEIR LIBRARY AS HELPING TO BUILD JOB SKILLS AND TO PROVIDE SERVICES FOR IMMIGRANTS AND NON-ENGLISH LANGUAGE SPEAKERS. BUT FEWER VOTERS TODAY SEE THE LIBRARY'S ROLE IN CHILDREN'S LIVES. AND JUST A QUICK ANSWER TO THE QUESTION IN THE CHAT, YES, THE FIRST NUMBER WOULD BE 2018, AND THE SECOND NUMBER IS 2008 IN THE COMPARATIVE PERCENTAGES. SO THIS PARTICULAR, ABOUT THE LIBRARY'S ROLE IN CHILDREN'S LIVES, PROBABLY IS RAISING A LOT OF EYEBROWS. THERE'S A LOT TO UNPACK AROUND THESE RESULTS, ESPECIALLY WHEN WE PLACE THESE ATTITUDES IN A SOCIETAL CONTEXT, WE'RE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THESE LATER IN THE SESSION. THE MAJORITY OF VOTERS RATE. THESE LIBRARY STAFF QUALITIES I HAVE LISTED HERE AS VERY IMPORTANT. AND I SHOULD NOTE, THIS RESEARCH HAS, AS IN 2008, RECOGNIZED THAT LIBRARY STAFF THEMSELVES DO PLAY A VERY IMPORTANT ROLE IN SHAPING VOTER ATTITUDES ABOUT LIBRARIES AND LIBRARY FUNDINGS IN GENERAL. WHILE THEY RATE THOSE QUALITIES AS VERY IMPORTANT, FEWER OF THE VOTERS SEE THOSE QUALITIES AS STRONG AT THEIR LOCAL LIBRARY. AND RATINGS ON SOME OF THOSE LIBRARY STAFF QUALITIES HAVE DECLINED SINCE 2008. NOW LET'S LOOK AT USE. SO VOTERS FREQUENTLY VISIT LIBRARIES IN PERSON AND ONLINE. THEY REPORT HAVING VISITED -- 70% OF VOTERS REPORT HAVING VISITED AN AVERAGE OF 8.6 TIMES, MORE THAN HALF OF VOTERS FEEL IT'S IMPORTANT TO BE ABLE TO DOWNLOAD A VARIETY OF MATERIALS VIA THE LIBRARY'S WEBSITE, AND MORE THAN HALF OF ACCESSED THEIR LIBRARY'S WEBSITE IN THE PAST YEAR. OVER AN AVERAGE OF 7.6 TIMES. WHILE THOSE ARE STRONG NUMBERS, THEY ARE DECLINES FROM 2008, FROM 79% IN-PERSON VISITS, 77% WEBSITE VISITS. AND SOME COMMON LIBRARY SERVICES ARE NOW USED LESS OFTEN THAN THEY DID A DECADE AGO. BUT WHILE THESE ARE CERTAINLY POPULAR. AND SOME OTHER SERVICES ARE USED MORE OFTEN NOW, INCLUDING USE OF COMMUNITY MEETING SPACE, CHECKING OUT NON-ENGLISH BOOKS AND MATERIALS, AND USING THE LIBRARY AS A HOME SCHOOLING RESOURCE. MAJORITY OF VOTERS SAY THEY WOULD VOTE IN FAVOR OF A REFERENDUM BALLOT OR BOND MEASURE IN SUPPORT OF THE LOCAL LIBRARY FUNDING. AND JUST OVER A QUARTER INDICATE THEY WOULD DEFINITELY VOTE IN FAVOR, ANOTHER 31% THEY WOULD PROBABLY VOTE IN FAVOR. AND 35% AGREE THEY WOULD BE WILLING TO PAY MORE IN LOCAL TAXES TO BETTER FUND THE PUBLIC LIBRARY. ONLY 19% WOULD NOT AGREE TO PAY MORE IN TAXES. BUT FEWER VOTERS ARE COMMITTED TO LIBRARY SUPPORT THAN IN 2008. MOST VOTERS RECOGNIZE LOCAL FUNDING FOR LIBRARIES IS INSUFFICIENT, ONLY 20% FEEL THAT LOCAL GOVERNMENT PROVIDES ADEQUATE FUNDING. AND THAT'S FEWER WHO DID IN 2008. HOWEVER, JUST 57% TODAY AGREE WITH THE STATEMENT "LOCAL SUPPORT CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE IN THE QUALITY OF A LIBRARY." AND THAT IS A DRAMATIC DECREASE FROM THE 81% WHO AGREED WITH THAT STATEMENT IN 2008. ALONGSIDE THESE RESPONSES IS THE FACT THAT A MAJORITY OF VOTERS ARE STILL CONFUSED AS TO THE PRIMARY SOURCE OF PUBLIC LIBRARY FUNDING. WHILE DATA SHOWS 86% OF PUBLIC LIBRARY FUND INCOME COMES FROM LOCAL GOVERNMENT SOURCE, THAT'S 2015 DATA, 59% OF VOTERS BELIEVE THAT THEIR LIBRARY IS FUNDED PRIMARILY BY SOMETHING OTHER THAN LOCAL TAX DOLLARS, SUCH AS FEDERAL, OR STATE FUNDS, OR FINES, OR FEES, OR DONATIONS. IN TERMS OF FEDERAL FUNDING FOR LIBRARIES, MORE THAN ONE-THIRD OF VOTERS BELIEVE THAT FUNDING IS TOO LITTLE. ONLY 5% THINK IT'S TOO MUCH, WE'VE GOT ABOUT 29% WHO THINK IT'S JUST RIGHT, AND ANOTHER 29% WHO JUST AREN'T SURE. THREE-QUARTERS OF VOTERS SAY THAT THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHOULD INCREASE FUNDING OR KEEP IT THE SAME, ONLY 8% WOULD RECOMMEND FEDERAL FUNDS ARE DECREASED OR ELIMINATED. AND ALSO, 61% OF VOTERS HAVE EITHER CONTRIBUTED TO OR ARE WILLING TO FUND-RAISE, WILLING TO CONTRIBUTE TO FUND-RAISING EFFORTS IN SUPPORT OF THEIR LOCAL LIBRARY. SO IN PREPARATION FOR OUR DISCUSSION LATER IN THE SESSION, THINK ABOUT HOW THE RESULTS I JUST GAVE MAY OR MAY NOT JIVE WITH WHAT YOU ARE EXPERIENCING IN YOUR OWN LIBRARY AND COMMUNITY, AND NOW I'M GOING TO TURN IT OVER TO LARRA TO TALK ABOUT THE RESULTS FROM A VOTER SEGMENT PERSPECTIVE. >> HI, EVERYONE. THANK YOU, SHARON, THANKS EVERYONE FOR BEING HERE. I'M GOING TO SHIFT FROM THE ALL VOTERS AS SHARON SAID, TO SOME MARKET SEGMENTS OF VOTERS, WHICH ACTUALLY TAKES ME -- TAKES US TO ANOTHER -- NOT QUITE THE POLL. THAT'S THE NEXT SLIDE. HERE ARE THE SEGMENTS, THE STUDY FOUND THAT THERE ARE -- THE 2008 RESEARCH YIELDED NINE SEGMENTS OF THE VOTING PUBLIC. AND THESE NINE SEGMENTS FALL INTO THREE TIERS BASED ON THEIR DEGREE OF LIBRARY SUPPORT. THE SUPER SUPPORTERS AT THE TOP, THE PROBABLE SUPPORTERS IN THE MIDDLE AND THE BARRIERS TO SUPPORT UNDERNEATH THAT. WE DID NOT DO ADDITIONAL ANALYSIS ON THE CHRONIC NONVOTERS. FOR THE SURVEY WE DID IN 2018, LEO BURNETT UTILIZED AN ALGORITHM TO SCREEN FOR THE SAME NINE