October Meeting Recap / Upcoming Connection Opportunities
Hi friends! It’s Stephanie. It’s finally the end of Banned Books Week & I’d love to hear what kinds of programming and displays everyone did to raise awareness. Was there any pushback?
October Meeting Recap
We met last on Thursday, October 2nd and talked about Artificial Intelligence: the good, the bad, the ugly. Click here to access the slide deck.
In August I gave my third library+AI talk and those slides may also be relevant: Click here to access them. There are lots of links and resources at the end of the slide deck to explore. You’re also welcome to share these with your staff!
Anyone going to ILA?!
Emily and I are presenting twice at ILA on Tuesday of this week! I’ll also be on a panel Wednesday morning talking about the future of the profession. Let us know if you want to connect!
Tuesday, 10/14, 10:45am: Defending Our Values: The Impact of Culture Wars in Public Libraries
Tuesday, 10/14, 1:30pm: The Accidental Health Services Librarian
Wednesday, 10/15, 8:00am: We Do Belong: Candid Conversation on the Future of Libraries
Upcoming LIRE Events
We’ve got a few more LIRE events this year, and we’d love to see your faces at as many of them as you can attend!
As a reminder, we’re soon launching LIRE Happy Hour, which is a monthly Zoom scheduled from 3-5pm. There is no structure, only support. Bring your current concerns, issues, wins, or anything else to the discussion. (And don’t forget your favorite beverage!)
Thursday, October 23rd, 3:00pm: LIRE Happy Hour (Zoom link distributed upon request)
Thursday, November 20th, 3:00pm: LIRE Happy Hour (Zoom link distributed upon request)
Thursday, December 11th, 10:30am: Lunch & Learn (topic TBD) + Lunch at Tavern on Clark (will be on L2 soon!)
Call to Action
Talcott Free Library is in need of additional support (butts in seats!) for their next board meeting on Monday, October 20th, at 6pm.
At the September meeting, attendees accused the library of disproportionately promoting left-leaning books, "especially in the LGBTQ+ selections" before going on to talk about Charlie Kirk for the rest of their comment time. A board member has also raised concerns about a potential Banned Books Week display and the message that might send to the community. Remember, there are two new board members who ran on a platform of "traditional family values." This questioning of professional judgement, expertise, and the staff's commitment to intellectual freedom is unacceptable.
How you can help:
Attend the board meeting to show support & take up space in solidarity
Offer a brief public comment on the importance of intellectual freedom, or something Talcott does well
Show them some love on social media, particularly on their posts highlighting banned books
Remember that you can email us anytime at lirerockford@gmail.com!