...Between January 1 and August 31, 2024, ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) tracked 414 attempts to censor library materials and services. In those cases, 1,128 unique titles were challenged. In the same reporting period last year, ALA tracked 695 attempts with 1,915 unique titles challenged. Though the number of reports to date has declined in 2024, the number of documented attempts to censor books continues to far exceed the numbers prior to 2020. Additionally, instances of soft censorship, where books are purchased but placed in restricted areas, not used in library displays, or otherwise hidden or kept off limits due to fear of challenges, illustrate the impact of organized censorship campaigns on students’ and readers’ freedom to read. In some circumstances, books have been preemptively excluded from library collections, taken off the shelves before they are banned, or not purchased for library collections in the first place...
Public libraries have always been about more than books, programs, or technology. They are about creating a welcoming, comforting, and safe space where people can gather and connect. They are a place where connections are made and where anyone can visit without spending money or placing expectations upon them. Library workers are there to help. They know their regular customers, many of whom visit frequently. People who work in public libraries are committed to providing personal and impactful customer service. There are challenges, to be sure, but library staff are committed to making a difference in their communities through building relationships and providing access to tools and resources that will support and enrich the lives of their customers...
ADVOCACY CENTER
Sign Up with the Virginia Library Association as an Advocate!
Click HEREand sign up for the VLA Advocacy Center Mailing List to make sure you're receiving Virginia action alerts and updates on policy issues related to the library field. This will help you keep abreast of legislation that could affect your local library and community.
Voting is one of the greatest privileges and responsibilities of citizenship in the United States. Yet, turnout in national elections is consistently lower than two-thirds of eligible voters. Participation rates among multiple demographic groups and in state or local elections are often lower still. There is frequent talk about the critical role of libraries in our democracy. What does that look like in practice? Libraries are nonpartisan, but they are not indifferent. As institutions that provide access to information, resources, programs, and public spaces for all members of a community, libraries are a cornerstone for civic engagement and more important than ever. Click on the image above to learn more.
UNITED FOR LIBRARIES RESOURCES
Virginia library staff and stakeholders (folks like you!) have access to a whole host of resources from United for Libraries.
Friends groups across the country will share ideas for maximizing book sale profit, including online sales, ongoing sales, bookstores, special events, and more. Learn tips and best practices for both small and large Friends groups.
This workshop with Paul Signorelli of Paul Signorelli & Associates, will help participations hone their storytelling skills on behalf of libraries and the communities they serve.
CONTINUING EDUCATION
Understanding Your Nonprofit's Financial Statements
So you work for a nonprofit or serve on the board, but you are not really a "numbers person." Every month you are given these financial statements but don't really know how to read them. Perhaps at year-end your organization receives an audit or a 990 tax return, and again, understanding what the audited financial statements and 990 are saying about your organization is a challenge. The accountant who performed the audit speaks "accounting speak" and can't really explain the financials to you in terms you can understand. This can be unnerving when you consider that the audited financials will be given to funders. If any of this sounds familiar, this session is for you!
Living Your Plan: Moving From Strategy to Action is an engaging and interactive webinar designed for nonprofit leaders and teams looking to transform their strategic plan into actionable results. This workshop will provide you with the tools and steps needed to ensure your strategic plan doesn’t just sit on a shelf but becomes a living document that moves you toward your goal. We’ll cover practical strategies for transitioning from planning to implementation, aligning daily activities with your strategic goals, and maintaining accountability throughout the process...
How to Have More Productive Conversations with Donors
Join fundraising master trainer, Chad Barger, ACFRE, ACNP, for a session focused on improving the conversations that we have with our donors. We’ll cover practical tips that you can immediately implement to improve your donor interactions and, in the process, Chad will walk you step by step through how he has successfully engaged donors throughout his 25+ year fundraising career.
Please note, if you register with a non-library issued e-mail address, someone from the Library of Virginia will follow up with you to confirm that you are affiliated with a Virginia library before you can access the content.
BOOKS
titles
Click on the image to learn more about each title, and then use your local library to request them from the Library of Virginia.
October 14, 2024 - The UncommonWealth Public Library Spotlight
When I was assigned the task of starting a “Learning Circle” at my library, Prince William Public Libraries (PWPL), I was unsure what it entailed. In 2020 and 2021, envisioning new library programs was particularly challenging, especially for teenagers who are often difficult to engage. We received a Youth Literacy Grant in 2020, secured by Michaela Janotova, a Senior Communications Analyst and grant achiever extraordinaire at PWPL. We purchased Chromebooks for the program for in-person attendees. According to P2PU, a free hub for learning circle topics, a Learning Circle is a “free facilitated study group for people who want to learn with others.” Topics can vary widely, from crochet and language conversation groups to guitar lessons, with in-person and remote options available. If there is interest in a subject and a group willing to participate, you have the foundation for a Learning Circle...
Virginia Beach Public Library (VBPL) designed an innovative way to bring STEM programming to preschoolers after determining that many were unable to attend regularly scheduled science programs in the libraries.
Across 60 classrooms in Virginia Beach this past spring, 900 preschoolers explored nature and interacted through imaginative play, while learning science, technology, engineering and math concepts, thanks to the unique program...
QUOTED
"A library in the middle of a community is a cross between an emergency exit, a life-raft and a festival. They are cathedrals of the mind; hospitals of the soul; theme parks of the imagination. On a cold rainy island, they are the only sheltered public spaces where you are not a consumer, but a citizen instead."
This newsletter is brought to you by the Library Development & Networking Division of the Library of Virginia. Funding for this is provided through the Virginia General Assembly and the Institute for Museum and Library Studies (IMLS).