SEGMENTS, WHICH ALLOWS US TO REPLICATE THE SEGMENTATION THAT YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR ABOUT IN JUST A MINUTE. BUT FIRST, I WANTED TO ASK A QUESTION ABOUT FOLKS' FAMILIARITY WITH MARKET SEGMENTATION, JUST TO SEE HOW COMMON THIS IS FOR YOU AND YOUR EXPERIENCES. SO YOU CAN BRING OUT YOUR CHECK MARK AGAIN AND LAY IT ON TOP OF THIS SLIDE, PLEASE. EXCELLENT. NOW I'M WISHING I HAD A GOOD DESCRIPTION OF MARKET SEGMENTATION. BASICALLY LEO BURNETT USED THEIR ALGORITHM TO TAKE A LOOK AT USING, AGAIN, THOSE SIX FACTORS THAT SHARON SHARED EARLIER ABOUT THE DRIVERS TO IDENTIFY SPECIFIC GROUPS OF FOLKS THAT CLUSTERED IN PATTERNS AND WHAT WAS THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO LIBRARIES, AGAIN, ALONG THE LINES OF THOSE DRIVERS AS FAR AS THEIR ATTITUDES, THEIR USES OF THE LIBRARY, THEIR PERCEPTIONS OF LIBRARY STAFF, THEIR LIKELIHOOD OF VOTING, BEHAVIOR, AND BARRIERS. AND THIS IS WHAT THEY CAME UP WITH. THE FIRST THING WE WOULD SAY IS THAT THESE ARE POPULATION SEGMENTS. ONE OF THE QUESTIONS WE HAD WAS, AGAIN TO THE DEMOGRAPHICS, DO ANY OF THESE SKEW VERY DIFFERENTLY THAN THEY DID 10 YEARS AGO? AND THERE HAVE BEEN SOME CHANGES, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT IN THE REPORT IN TERMS OF WHETHER THEY'RE MORE LIKELY TO HAVE KIDS, OR IF THEY'RE SLIGHTLY OLDER, OR SLIGHTLY YOUNGER, OR IF ANY OF THE OTHER DEMOGRAPHICS HAVE CHANGED. BUT THE POPULATION SIZE HAS CHANGED. MOST SIGNIFICANTLY IT CHANGED, AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE YELLOW BARS, AMONG THE PROBABLE SUPPORTERS. WE'VE LOST SOME GROUND THERE AMONG THE FOLKS IN THAT YELLOW AND GREEN AREAS THAT ARE THE MOST LIKELY TO FUND LIBRARIES THROUGH LOCAL BALLOT INITIATIVES AND ALSO LOCAL TAXES. AS YOU SAID, THERE'S THE NINE SEGMENTS, WE'RE ONLY GOING TO TALK ABOUT A FEW OF THEM HERE TODAY, BUT DETAIL IS AVAILABLE ON ALL OF THEM, INCLUDING SOME OF THESE CHARACTERISTICS IN THE FULL REPORT. SO SUPER SUPPORTERS REPRESENT 6.5% OF THE TOTAL POPULATION, AND THEY OFFER THE LARGEST PROPORTION OF DEFINITE LIBRARY SUPPORT OF ANY SEGMENT. THEY ARE SMALL BUT MIGHTY GROUP, WHEN YOU ARE DOING YOUR OWN LOCAL FUNDING EFFORTS, THESE ARE THE FOLKS THAT ARE MOST IMPORTANT TO TURN OUT, AND WHO ARE THE MOST LIKELY TO GET YOU OVER THE FINISH LINE IN YOUR FUNDING EFFORTS. THEY HAVE A DEEP EMOTIONAL CONNECTION TO THE LIBRARY, AND RECOGNIZE ITS ROLL IN A DRIVING COMMUNITY. THEY VIEW A LIBRARY OF A SOURCE OF COMMUNITY PRIDE AND BELIEVE IT SIMULATES COMMUNITY GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT. OVER THE PAST DECADE, SUPER SUPPORTERS HAVE GROWN IN THEIR CONVICTION THAT A STRONG LIBRARY RAISES PROPERTY VALUES. 80% BELIEVE THIS IN 2018, A JUMP FROM 65% IN 2008. AND NEARLY HALF SEE THEIR LIBRARY AS A COMMUNITY HUB COMPARED TO 34% IN 2008. SUPER SUPPORTERS TRUST THE INFORMATION PROVIDED THROUGH LIBRARIES, ONLY 8% TODAY BELIEVE THE INTERNET PROVIDES ALL THE INFORMATION THAT ONE COULD FIND IN THE LIBRARY, WHICH IS ACTUALLY DOWN FROM 16%. AND JUST 10% THINK SEARCH ENGINES PRODUCE INFORMATION AS GOOD AS THE LIBRARY SEARCH DOES. A NOTABLE DECREASE, WHICH IS VERY INTERESTING, THINKING ABOUT THE TIMES WE'RE IN IN TERMS OF TRUST AND PEOPLE'S QUESTIONS AND CONCERNS ABOUT ONLINE INFORMATION. THESE ARE THE FOLKS THAT BELIEVE WE HAVE A SIGNIFICANT VALUE TO BRING IN THIS SPACE. THEY'RE COMMITTED TO A STRONG LIBRARY, IN 201887% ARE WILLING TO PAY MORE IN LOCAL TAXES TO BETTER FUND THE LIBRARY. THESE FOLKS ARE AVID READERS AND LEARNERS, AND THEY VISIT THE LIBRARY AN AVERAGE OF 15.9 TIMES PER YEAR, WHICH IS ABOUT THE SAME AS A DECADE AGO. WHILE SUPER SUPPORTERS ARE LIKELY TO VOTE, FAVOR REMAINS HIGH, 92% TODAY VERSUS 94% A DECADE AGO, THE PERCENTAGE OF THOSE WHO SAY THEY WILL DEFINITELY VOTE FOR LIBRARY FUNDING HAS DECLINED FROM 80% TO 64%. AND THIS REFLECTS AN OVERALL DECLINE AND DEFINITE SUPPORT ACROSS VOTERS IN GENERAL. THE PROBABLE SUPPORTERS HERE COMPRISING FIVE SEGMENTS ARE VOTERS WHO ARE LIKELY TO SUPPORT LIBRARY FUNDING INITIATIVES, BUT ARE LESS COMMITTED THAN SUPER SUPPORTERS. THIS GROUP REPRESENTS JUST OVER A QUARTER OF THE TOTAL POPULATION WHICH MEANS THEIR DECISIONS AT THE BALLOT BOX HAVE SUBSTANTIAL IMPACT ON THE SUCCESS OF LIBRARY FUNDING INITIATIVES. YET LESS SO THAN A DECADE AGO, WHEN THEY MADE UP 32% OF THE POPULATION. SO WE'LL LOOK AT A FEW OF THESE FOLKS. THE GREATER GOOD SEGMENTS REPRESENTS -- THIS GROUP BELIEVES THE LIBRARY PLAYS AN ESSENTIAL ROLE IN THE GREATER GOOD OF THE COMMUNITY. THE SEGMENT USES THE LIBRARY LESS FREQUENTLY THAN OTHER SEGMENTS IN THIS TIER, BUT THEIR VISITATION RATE HAS REMAINED STEADY SINCE 2008. THREE-QUARTERS FEEL IT IS IMPORTANT FOR THE LIBRARY TO PROVIDE FREE ACCESS TO A BROAD RANGE OF KNOWLEDGE RESOURCES AND TECHNOLOGY, OFFER QUIET WORK AREAS AND BE AN EXCELLENT EDUCATIONAL RESOURCE