In This Issue President's Corner ~ East Greenwich School Librarians Job at Stake ~ Updates and Highlights from the Community ~ Money Smart Week ~ RI Library Day

President's Corner

Hello everyone! I hope that you are doing well! RILA is continuing to move forward with many new initiatives this Spring, which I would like to share with you. These are strategic planning, our joint conference with NELA, the RILA Awards, and our legislative advocacy initiatives. On the strategic planning front, RILA is nearing the end of its strategic planning process and we hope to share the results with you soon. We are working with the RILA Board to refine our goals and objectives so that we can better serve our members. On the Annual Conference front, the RILA Conference Committee is working closely with NELA to plan our joint conference to be held in October 2018. Please consider submitting a proposal. On the awards front, RILA is accepting submissions for annual recognition awards in the following categories: Outstanding Librarian Award, Outstanding Library Paraprofessional Award, Trustee of the Year Award, and Citation of Merit or Meritorious Friends of the Library. Please consider nominating a member of your community. For more information contact: Aaron Coutu, Chair of RILA Nominations Committee, [email protected] . On the legislative action front, RILA has been extremely active. We were contacted in late January by the President of the Young Democrats of Rhode Island to participate as a Net Neutrality Coalition Partner. On February 1, RILA testified to the importance of Net Neutrality legislation in Rhode Island at a press conference held at the RI State House. The purpose was to encourage our representatives to pass the Rhode Island Net Neutrality Act, a bill put forth by Sen Louis DiPalma and Rep Aaron Regunberg. This Act would establish criteria for all state contractors and sub-contractors to only purchase internet service from internet service providers (ISPs) that operate under the principles of Net Neutrality. Next we wrote an Op Ed for the Providence Journal advocating for the Rhode Island Net Neutrality Act on behalf of libraries and educational institutions who receive internet service from state and municipal contracts with Internet Service Providers. Currently, RILA is participating in a letter to RI Governor Raimondo, requesting a Net Neutrality Executive Order.  An executive order by the Governor would bar state executive agencies from contracting with Internet Service Providers that fail to adhere to net neutrality principles. Thank you and have a great month! Kieran Ayton RILA President [email protected]

RILA Legislative Action Committee Update The Legislative Action Committee has been working on with RILA President Kieran Ayton and Vice President Julie Holden on the net neutrality front. Additional legislative priorities include increased state aid for public libraries and working with the Coalition of Library Advocates and the School Librarians of Rhode Island on legislation requiring degreed school librarians in public schools.   The committee is also working on adding language to House Bill H7162. This bill would require the Attorney General to produce a Gun Crimes Report; which would be an annual print report of RI gun crime statistics. In the interest of greater public access to government information, RILA is trying to have language added to the bill requiring a print copy be distributed to all State Clearinghouse Rhode Island depository libraries.   The Committee is also monitoring Senate Bill S2338 which would require secondary school libraries to remain open one hour before and after the official school day.    Ed Garcia & Eileen Dyer, co-Chairs Legislative Action Committee

East Greenwich School Librarian Position Threatened; Community Rallies, Future Unknown

Due to volatile town politics and other agendas, East Greenwich school librarians are getting the short stick. The most current Town Budget level funded the East Greenwich School System and this has led the School Committee to remove the high school library media specialist position. The East Greenwich community has noticed this and is taking action. Will this be enough to gain the attention of town officials? Click for the full article.

My Experience at a Leadership Seminar Read Babs Wells' experience at a Fred Pryor Seminar! Babs is a Children’s Librarian at Greenville Public Library Click to read about her experience

News From the Rhode Island Library Community

News from Cranston Public Library Edward Garcia, director of the Cranston Public Library, has been elected to serve on the American Library Association (ALA) Executive Board. New board members were elected by the ALA Council in a vote taken at the 2018 ALA Midwinter Meeting, held February 9 - 13 in Denver. Garcia will serve a three-year term beginning in July 2018 and concluding in June 2021. On March 12, Cranston Public Library welcomed Nereida Zayas to the position of Business Manager. Nereida comes to the library from the Greater Providence YMCA, replacing Barbara Hayden who will formally retire on March 30. On March 30, Barbara Hayden will retire from her position as Cranston Public Library's Business Manager. Barbara has been an invaluable member of the library's administrative team over the last 22 years. Though she will be sorely missed, the entire Cranston Public Library staff wishes to congratulate her on her retirement.

News from Bryant University Mary Moroney, Directory of Library Services at Bryant University has served faculty, staff, and students, as well as the larger RI community since 1982 when she joined the Edith M. Hodgson Memorial Library, as a cataloging librarian. Mary became Director of Library Services in 1994 and has made a monumental impact on the Bryant community during her tenure. Under her guidance there have been multiple transitions of the Integrated Library System, as Mary has always kept a keen eye on new systems and capabilities for access to materials in the Bryant library and beyond. She was the catalyst for the library’s transition of periodicals from print to digital collections. Additionally, Mary served the profession in a variety of leadership positions, from her role as president of both the Higher Education Library Information Network (HELIN) and the Consortium of Rhode Island Academic & Research Libraries (CRIARL) to her service on several New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) Accreditation teams. Mary was also involved in leading the Bryant University Women’s Summit for many years.   Mary collaborated on the planning for the George E. Bello Center for Information and Technology creating the 21 st  century facility that is the Douglas and Judith Krupp Library. Mary’s knowledge of Bryant’s history is second to none. Her archival expertise has been crucial to collaborative efforts across the university, most notably Professor Judy Litoff’s  Bryant College Goes to War  book and many courses where students made use of the library’s historical collections. The online institutional repository, Digital Commons, was also created and has flourished under her guidance.    Mary has been a part of the Bryant University Chamber Ensemble for many years and plans to continue playing her violin with the group after retirement. Mary plans to focus on gardening (intending to grow a giant pumpkin), perfecting her ukulele skills, and reading  all the books  when she retires. We will miss her easy-going nature, her fun sense of humor and her passion for Bryant. Congratulations Mary!

