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Trustees, Friends, & Foundations |
August 2024 |  |
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Welcome to the Trustees, Friends, & Foundations Newsletter!
A monthly update on items relevant to those
who work as or with Library Trustees, Friends, and Foundations.
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| July 24, 2024
As attempts to ban books and other materials proliferate across the country, library systems and governmental jurisdictions are fighting back. There are many ways to safeguard intellectual freedom and to protect the rights of customers and communities to choose what they want to read. Library staff and boards cannot passively stand by as collections are decimated to suit a particular perspective.
Many of the items that have been targeted for banning are books by and about LGBTQIA+ people, BIPOC people, and other underrepresented and marginalized groups. Extremist activists have been working to impart their religious and societal views on everyone, arguing that their perspective must be everyone’s perspective, or that the items in the collection are offensive to them so they must be removed for everyone, or moved to a different section of the library which could mean, for instance, that a teen who could benefit from or enjoy a book might not see it... |
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| July 29, 2024
In today’s digital landscape, cybersecurity threats continue to evolve, and one of the most pervasive among them is ransomware. A recent Library Journal article defined ransomware as “malware that encrypts files throughout a targeted network, blocking access to a victim’s data and enabling cybercriminals to demand a ransom for unlocking the files.” Ransomware poses a significant risk to organizations worldwide, including libraries and local governments, despite these institutions often being underfunded and unable to pay large sums. Recent statistics from SANS, the world’s largest cybersecurity research and training organization, reveal an alarming trend: ransomware attacks surged by 73% in 2023 compared to the previous year. These statistics emphasize the increasing sophistication and frequency of these cyber assaults and the importance of cybersecurity...
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Sign Up with the Virginia Library Association as an Advocate! |
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Click HERE and 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.
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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.
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UNITED FOR LIBRARIES RESOURCES |
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Virginia library staff and stakeholders (folks like
you!) have access to a whole host of resources from United for Libraries.
Click to get the CHEAT SHEET signed up and in.
| Already signed up? Click HERE to access everything through the ALA eLearning Platform! |
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| Grant Writing for Library Friends & Foundations Tuesday, September 10, 2024 -- 2:00p-3:00p
Grants can bring significant funding to your Friends group or library Foundation. This session will focus on successful strategies for identifying and applying for grants, including relationship building, working with library staff, and crafting compelling stories. Learn how to “speak libraries” and customize applications for specific audiences and funders. Participants will also learn best practices for grant management and tracking.
Building Effective Library Director/Board Relationships
Tuesday, October 8, 2024 -- 2:00p-3:00p
A strong director-board relationship is essential to the success of the library. Find out how the best practices on the director and board working together on advocacy, community outreach, planning, succession, and more. Find out how to prevent and solve conflicts, and how to unite to advance the library’s mission. |
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| Empowering Effective Nonprofit Board Decision Making |
In this webinar, we will provide practical insight and share strategies for impactful decision-making processes. The webinar will highlight ways to foster collaboration and create engagement among board members in order to harness the collective wisdom of the board and make informed and impactful decisions that advance your mission.
(Occurs - 8.22.24) |
| Register Here
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Focus on the Future: The Art of Selling Your Board and Funders on Capacity Building |
You won’t need a crystal ball to see the future for your nonprofit organization when you attend this entertaining and engaging session with Firespring’s Director of Nonprofit Solutions, Kiersten Hill. Join this session to gain invaluable insights into crafting a case for capacity that merges strategic prowess with impactful storytelling.
(Occurs - 8.26.24) |
| Register Here
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| Crafting and Maintaining Effective Patron Policies for Community Success |
Effective library policies are essential for setting clear expectations, defining responsibilities, and establishing boundaries for both patrons and staff. This session will cover the ten most common patron-facing policies and offer guidance on selecting and tailoring them to meet your library and community needs for safe and effective operation...
(Occurs - 9.18.24) |
| Register Here
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Trustee, Friends, and Foundation members have access to the Library of Virginia's Niche Academy, a place for online learning.
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. |
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Click on the image to learn more about each title, and then use your local library to request them from the Library of Virginia.
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| July 9, 2024 - Waynesboro Public Library
There’s a new furry friend at the Waynesboro Public Library, but it may not be what you are expecting. Starting Tuesday, July 9, a decades old seven-foot tall ground sloth is temporarily calling the library home. Clawd the Sloth was formerly at the Virginia Museum of Natural History. The life-size figure represents the way North American sloths looked during the last Ice Age, complete with his big claws and a branch in his hands...
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| August 12, 2024 - The UncommonWealth Public Library Spotlight
What began as an outreach opportunity between the Chesterfield County Public Library (CCPL) and the Chesterfield Juvenile Detention Home (CJDH) has evolved into a year-round partnership. The one-time CCPL-led book discussion — during the detention home’s summer school break — is now a multifaceted, year-round collaboration that encourages literary engagement. The program includes facilitated book discussions throughout the year, a revamp of the library, sharing books from the public library with CJDH residents, and updating and expanding the CJDH library collection...
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| August 19, 2024 - Pamunkey Regional Library
A regional library system serving rural counties north of Richmond has come under fire over the past year and a half.
What was once a consistent pillar in those counties has faced a nearly total turnover on its board as well as the resignation of its director and is in danger of losing a second county, after it recently voted to leave the system.
The Pamunkey Regional Library system has operated consistently for most of its 80-year history without too much controversy or concern about its decisions. That all changed after a display at the Atlee Branch library in September 2022 during Banned Books Week... |
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"Librarians have always been among the most thoughtful and helpful people. They are teachers without a classroom. No libraries, no progress."
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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).
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