FOR STUDENTS. TWO-THIRDS AGREE THE LIBRARY IS AN INVALUABLE RESOURCE, EVEN IN THE INTERNET AGE, AND 60% BELIEVE THE PUBLIC LIBRARY IS, QUOTE, A RESOURCE WE CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT. MORE THAN HALF THE VOTERS IN THIS SEGMENT VALUE THE LIBRARY AS A GATHERING PLACE FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, A RESOURCE FOR SMALL BUSINESSES AND A PLACE TO GAIN WORK FORCE SKILLS. I THINK THIS IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT STOOD OUT FOR PEOPLE 10 YEARS AGO, THIS IDEA THAT YOU DON'T NECESSARILY HAVE TO BE A LIBRARY USER TO BE A LIBRARY SUPPORTER. AND THIS IS CERTAINLY TRUE OF THE GREATER GOOD FOLKS. THEY VISIT LESS OFTEN. WITH ONLY SLIGHT EROSION SINCE 2008, GREATER GOOD AVERAGES ARE MORE LIKELY THAN AVERAGE TO SUPPORT FUNDING. 44% WOULD DEFINITELY VOTE FOR LIBRARY REFERENDUM ON THE BALLOT, AND 38% WOULD AGREE TO PAY MORE THAN LOCAL TAXES FOR LIBRARY FUNDING. 40% HAVE DONATED THE FUND-RAISING GROUPS IN THE PAST. THIS IS ONE OF THE POINTS SHARON MENTIONED THAT IS NEW. WE ADDED QUESTIONS RELATED TO SUPPORT FOR FUND-RAISING AS WELL AS SOME QUESTIONS RELATED TO SUPPORT FOR FEDERAL FUNDING FOR LIBRARIES. ANOTHER TIER IS THE LOOK TO LIBRARIANS GROUP, WHICH CONSTITUTES ABOUT 5.9% OF THE TOTAL POPULATION. MORE THAN ANY OTHER SEGMENT LOOKED TO LIBRARIANS, RATE THE LIBRARY HIGHLY AND HAVE AN ESPECIALLY STRONG APPRECIATION FOR OUR STAFF. THEY VALUE OUR KNOWLEDGE AND RESEARCH EXPERTISE AND BELIEVE THEY'RE TRUE ADVOCATES FOR LEARNING IN THE COMMUNITY. THEIR OVERALL HIGH RATINGS OF PUBLIC LIBRARIES IN GENERAL IS SECOND TONIGHT SUPER SUPPORTERS, YET THEY'RE CONSISTENTLY POSITIVE ATTITUDE IS COUPLED WITH THE DECLINE IN USAGE SINCE 2008. THEY USE FEWER LIBRARY SERVICES WHEN THEY DO VISIT, AND THEY'RE NOT PARTICULARLY AWARE OF OUR NEWER SERVICES. THOUGH THE SEGMENT STILL TREASURES THE LIBRARY AS A PLACE OF LEARNING, FEWER OF THEM AGREE SOMETHING ESSENTIAL WOULD BE LOST IF THE LIBRARY WERE TO SHUT DOWN. AND COMPARED TO 10 YEARS AGO, THIS SEGMENT HAS BECOME FAR LESS COMMITTED TO VOTING IN FAVOR OF LIBRARY FUNDING. THE LIBRARY'S OFFICE SEGMENT OFFERS ANOTHER BRIGHT SPOT IN THE DATA ALONG WITH THE SUPER SUPPORTERS. JUST 3.5% -- 3.4% OF THE POPULATION, THEY'RE THE LIBRARY'S HEAVIEST USERS, VISITING AN AVERAGE OF 26.4 TIMES OVER THE YEAR. REMEMBER, THAT CONTRASTS WITH SEVEN VISITS IN -- AMONG THE GENERAL GROUP. AND THEY ALSO VISITED THE LIBRARY WEBSITE, 20.7 TIMES OVER THE SAME PERIOD, WELL ABOVE THE AVERAGE OF 7.6 VISITS FOR THE TOTAL VOTER POPULATION. THEY'RE USED TO THE LIBRARY FOR JOB SEEKING, DOING ORGANIZATIONAL RESEARCH FOR WORK, AND USING THE EQUIPMENT SUCH AS THE PHOTO COPIER HAS INCREASED SIGNIFICANTLY. ONLY 12% BELIEVE A SEARCH ENGINE SUCH AS GOOGLE WILL PROVIDE AS MUCH INFORMATION AS A LIBRARY SEARCH WILL. AT THE SAME TIME, THEY NO LONGER SEE THE LIBRARY EXCELLING IN SOME OF THESE KEY SERVICES, SUCH AS OFFERING QUIET SPACES OR ACCESS TO COMPUTERS AND TECHNOLOGY AND HOMEWORK HELP. 45% ARE COMMITTED TO DEFINITELY VOTING FOR LIBRARIES AT THE BALLOT BOX, WHICH IS QUITE STRONG SUPPORT. THEY'RE ALSO MORE LIKELY THAN OTHERS TO DONATE TO PRIVATE FUND-RAISING EFFORTS AND MORE THAN HALF AGREE THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT SHOULD INCREASE FUNDING FOR LIBRARIES. THE KID-DRIVEN SEGMENT REPRESENTS 5.2% OF THE TOTAL POPULATION. THEY'RE OUR BIGGEST USERS OF CHILDREN'S BOOKS AND ENTERTAINMENT. THESE VOTERS VALUE THE LIBRARY AS A RESOURCE FOR CHILDHOOD LEARNING. BUT AS SHARON MENTIONED, AROUND THE OVERALL VOTERS AS A WHOLE, THIS PERCEPTION AS WE GET INTO THIS MARCH -- HAS WEAKENED AS WELL. IN 2008, TWO-3rdS VIEWED THE LIBRARY AS AN EXCELLENT RESOURCE TO PREPARE CHILDREN FOR SCHOOL. NOW ONLY HALF DO. WHEREAS 80% OF 2008 KID-DRIVEN VOTERS BELIEVE LIBRARIES ARE AN EXCELLENT RESOURCE FOR HOMEWORK HELP, THIS HAS DECLINED TO 63%, AND TODAY 29% OF THESE VOTERS BELIEVE LIBRARIES JUST AREN'T AS IMPORTANT IN CHILDREN'S LIVES, WHICH IS DOUBLE THAT FROM 2008. THE SEGMENT USES THE LIBRARY LESS FREQUENTLY NOW, WHICH ALSO -- DROPPING FROM 18 IN 2008 TO 14 VISITS PER YEAR IN 2008. THE SEGMENT PLACE AS GREAT EMPHASIS ON THE LIBRARY BEING A COMMUNITY, TECHNOLOGY, AND ENTERTAINMENT HUB, EVEN MORE SO THAN THEY DID 10 YEARS AGO. MORE OF THESE KID-DRIVEN VOTERS AGREE THE LIBRARY SHOULD BE A PLACE FOR COMMUNITIES TO GATHER TOGETHER THAN THEY DID A DECADE AGO. AND IT'S ALSO MORE THAN THE VOTER SAMPLE AS A WHOLE. NEARLY THREE-QUARTERS GIVE HIGH MARKS FOR PROVIDING WIRELESS ACCESS AND 53% RATE THE LIBRARY HIGHLY FOR ENTERTAINMENT THAT YOU CAN'T FIND ELSEWHERE. THIS SEGMENT HAS BECOME LESS CONFIDENT THE LIBRARY STAFF ARE IN CLOSE ENOUGH TOUCH WITH COMMUNITY NEEDS. FOR EXAMPLE, 48% NOW AGREE LIBRARY STAFF ARE KNOWLEDGEABLE ABOUT MY COMMUNITY, WHICH IS DOWN FROM 69%. THE KID-DRIVEN SEGMENT IS