News from Lincoln Public Library The Lincoln Public Library has hired Cassie Rainey as our new reference/teen librarian. She completed her PFE with us while completing her MLIIS at URI. She joined us as a part-time reference working directly with patrons and on our social media last year. Cassie has worked at the Pawtucket Public Library for 10 years starting as a shelving page before moving onto the Bookmobile. We are happy to welcome her to our staff!

News from Providence Community Library Providence Community Library has partnered with Over the Edge to bring a brand new event to Rhode Island this coming June. The fundraiser will feature an exciting opportunity for members of the public to rappel down the 12-story Regency Plaza building in downtown Providence and help raise $100,000 for the PCL’s nine neighborhood locations. Click here to join or learn more. After 57 years, local publishing company Burning Deck Press is closing down. Owners Rosmarie and Keith Waldrop, both well-known writers and translators who taught at Brown University for many years, have generously donated a large portion of their stock to RI libraries. Please contact Lee Teverow [email protected]  to arrange a time.  Click to see Burning Deck's catalog .

Studio Rhode Winners The Adams Public Library in Central Falls, Greenville Public Library, Providence Community Library and Warwick Public Library are the recipients of the Studio Rhode Next Generation Library Challenge Phase 2 grants. This second phase of the Studio Rhode award challenge, provided with funds from the Carnegie Foundation, seeks to engage public libraries that are reimagining the way they approach community challenges and program delivery. Four pilot projects focused on community engagement, technology, education and other key issues facing their communities have been selected for their innovative approach to library services . Click to see the projects!

Save the Dates! Statewide Library Events

Money Smart Week is April 21-28 Money Smart Week — six days of focused presentations by community groups, financial institutions, government agencies, educational organizations, and financial experts, all designed to help consumers learn to better manage their personal finances. The RILA Financial Literacy Roundtable invites you to participate in Money Smart Week! Find the libraries that are already hosting events and see if you're able to participate as well. It's not to late to promote Financial Literacy in your library community.

Saturday April 14th is RHODE ISLAND LIBRARY DAY RILA invites you to participate in the 4th Annual Rhode Island Library Day on Saturday, April 14, 2018, which ties into ALA's National Library Week (April 8th-14th, 2018). The purpose of this day is to host events and plan activities that will raise awareness about the wonderful things Rhode Island libraries are doing and how Rhode Islanders benefit from their libraries. As part of the celebration, we are encouraging Rhode Island’s public libraries to participate in an Amnesty Day for those returning overdue materials on April 14th. There are numerous ways that libraries can participate, both big and small.  Some ideas for activities and events from public libraries celebrating last year’s Rhode Island Library Day include: Hosting author visits or guest lectures Having raffles and door prizes throughout the day Storytimes by special guests (local/state government officials, local celebrities, etc.) Crafts and makerspace activities LEGO® programs Book sales Special youth programming – magic shows and entertainment Movie marathons Technology open houses Tours for the public Food giveaways Please contact our RILA Members-at-Large, David Meincke and Lisa Perry with your planned events and activities or questions by April 1, 2018. For updates, please visit: http://rilibraries.org/RI-Library-Day

Upcoming Events

Check out the OLIS Calendar to see upcoming workshops   Sign up for workshops, including: Facing the Future: Facilitating Climate Change Conversations at Your Library Public Records and Open Meetings Acts: How to Avoid Troubled Waters Strange Tech: Lending Non-traditional Technology Materials Cross-Cultural Competency: Digging a Little Deeper

Register for DigiCamp 2018 This low-cost, half-day Conference focuses on technology in libraries. DigiCamp will feature a community-driven format where each session is designed and delivered by you. Held on Friday, March 23, 2018.

Join "States Respond: The Fight for Net Neutrality Continues" Join us for  "States Respond: The Fight for Net Neutrality Continues,"  March 28, 2018, 2:00-3:00 p.m. CST, a conversation focused on how librarians are involved in efforts to enact state level protections for net neutrality. Joining us will be Larra Clark, Deputy Director of the Washington Office; Kieran Ayton and Julie Holden, President and Vice President of the Rhode Island Library Association; Kate Laughlin, Executive Director of the Washington Library Association; and Cindy Aden, Washington State Librarian.    Register today! If you cannot participate, be sure to come back to   Chapter Advocacy Exchange   for a link to the recording.

The Rhode Island Library Association is a professional organization that serves its members through career development, education, advocacy, networking partnerships and legislative action .

Click here to contact RILA

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The RILA Bulletin is produced by the RILA Communications Committee. The RILA Communications Committee is responsible for publicizing and supporting Rhode Island Library Association activities using a variety of communication tools. Responsibilities including publishing the RILA Bulletin, managing social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, and exploring other mediums as needed. Rhode Island Library Association members can contribute content to the RILA Bulletin by emailing the editors: [email protected]