ALSO LESS FIRMLY COMMITTED TO LIBRARY FUNDING THAN THEY WERE A DECADE AGO. IN 2008, 48% WOULD DEFINITELY VOTE IN FAVOR OF LIBRARY FUNDING, AND THIS HAS DECLINED TO 30% IN 2018. AND I WANTED TO TOUCH ON ONE OF THE GROUPS IN THE BARRIERS TO SUPPORT, WHICH HAS THREE SEGMENTS OVERALL. AND THESE ARE FOLKS THAT HAVE SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES SUPPORTING THE LIBRARY. THIS GROUP REPRESENTS 39% OF THE TOTAL POPULATION, WHICH IS UP SLIGHTLY FROM 34% IN 2008. AND THE BARRIERS SUPPORT SEGMENT IS THE ONE THAT HAS GROWN THE MOST. IT'S UP FROM 7.5% TO CURRENTLY 12.1% OF THE POPULATION. AND AS YOU MIGHT GUESS, THIS GROUP IS MORE LIKELY THAN MOST TO BELIEVE THE INFORMATION FOUND ON THE INTERNET IS EQUALLY AS GOOD AS WHAT CAN BE OBTAINED IN THE LIBRARY, THOUGH THIS VIEWPOINT HAS SOFTENED. SO THESE FOLKS 10 YEARS AGO THOUGHT THE INTERNET WAS GOING TO PUSH OUT LIBRARIES, AND THEY STILL THINK THEY'RE BOTH PRETTY GOOD, BUT THEY DON'T -- THEY WERE -- WE'RE GAINING ON THEM, WHICH IS PART OF THE REASON WHY I THINK THIS GROUP IS INTERESTING. 28% OF THE WEB SEGMENT BELIEVE THE LIBRARY IS A VALUABLE RESOURCE. I'M GOING TO HAND IT OVER FOR -- TO VAILEY, AND THEN ON TO MARCI TO TALK ABOUT WHAT ALL OF THIS MEANS AND A LITTLE BIT OF CONTEXT. BUT ONE OF THE QUESTIONS WE HAVE FOR YOU AND WE'LL DISCUSS LATER IS, WHICH OF THESE SEGMENTS MAY BE STRONGEST IN YOUR COMMUNITY AND WHERE MIGHT WE FOCUS SOME ATTENTION? I'M GOING TO PASS THE BALL OVER TO VAILEY. >> YEAH. AND I ACTUALLY JUST A QUICK NOTE, VAILEY, MARCI WILL DRIVE THE SLIDES WHILE YOU SPEAK, BECAUSE I THINK SHE MIGHT BE INTRODUCING YOU AS WELL. SO I'LL LET MARCI DRIVE, BUT VAILEY GO AHEAD AND SPEAK UP. >> GREAT. HELLO, EVERYONE, FROM AN AMAZINGLY SUNNY PORTLAND, OREGON, TODAY. SO IN REFLECTING ON ALL OF THIS, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT FOR MOST HUMAN BEINGS, PERCEPTION IS REALITY. AND FOR MOST OF THEIR EXISTENCE, LIBRARIES HAVE RELIED ON A SIMPLE EQUATION -- IF BOOKS ARE IMPORTANT, AND LIBRARIES EQUAL BOOKS, THEN LIBRARIES ARE IMPORTANT. BUT SIMILAR TO THE TOYS R US BRAND, RECENTLY IN THE NEWS, THE BOOKS R US BRAN BRAND IS LOSING ITS PERCEIVED VALUE AND RELEVANCE. BOTH LIBRARIES AND TR US HAVE BEEN DEEPLY IMPACTED BY INCREASINGLY BROADLY VALUED TECHNOLOGY. SO FOR ME THE FINDINGS IN THE UPDATED REPORT ARE BOTH AFFIRMING AND CAUSE FOR CONCERN. I ALSO BELIEVE THEY CALL FOR URGENT ACTION. SOMEONE NOTED THIS NEXT POINT IN THE CHAT, THINK ABOUT THE WORLD 10 SHORT YEARS AGO WHEN THE ORIGINAL REPORT CAME OUT. THE iPHONE AND THE APP STORE, KINDLE AND NETFLIX, ALL LAUNCHED RIGHT AROUND THAT TIME. RIGHT AROUND THE TIME THE ORIGINAL PORT -- REPORT WAS RELEASED. AND ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO GOOGLE DID AROUND 365 BILLION SEARCHES IN 2016. GOOGLE DID OVER 2 TRILLION SEARCHES. ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO, 24% OF THE U.S. POPULATION WAS USING SOCIAL MEDIA. IN 2017, 81% WAS USING IT. AND ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO 11% OF AMERICANS WERE USING SMARTPHONES, IN 2017, 81% WERE USING SMARTPHONES. SO ACCORDING TO THE RECENTLY RELEASED 2018 TRENDS REPORT BY AMY WEBB AND THE FUTURE TODAY INSTITUTE, THE NEXT DECADE WILL BRING CONTINUING AND UNPRECEDENTED CHANGE, INCLUDING A NEW ERA OF COMPUTING AND CONNECTED DEVICES, WHICH WE WILL WEAR AND WILL COMMAND USING OUR VOICES, GESTURES, AND TOUCH. WHICH WILL FOREVER CHANGE HOW WE EXPERIENCE THE PHYSICAL WORLD. THAT'S JUST IN THE NEXT DECADE. IT'S HARD TO BELIEVE WITHIN THE SPAN OF 20 YEARS THE SMARTPHONE AS WE KNOW IT WILL HAVE BASICALLY COME AND GONE. TO STATE THE OBVIOUS, THE WORLD AND THE COMMUNITIES IN WHICH OUR LIBRARIES EXIST ARE DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT THAN THEY WERE THE YEAR THE REPORT WAS FIRST RELEASED. THESE CHANGES ARE IMPACTING THE PERCEPTION PEOPLE HAVE OF PUBLIC LIBRARIES, OF THEIR VALUE AND THEIR RELEVANCE. GIVEN ALL OF THIS, IT'S NO WONDER THAT ACCORDING TO THE UPDATED REPORT, THE PERCEPTION THAT THE PUBLIC LIBRARY HAS DONE A GOOD JOB OF KEEPING UP WITH CHANGING TECHNOLOGY DROPPED FROM 60% IN '08 TO 48% IN '18. AND IN SPITE OF OR PERHAPS BECAUSE OF THIS, IT'S IMPERATIVE THAT LIBRARIES CONTINUE TO PRIORITIZE THEIR ROLE IN DIGITAL EQUITY. WHERE ALSO CAN THOSE AMONG US WITH THE FEWEST RESOURCES AND OPPORTUNITIES FIND FREE QUALITY ACCESS TO AND ASSISTANCE IN EFFECTIVELY USING THE TECHNOLOGY INCREASINGLY IMPERATIVE FOR THRIVING IN OUR WORLD? TECHNOLOGY'S RELENTLESS EVOLUTION ISN'T THE ONLY TREND TO WHICH WE MUST CONSTANTLY ADAPT. THE DEMOGRAPHIC SHIFTS WE SEE DEMAND INVESTMENT TO ENSURE THAT EVERYONE HAS EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND ACCESS. A WIDENING OPPORTUNITY GAP PRESENTS CRITICAL CHALLENGES FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE NEW TO THIS COUNTRY AND OTHERS WHO MIGHT BE LEFT IN THE MARGINS. ACCORDING TO PUGH, BY 2055, THE U.S. WILL NOT HAVE A SINGLE RACIAL OR ETHNIC MAJORITY. MUCH OF THAT CHANGE HAS BEEN AND WILL BE DRIVEN BY IMMIGRATION. IN MY OPINION, IT'S HEARTENING TO LEARN THAT IN THE 2018 REPORT, THERE WAS A 10% INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PARTICIPANTS WHO ACKNOWLEDGE THE LIBRARY, QUOTE, PROVIDES CLASSES, PROGRAMS, AND MATERIALS FOR IMMIGRANTS AND NON-ENGLISH SPEAKERS. OF GREAT CONCERN TO ME IS THE 20-POINT DROP IN THE NUMBER OF RESPONDENTS WHO ARE LIKELY TO SEE THE LIBRARY AS A RESOURCE FOR CHILDREN. SUPPORT FOR EARLY LITERACY AND SCHOOL SUCCESS HAVE LONG BEEN A CORNERSTONE OF A LIBRARY'S VALUE, NO DOUBT TECHNOLOGY IS A FACTOR IN THIS SHIFT. NOT ONLY DO MOST FOLKS NOW TURN TO GOOGLE AND THE INTERNET FOR THEIR BASIC INFORMATION NEEDS, INCLUDING HOMEWORK, BUT MORE AND MORE PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY YOUTH, SEEM TO PREFER DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT, YOUTUBE, SPOT IDENTIFY, FORTNIGHT, OVER READING. THE AVERAGE U.S. CONSUMER SPENDS OVER FIVE HOURS A DAY ON A SMARTPHONE AND FROM 2016-2017, JUST ONE YEAR, MEDIA CONSUMPTION ON MOBILE DEVICES JUMPED 43%. ACCORDING TO A 2015 COMMON SENSE MEDIA REPORT, U.S. TEENS USE AN AVERAGE OF NINE HOURS OF ENTERTAINMENT MEDIA PER DAY, AND TWEENS USE AN AVERAGE OF SIX HOURS A DAY, NOT INCLUDING TIME SPENT USING MEDIA FOR SCHOOL OR HOMEWORK. OTHER FINDINGS THAT WERE HARD TO READ, AND I SUSPECT I WASN'T THE ONLY ONE THAT FELT THIS WAY, BUT ARE ALSO REALLY IMPORTANT INCLUDE THE DECLINE IN RESPONDENTS' ENTHUSIASM ABOUT LIBRARY STAFF. AS SHARON SHARED EARLIER, THERE WERE NOTABLE DROPS FROM THE '08 FINDINGS AND HAVING THE RIGHT STAFF TO MEET THE NEEDS OF THE COMMUNITY AS WELL AS THE PERCEPTIONS THAT STAFF ARE FRIENDLY AND APPROACHABLE, TRUE ADVOCATES FOR LIFELONG LEARNING, KNOWLEDGE ABOUT MY COMMUNITY, AND SO ON. ALL OF THIS LIKELY CONTRIBUTED TO A DECLINE IN THE LIBRARY'S PERCEIVED VALUE AND RELEVANCE TO THE COMMUNITY AS DESCRIBED AGAIN BY SHARON. IT WOULD BE NATURAL FOR ALL OF US LIBRARY TYPES TO RESPOND TO ALL OF THIS WITH DIVA.JSNESS AND/OR DESPONDENTS. AND WHILE THAT'S CERTAINLY UNDERSTANDABLE, NEITHER RESPONSE IS CONSTRUCTIVE. I WOULD ENCOURAGE US TO ASSIGN A SENSE OF URGENCY TO THESE RESULTS. WE'VE KNOWN FOR YEARS THAT THE WAYS IN WHICH THE WORLD IS CHANGING WILL IMPACT HOW WE DO WHAT WE DO. >>> AND WHILE THE FINDINGS LIKELY VARY ACROSS ALL OF OUR COMMUNITIES, AT HIGH LEVEL, I THINK THEY PROVIDE US SOME DIRECTION IN CHARTING OUR FUTURE AS AN INSTITUTION. I THINK WE CAN ALL AGREE THAT LIBRARIES ARE IN AN INCREASINGLY UNIQUE POSITION TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF THOSE WE SERVE AND BUILD STRONGER, MORE RESILIENT COMMUNITIES. HOW WE DO THAT MAY BE DIFFERENT THAN IT WAS DECADES AGO, BUT IT IS NO LESS IMPORTANT. IN FACT, OUR COMMUNITIES NEED US NOW MORE THAN EVER. FORTUNATELY THE PERCENTAGE OF RESPONDENTS THAT AGREED THEIR LOCAL LIBRARY IS AN IMPORTANT COMMUNITY HUB INCREASED. A FACT THAT SETS US UP NICELY FOR SERVING AS CONVENERS AND FACILITATORS OF THE IMPORTANT CONVERSATIONS AND CONNECTIONS OUR COMMUNITIES NEED. I'M SURE MANY OF YOU HAVE HEARD THE QUOTE FROM FRANKLIN DELANO ROOSEVELT WHO ONCE SAID THAT LIBRARIES ARE ESSENTIAL TO A FUNCTIONING DEMOCRACY. IN HIS NEW BOOKS "THE PEOPLE VERSUS DEMOCRACY," OVER TWO-THIRDS OF OLDER AMERICANS BELIEVE IT'S EXTREMELY IMPORTANT TO LIVE IN A DEMOCRACY, YET AMONG MILLENIALS, LESS THAN ONE-THIRD BELIEVE THE SAME THING. IF THAT IS TRUE, WE HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO ENSURE THAT AMERICA'S PUBLIC LIBRARIES ARE STRONG, RELEVANT, AND RESPONSIVE, AND WE NEED TO DO THE WORK TO ENSURE THAT OUR COMMUNITIES BELIEVE THEY ARE. THAT'S UP TO US. SO I'M PROPOSING A NEW EQUATION THAT GOES SOMETHING LIKE, IF LIBRARIES ARE ABOUT DEMOCRACY, AND DEMOCRACY IS IMPORTANT, THEN LIBRARIES ARE IMPORTANT. THE END. >> GREAT. THANK YOU, VAILEY. THAT WAS WELL SAID. VERY WELL SAID. I AM HAVING A LITTLE BIT OF AN ISSUE MOVING MY SLIDES. LET ME TRY THIS MORE MANUAL WAY HERE. ALL RIGHT. OKAY. SO MY JOB IS TO PROVIDE A LITTLE CONTEXT BEFORE WE GET MOVING ON THE DISCUSSION. ALTHOUGH VAILEY, YOU DID A GREAT JOB OF THAT. SO OKAY, SO LET'S TALK ABOUT THIS. THE FINDINGS ARE NOT GREAT, RIGHT? WE ARE FINDING BARRIERS TO SUPPORT A DECLINE IN SUPPORT OVERALL, BUT IT'S IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT WE'RE NOT ALONE. LIBRARIES ARE NOT ALONE. >>> ALL PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS ARE FACING A CHALLENGE. IF YOU LOOK AT THE SLIDE HERE, IT IS INDICATES WHAT -- THINGS -- FIRST THINGS THAT SHOULD BE CUT IN A BUDGET CRISIS. YOU'LL SEE LIBRARIES ARE FARING FAIRLY WELL. IT'S A MEDIAN RANGE OF 3-8%, AND WE'RE RIGHT ABOUT 8%. SO THAT'S REALLY NOT HORRIBLE. CONSIDERING THE OTHERS. WE'RE HOLDING OUR OWN OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS. SO -- AND THERE ARE OTHER REPORT THAT ENFORCED THESE FINDINGS. GALLUP SHOWED A DECLINE IN PUBLIC TRUST IN EVERY SEGMENT, MEDIA, RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS, BANKS STARTING IN 2007, AND 2016 THE MAIN STATE LIBRARY DID A STUDY THAT SHOWED LIBRARIANS, ALONG WITH NURSES AND FIREFIGHTERS, ARE STILL SOME OF THE MOST TRUSTED PROFESSIONS WE HAVE. SO WE DO HAVE ASSETS. AND AS VAILEY REFERENCED, WOULD YOU ARGUE THE WORLD HAS SEEN SIGNIFICANT CHANGES OVER THE PAST 10 YEARS, AND THE IMPACT I THINK THE IMPACT THESE CHANGES WILL CONTINUE TO HAVE CONTINUES TO UNFOLD AND WE'RE NOT REALLY SURE WHERE WE'RE GOING TO LAND YET. THERE'S A LOT MORE TO HAPPEN DOWN THE PIKE. MY OPINION IS THAT WHILE THERE IS THIS TEMP URAL NATURE OF THE STUDY, THE ONLY STUDY IS 10 YEARS OLD, AND IN THAT TIME LIBRARIANS I KNOW AND ADVOCATES ARE STILL QUOTING AND STILL USING THAT MATERIAL IN THEIR TALKS, IN THEIR TRAININGS, MYSELF INCLUDED. SO WHAT IS THE -- WHAT IS THE SPAN OF THIS STUDY? THAT IS THE QUESTION THAT HAS KIND OF BEEN THINKING ABOUT AS WE CONTINUE TO BE IN THIS TIME OF RAPID CHANGE. I THINK THAT THERE ARE TWO THINGS WE CAN BE SURE OF. THAT IS, ONE IS THAT THE ROLE OF A LIBRARIAN KEEPS SHIFTING FROM THIS IDEA OF LIBRARIANS AS KEEPER OF INFORMATION TO MORE OF A LEADER AND INFORMATION NAVIGATOR. AND TWO, THAT AS A NAVIGATOR AND LEADER, WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO ADDRESS SOME OF THESE ISSUES AND REMEDY SOME OF THESE ISSUES. I AGREE THAT THERE IS A SENSE OF URGENCY, BUT WITH URGENCY COMES OPPORTUNITY, RIGHT? WHICH BRINGS US TO THE DISCUSSION SECTION OF OUR WEBINAR. SO LARRA AND SHARON AND VAILEY HAVE ALL SORT OF PRESENTED A FEW QUESTIONS. AND WE'RE GOING TO HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT. AND THIS IS REALLY USEFUL INFORMATION FOR US, BECAUSE I THINK IT WILL HELP GUIDE OUR NEXT STEPS WITH THESE RESULTS. 10 YEARS AGO WITH THE FIRST STUDY AS A RESULT, WE LAUNCHED QUITE A FEW THINGS, GEEK THE LIBRARY WAS AN OUTCOME, AS A RESPONSE THE TURNING THE PAGE PROGRAM CAME OUT OF THAT. A LOT OF THE DATA FROM 2008 WE'RE USING IN OUR ADVOCACY BOOT CAMP INITIATIVE NOW, SO WE HAVE SORT OF AN OPPORTUNITY TO CRAFT THE FUTURE. I THINK. SO LET'S MOVE ON TO THAT FIRST QUESTION. WHICH LOCAL SUPPORT SEGMENTS SHOULD YOU FOCUS ON AND WHY? I RECALL THERE ARE NINE OF THEM, AND WE WILL MOVE ON TO THE NEXT SLIDE. I'M HAVING A LITTLE DIFFICULTY WITH THIS SLIDE. >> DO YOU NEED ME TO MOVE IT? >> YEAH. >> OKAY. >> SLIDE 60 IS WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR. >> WE'VE GIVEN YOU ACCESS TO THE ANNOTATION TOOLS AGAIN, SO AS LARRA SAID, WE DIDN'T GO DEEP FLY ALL OF THESE, BUT THESE ARE THE NINE SEGMENTATIONS, SO THINK ABOUT IT, AND YOU CAN MULTICHECK YOUR CHECK MARKS, SO GO AHEAD AND GO TO THE MARKER AGAIN AND OPEN UP THAT MENU IF IT'S NOT OPEN. THE ARROW ONLY GIVES YOU ONE OPTION, SO YOU MAY WANT TO GO BACK TO THE MENU AND GO HALFWAY DOWN TO THE SQUARE AND THEN CLICK ON THE SQUARE AND GET THE CHECK MARK. AND THERE'S BEEN SOME GREAT CONVERSATION IN CHAT. JUST A REMINDER FOR THOSE OF YOU THAT ARE ON TWITTER, WE'LL BE CARRYING THIS CONVERSATION ON INDEFINITELY ACTUALLY, SO FEEL FREE TO USE #AWARENESS2FUNDING TO CARRY THE CONVERSATION ON THERE. EXCELLENT. GO AHEAD. >> WHAT A FUN AND COLORFUL FEATURE WE HAVE HERE. THIS IS GREAT. I'LL START WITH THE KID-DRIVEN TO ANSWER THE QUESTION ABOUT DO YOU THINK THE DECLINE IN SUPPORT OVERALL IS A RESULT OF THE SHORTAGE OF SCHOOL LIBRARIAN AND FULLY STAFFED LIBRARIES IN SCHOOLS? AND I'LL TAKE A STAB AT THAT SINCE I'VE BEEN WORKING CLOSELY WITH A LOT OF SCHOOL LIBRARY ISSUES, AND I WOULD SAY YES. YEARS AGO I REMEMBER GOING -- TALKING TO SOME FOLKS AT NATIONAL LIBRARY LEGISLATIVE DAY FROM CALIFORNIA, AND THEY WERE TALKING TO LEGISLATIVE AIDES WHO -- AND THEY WERE TRYING TO CONJURE UP -- THEY WERE TALKING ABOUT THE VALUE OF LIBRARIES IN GENERAL, BUT WHEN THEY KIND OF TRIED TO REACH BACK AND MAKE THAT CONNECTION TO THE AIDES ABOUT THE VALUE OF SCHOOL LIBRARIES, THESE WERE FOLKS THAT HAD NEVER HAD ANY CONTACT WITH SCHOOL LIBRARIES. SO HOW DO YOU CONVINCE AN AIDE, A LEGISLATIVE AIDE TO TELL THAT LEGISLATOR TO VOTE FOR LIBRARIES WHEN THERE IS NO CULTURAL CONTEXT, AND THERE IS NO HISTORY? SO I THINK THAT IS SPOT-ON, AND I THINK IT'S A BIG ISSUE. AND THE OTHER PART OF IT IS WHAT WE'RE SEEING A LOT OF NOW, ARE THESE SORT OF PUBLIC LIBRARIES TAKING ON THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF SCHOOL LIBRARIES AND SORT OF THIS MERGER IN SOME CITIES. AND I THINK THAT CAN BE PROBLEMATIC. SOME PEOPLE THINK IT'S GREAT, BETTER THAN NO SCHOOL LIBRARY AT ALL, BUT WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT THE DIFFERENT SPECIALTIES OF THE LIBRARIANS AND THE COLLECTIONS, IT'S PROBLEMATIC. I COULD GO ON ABOUT THIS FOREVER, BUT I'M GOING TO STOP TALKING NOW AND LET SOMEBODY ELSE TALK. WHO WANTS TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE FOCUS ON LIBRARY AS AN OFFICE? WHICH OF OUR PANELISTS FEELS COMFORTABLE TALKING ABOUT THAT? OR MAYBE EVEN THE SUPER SUPPORTER? >> THIS IS LARRA. I'LL CHIME IN ON LIBRARIES AS AN OFFICE. IT'S MORE TO THE ONES I CHECKED, BECAUSE I HEARD SO MUCH ABOUT LIBRARIES WORK, WORK FORCE DEVELOPMENT, AND ALSO THINKING ABOUT STEM AND STEAM CAREERS, THINGS THAT MAY BE EDUCATION RELATED FOR K-12, BUT ALSO ARE GEARED TOWARD MOVING FOLKS ON TO WORK, AND I THINK THINKING ABOUT THE GIGABIT ECONOMY, THIS ROLE OF LIBRARY AS OFFICE IS PROBABLY GOING TO CONTINUE TO GROW. SO I THINK THAT IS AN AREA OF OPPORTUNITY. I THINK THE SUPER SUPPORTERS ARE ALSO AN AREA OF OPPORTUNITY, IN THAT WE HAVE SEEN SOME GAINS THERE IN TERMS OF THEIR USE AND THEIR PERCEPTIONS. WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY PART OF THE EQUATION, I'D ACTUALLY KIND OF -- IT LINES UP ALONG THE LEFT-HAND SIDE. THERE'S OPPORTUNITY PARTICULARLY WITH THE SUPER SUPPORTERS, WITH THE LIBRARY AS OFFICE, AND ALSO EVEN WITH THE WEB WINS, EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE NOT AS LIKELY TO SUPPORT FUNDING, THAT THEY'RE USED AND THEIR APPRECIATION OF LIBRARIES HAS GROWN A LITTLE BIT. AND I THINK THAT SPEAKS WELL TO THE CONVERSATION LIBRARIES ARE HAVING ABOUT OUR ROLE IN THE DIGITAL WORLD. AND THAT LIBRARIES BRING A LOT TO THE TABLE THAT NO ONE ELSE IN OUR COMMUNITY DOES. AND SO I FIND THOSE THREE THINGS HOPEFUL. AND I THINK THE OTHER THINGS ARE JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE CHALLENGING. ALSO VERY IMPORTANT TO FIGURE OUT HOW WE GAIN GROUND CONSIDERING OUR INVESTMENTS, PARTICULARLY IN RESOURCES FOR SCHOOL-AGE KIDS. BUT I SEE SOME OPPORTUNITIES ON THE LEFT HAND OF THE SCREEN. >> EXCELLENT. I THINK WE SHOULD MOVE ON TO THE NEXT QUESTION IN THE INTEREST OF TIME. HOW DO NATIONAL RESULTS COMPARE WITH LOCAL ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOR? I BELIEVE WE ARE -- WE'RE JUST READING THINGS FROM THE CHAT BOX AND SORT OF I THINK JENNIFER OR ONE OF THE TEAM WILL POPULATE. IS THAT THE PLAN? >> YEAH. IF FOLKS WANT TO SHARE THEIR THOUGHTS IN CHAT, WE'LL GET SOME OF THOSE IDEAS ON THE BOARD. WE HAVE A COUPLE MORE QUESTIONS, SO WE'LL SPEND JUST A LITTLE BIT OF TIME ON THIS, AND AS YOU KNOW, CHAT WILL BE AVAILABLE AS WELL FOR US TO REVIEW. >> SO SUSAN PIPER TALKS ABOUT DURING HER LAST LEVY CAMPAIGN, THEY HEARD IN A PUBLIC WAY THAT NO ONE USES THE LIBRARY ANYMORE, THE LIBRARY SHOULD USE VOLUNTEERS, WE DO NOT NEED ALL THOSE EMPLOYEES BECAUSE THE LIBRARY IS RUN BY ONE LADY, THAT WAS THERE BACK WHEN I WAS KID. SO I WOULD SAY WE NEED TO REALLY CHALLENGE THE PUBLIC PERCEPTION. AND I AGREE, FAKE NEWS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO TALK ABOUT THE ROLE OF THE LIBRARIAN. SALLY WRITES, THE LIBRARY AS OFFICE SEGMENT HAS TO COMPETE WITH A BUSINESS THAT OFFERS THIS IN HER TOWN, AND WE'RE SEEING A RISE IN THOSE KINDS OF ORGANIZATIONS, COMPANIES THAT ARE OFFERING OFFICE SPACE. DEFINITELY ANOTHER SHIFT THAT WE'RE SEEING THESE DAYS. >> THIS IS VAILEY. CAN I ADD SOMETHING TO THAT? >> PLEASE. >> I THINK ALSO IN THAT LIBRARY AS OFFICE PIECE IS AN EQUITY ISSUE IN A LOT OF WAYS. IF WE KNOW THAT INCREASINGLY THERE ARE OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENTREPRENEURS TO START BUSINESSES THAT SPRING UP FROM GARAGES AND LIVING ROOMS, CREATING SPACE FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO THE KINDS OF TOOLS THAT WILL HELP THEM BE SUCCESSFUL IS REALLY IMPORTANT. AND I THINK SOMEONE NOTED, I THINK ACCURATELY, THAT INCREASINGLY THERE ARE PLACES LIKE WE WORKS WHERE PEOPLE CAN PAY TO USE THOSE SPACES, BUT I THINK AS IS OFTEN THE CASE, THE LEVERAGE THE LIBRARY HAS AND WHAT IS UNIQUE, OUR SPACES ARE FREE, AND FOR FOLKS WHO ARE JUST STARTING A BUSINESS WHO DON'T HAVE A FOUNDATION OF RESOURCES, THAT IS GOING TO BE CRITICALLY IMPORTANT TO THEIR SUCCESS. >> AND I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE GO TO THOSE PLACES FIRST, PEOPLE WHO WORK ALONE, AT HOME, ARE GOING FOR THE COMMUNITY ASPECT, WHICH I THINK THEY CAN FIND, CLEARLY FIND AT THE LIBRARY AS WELL. OKAY, LOTS OF GREAT FEEDBACK, BUT I THINK MAYBE IN THE INTEREST OF TIME WE SHOULD MOVE ON TO THE NEXT QUESTION. ANY OTHER SALIENT POINTS HERE? LET'S TAKE A LOOK BEFORE I DO THAT. OKAY. LET'S MOVE OVER TO THE IMPACT OF THESE SOCIETAL SHIFTS. THIS IS A POLL, I BELIEVE. >> YOU SHOULD HAVE YOUR CHECK MARKS. EXCELLENT. GREAT. >> TECHNOLOGICAL, ECONOMIC, DEMOGRAPHIC, AND POLITICAL. ARE WE ALLOWING FOLKS TO CHECK MORE THAN ONE BOX? >> THEY DO HAVE THAT OPTION, YES. >> IT'S TOUGH. IT'S A TOUGH CALL, BECAUSE THEY'RE ALL SO INTERRELATED. >> THEY REALLY TRULY ARE. AND IF THEY AREN'T NOW, THEY MIGHT VERY WELL BE IN THE NEXT FIVE OR 10 YEARS. >> RIGHT. AND DO WE GIVE MORE WEIGHT TO THE BIGGER CHECK MARKS? [LAUGHTER] >> NO. >> THAT WOULD BE -- THAT WOULD NOT BE EQUITABLE IN MY OPINION. >> EXACTLY. THERE WAS ONE COMMENT EARLIER ABOUT THE CITY LEADERSHIP ASKING THE LIBRARY TO THINK ABOUT REDUCING THEIR PHYSICAL FOOTPRINTS AND EXPANDING THEIR DIGITAL FOOTPRINTS. AND I THINK THAT'S ANOTHER REALLY INTERESTING CHALLENGE FOR US TO BE ABLE TO STILL TALK ABOUT HOW WE NEED THAT PHYSICAL SPACE AS WELL. SO I THINK THAT'S AN IMPORTANT PIECE FOR SURE TO BE READY TO TALK ABOUT MORE. >> AGREED. WELL, I'M GOING SAY IT'S PRETTY BALANCED. MAYBE TECHNOLOGY AND ECONOMY MAYBE A LITTLE HEAVIER THAN THE DEMOGRAPHICS IN POLITICS. BUT IT'S INTERESTING, I THINK. VAILEY, ANY THOUGHTS OR SHARON, LARRA, ANY THOUGHTS ON THIS ONE? >> THIS IS VAILEY. I THINK TO ME I'M NOT SURPRISED THAT IT'S SOMEWHAT SORT OF EVENLY DISTRIBUTED. I THINK THAT THOSE -- THE LOCAL TEXTURE OF A COMMUNITY REALLY IMPACTS THAT. IN MY COMMUNITY, I LIVE IN PORTLAND, OREGON, WHERE THE DISPARITIES IN INCOME ARE JUST OUT OF CONTROL. HOUSING IS INCREDIBLY UNAFFORDABLE, PEOPLE ARE RELOCATING, BECAUSE THEY CAN'T AFFORD TO LIVE IN THE CITY. THOSE IMPACTS ARE VERY REAL, AND I THINK THERE'S A ROLE FOR THE LIBRARY THERE. >> EXCELLENT. DO WE HAVE TIME FOR MORE DISCUSSION FROM THE GROUP, OR -- WE HAVE A COUPLE MINUTES, I THINK. ANY THOUGHTS FROM YOU ALL THAT WE COULD ADD TO OUR WHITE BOARD HERE ABOUT SOCIETAL SHIFTS? IT'S A LOT TO TAKE IN, I THINK. WE'VE GOT A COUPLE MINUTES REMAINING. DOES ANYONE HAVE ANY THOUGHTS AT ALL THEY'D LIKE TO SHARE BEFORE WE CONCLUDE? >> THIS IS LARRA. I'M JUST GOING TO RESTATE THE FACT THAT WE'VE CREATED A FORUM, A FACEBOOK PAGE WHERE FOLKS CAN CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION AS WELL AS ON TWITTER, BECAUSE I'M VERY EXCITED AT ALL THE FEEDBACK PEOPLE ARE SHARING HERE, AND I'M HOPING WE CAN CONTINUE THIS CONVERSATION, BECAUSE ALA AND PLA AND WEBJUNCTION, THE LAST SURVEY, THE 2008 SURVEY LED TO CREATION OF NEW TOOLS AND RESOURCES, AND WE'RE THINKING ABOUT THIS DATA OURSELVES, AND HOW WE CAN SUPPORT THE FIELD. AND THERE'S A LOT OF PLACES I THINK WE COULD SPEND OUR TIME AND ENERGY. BUT THINKING ABOUT WHAT'S GOING TO BE MOST USEFUL TO PEOPLE, MOST QUICKLY IS SOMETHING I WOULD REALLY LIKE TO HEAR MORE ABOUT FROM PEOPLE IN TERMS OF HOW THIS DATA RESONATES WITH YOUR LOCAL EXPERIENCES AND WHAT RESOURCES WOULD BE MOST USEFUL TO YOU IN KIND OF BUILDING LOCAL SUPPORT FOR YOUR LIBRARY. >> THANKS, LARRA. I THINK THAT'S WELL SAID. I REALLY DO BELIEVE WE'RE JUST AT THE BEGINNING, EVEN THOUGH IT'S BEEN A LONG ROAD IN GETTING THESE RESULTS PUBLISHED, AND GATHERED AND PUBLISHED, BUT THE NEXT STEPS ARE REALLY UP TO THE COMMUNITY. SO I THINK -- I KNOW I'M DEFINITELY GOING TO BE LOOKING TO LIBRARIES IN THE FIELD FOR THEIR INPUT AND DIRECTION ON WHERE WE SHOULD GO NEXT. >> ALL RIGHT. ANY OTHER FINAL THOUGHTS BEFORE WE CONCLUDE? >> THIS IS VAILEY. I WOULD JUST SAY AS I THINK IT WAS MARCI SAID IN HER REFLECTIONS, I THINK YES, THIS IS ABOUT URGENCY AND IT'S ALSO A REALLY GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR US TO BE THINKING ABOUT WHAT THE INSTITUTION OF THE PUBLIC LIBRARY IS GOING TO LOOK LIKE NOT JUST IN THE NEAR FUTURE, BUT IN THE DISTANT FUTURE. AND WE HAVEN'T -- WE HAVE THIS AMAZING OPPORTUNITY TO HELP SHAPE THAT, AS LONG AS WE'RE REALLY AUTHENTICALLY AND SERIOUSLY LOOKING AT THE WAYS OUR COMMUNITIES ARE CHANGING AND WHERE LIBRARIES CAN INTERCEDE IN HELPING. >> EXCELLENT. >> THIS IS JENNIFER. AS WE WRAP UP, JUST A REMINDER, YES, ALL OF THE RESOURCES ACTUALLY THE DATA, THE SURVEY QUESTIONS, SLIDE DECK, ALL OF THAT INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE ON THE AWARENESS 2018 -- OC.LC AWARENESS 2018. THAT'S THERE FOR FOLKS TO USE, TO DIVE IN TO YOUR OWN RESEARCH AS WELL AS TO USE THOSE RESOURCES TO TELL YOUR STORY. AND THE REMINDER THAT THAT FACEBOOK GROUP IS ALSO A WAY FOR US TO CONTINUE TO CONNECT AND SHARE WHAT WE'RE DOING WITH THE DATA AND IDEAS ON HOW TO EXPAND OUR UNDERSTANDING OF IT. SO FEEL FREE TO EXPLORE THAT FURTHER. I WILL SEND AN EMAIL TO ALL OF YOU WHO WERE HERE TODAY LATER ON TODAY ONCE THE REPORTING IS AVAILABLE. I'LL ALSO BE SENDING A CERTIFICATE FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO ATTENDED WITHIN THE WEEK, SO KNOW THAT WILL ALWAYS BE COMING. AND AS YOU LEAVE THE ROOM, WE'RE GOING TO SEND YOU TO A SHORT SURVEY. WE REALLY VALUE YOUR FEEDBACK. WE'LL BE SHARING THAT WITH OUR PANELISTS AND IT HELPS US, ALL OF US GUIDE OUR ONGOING PROGRAMMING. SO THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE WHO WAS HERE TODAY, TO OUR PANELISTS, TO THE RESEARCHERS, TO ALL THE GREAT WORK THAT YOU ARE DOING IN YOUR LIBRARIES. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE.