For many of our libraries, sharing political information, even about library funding, is verboten. It is considered lobbying and since public libraries are taxpayer funded, we can't use library resources to push a political agenda. This does NOT mean you can't share information about what cuts to programs like LSTA and IAL may mean for your library and your community. It's all in how you craft the message. You can share short informational pieces on how the changes at the national level may impact you on the state and local level. It could be a web page blurb or social media post with links to more detailed information. This way you're still educating your community about the issues but you're not directly asking patrons to call their legislators to advocate on behalf of the library (Save those messages for your personal social media pages where you can express your very specific opinions!); this is very similar to how we have to be careful during millage elections to provide information along the lines of "this is why it'd be in your best interest to vote yes on our millage" without actually saying "please vote yes for our millage"

Here's a sample Facebook post from our colleagues at Delta Township District Library:

I will continue to share alerts and calls to action, which you can then share as you feel appropriate. That's a big part of my job. If you need help crafting an appropriate message for your community, get in touch and we'll figure it out together.

Advocacy Alert

What Happened:  This year's "Dear Appropriator" letters have started to circulate in the House, asking Representatives to preserve at least $210 million in federal library funding. One letter asks members of the House Appropriations Committee to fully fund the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) and the second does the same for the Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL) program.

Why It Matters:  The battle for domestic spending is becoming more intense, and Congress is looking for programs to cut. The more members of Congress who sign these letters, the better the chance that the Appropriators will preserve the funding for the LSTA and IAL programs. And as you know from our previous emails, these programs represent the bulk of the federal funding that is provided for libraries. Under the rules of LSTA, states are required to match one third of their federal contribution. Any cut to LSTA in the FY 2019 budget will likely lead to a cut in library funding at the state level. Additionally, IAL is the only dedicated federal funding provided for school libraries.

What You Can Do Now: Many Representatives will only sign on to a "Dear Appropriator" letter if their constituents ask them! Use the ALA Action Center to send your representative an email and ask them to contact Rep. Raul Grijalva's office to sign on to the LSTA letter and Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) to sign on to the IAL letter.  Time is short - the deadline for the letters is March 19th, so don't delay!

Need more information? Check out the latest post on District Dispatch.

Related to the above: Do you want more training on how to deal with Advocacy situations? MLA and the Michigan Cooperative Directors Association are joining forces to bring the ALA Advocacy Bootcamp to Lansing on Friday, April 20, 2018. The focus of the workshop is on developing an advocacy plan you can implement in your library. It will empower librarians with skills to tell their library’s story and secure funding and teach practical tips on how to be a respected and effective voice in your community.

Advocacy Bootcamp urges attendees to re-think advocacy: to re-define the library community and expand the way we advocate for libraries. The program will cover advocacy basics such as messaging, networking and community engagement as well as highlighting Intellectual Freedom history and principles. Attendees will focus on creating an advocacy plan they can implement in their library.

The cost is $20 and there are no membership requirements of any kind, only that you care about advocating for your library in your community. Registration is open now.

Is it just me or does this winter feel like it's lasting forever and ever? Yes, I know technically it's still winter for another couple of weeks, but the cold and snow just feel like they started really early and they've been lingering. I am so ready for spring. Even if it's chilly, I want to get outside. I want to ride my bike and take the kiddo to the park and not have to dodge mud and snow! Until that can happen, I'm focusing on the little things I can do to make life, both personal and professional, more tolerable and even enjoyable. I did a big clean/sort & purge of all of the things that had piled up around my desk. Now I've got a huge pile to feed into the shredder and a small pile that needs filing. After that's all done, I may splurge and get a manicure and a pedicure. I don't do this often, as I'm not a huge fan of the chemicals involved, but I love how my hands and feet feel and look afterward. Mani/pedis make me feel fancy and sometimes feeling fancy is downright fun, especially if I pick fun colors!

There's been a ton written recently about self-care, and much of it includes suggestions for things you can do at home, outside of work, to care for yourself. But what can we do to take care of ourselves AT work? What can we do when we're the only one in our library? It may feel like it's impossible to do some of these things, but this article, Librarian Hacks: Tips for rough days makes me think that there ARE things we can do at work, like being prepared for an impromptu story hour, and I especially liked the suggestion to do laps in the stacks. It's easy to hunker down and stay put at the desk, working away on our various projects. Getting out in the stacks helps get our bodies moving and we're out there with our collections. In my case, I get up and walk around the office, the rest of the house and harass our 18 year old cat, Charlotte.

This article is inspiring as well. Sometimes the news of the things going on around the world get to me. Libraries Respond: 10 Things Your Library Can Do for 2017 and Beyond addresses some of these things and offers some great suggestions on how we can take care of ourselves - I want to watch all of the TED talks - while also making sure our libraries are welcoming to our patrons and communities, who may need gentleness, kindness and care, too.

And finally, this blog post from 2016, What You Can Do to Combat Librarian Burnout has some great ideas. Some of my favorites include watching live streams of zoo animals and taking a Twitter break. For a break that doesn't involve screens or the internet, I love one of the ideas from the comments - go back that folder full of "sweet" things. I have a stash of old thank you notes, drawings from my nieces and the occasional patron, and some printed comics and cartoons that always make me smile.

What makes you smile? What keeps you going on those days when you really have to push yourself?

The USDA has launched a webpage which highlights resources for rural communities addressing the opioid crisis. The purpose of this website is to assist rural leaders with resources, information and best practices to help rural communities respond to and manage the crisis.

Training & Learning Opportunities

Registration for the 5th MI KidLib Unconference is now open. The 5th annual MI KidLib unconference, for youth services staff (current, aspiring, retired etc.) will be held at Kalamazoo Public Library's Central location on Friday, May 11. This year, KPL's Anti Racism Transformation Team will kick off the day with a keynote session. The rest of the day will include how-to demos, tours, and unconference style break out sessions where the participants collaboratively drive the topics and the discussion. Past topics and notes are available here if you'd like to get an idea of what may be covered. This is a great opportunity for networking, idea gathering, and skill building, whether you serve babies, teens, or all of the above. It's completely free to attend! You can bring a lunch or go out with new friends. Space is limited, so please register today! The full schedule is available here. For more information, please email mikidlib@gmail.com or visit our website.

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Join us for the 5^th biennial Adaptive Umbrella workshop! This day-long workshop is geared to librarians, educators, and caregivers working with youth who have special needs (including some great ideas and resources for teens and adults with special needs). Date: April 25, 2018 from 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. See brochure for more information: http://btpl.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/2018-Adaptive-Umbrella-brochure.pdf
Online registration: https://btpl.org/adaptiveumbrella18/

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The MLA 2018 Annual Conference (October 17-19, 2018 in Novi) work group seeks a variety of program proposals that will address topics representing the wide-range of professional responsibilities found in libraries and those that will introduce new ideas or solutions to the challenges currently facing Michigan libraries. We encourage broad participation from librarians, staff and administrators from all types of libraries. Visit the Call for Proposals web page for complete details. The submission form for 2018 can be used for both program and poster proposals. Submit your program or poster proposal here. Proposals are due March 31, 2018.

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Beginning Workshop, scheduled for May 16-18, 2018, is an intensive 3-day workshop for library staff seeking a level 3 or 4 certificate. Content is geared towards attendees with little or no previous library experience. Subjects include collections, customer service, technology, intellectual freedom, programming, and much more. Registration for the event is now open at the Library of Michigan’s registration system. Click here for details on the agenda and lodging.

Tech News

Don't forget! Woodlands will reimburse member libraries the cost of their MCLS membership - just email or fax a copy of your paid invoice. Since MCLS's budget year (July 1 to June 30) is different from the cooperative's budget year and likely different from your library's budget year, we are leaving it up to you to decide if or when to submit. You are welcome to wait until spring, but if you want to take advantage of training or other MCLS offerings, you can submit now for your reimbursement.

Do you use the Chrome web browser? If so, check this out: The 100 Best Free Google Chrome Extensions These are some of the best extensions you can and should add to your Google browser. I'm having fun trying these out. One that I've been using for a couple years now is Mighty Text. It's a great tool that allows you to sync your phone with your browser - you can text from your computer. It's great for those times when you can't pick up your phone or your phone is silenced, like those times when you're on desk. I don't know about you, but I still type faster on a real keyboard than I could ever type on my phone.

Social Media Use in 2018 - A majority of Americans use Facebook and YouTube, but young adults are especially heavy users of Snapchat and Instagram. According to this new Pew study, young adults are using Snapchat and Instagram - is your library using them, too? If not, do you risk not reaching an important part of your audience?

UK government will use church spires to improve internet connectivity in rural areas - It involves installing aerials, satellite dishes, and fiber cables in church buildings. Maybe our small towns in rural southern Michigan can learn a thing or two from the UK? This quote from the article really hits home for me: "Encouraging churches to improve connectivity will help tackle two of the biggest issues rural areas face - isolation and sustainability."

New E-Rate Coordinator at Library of Michigan - Joseph Polasek has accepted the position of E-Rate Specialist. Joe will assist school districts and libraries in maximizing their E-Rate reimbursements as recent programmatic changes to E-Rate at the federal level have been challenging for applicants. Sonya Norris still will be working on E-Rate as well. The best way to reach Joe & Sonya is to email erate@michigan.gov.

Grant or Award Opportunities

Need funds to better serve your community? Feeling overwhelmed by the grant writing process? Don’t know where or how to start? View this complimentary webinar: Get a Grip on Grants: From Searching to Spending - Thursday, March 15, 2018 from 3-4 PM

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The American Library Association (ALA) is now accepting submissions for the 2018 John Cotton Dana Awards. The awards are managed by the Library Leadership and Management Association (LLAMA) and honor outstanding library public relations. Electronic submissions are due by March 16, 2018. More information, including entry documents, can be found at the awards website.

Each year, up to eight $10,000 John Cotton Dana Awards are granted by the H.W. Wilson Foundation. The awards will be presented at a special program and reception, sponsored by EBSCO Information Services, on June 24 at the ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans. Libraries of all types and sizes are encouraged to submit entries. A panel of previous award winners and public relations practitioners from the LLAMA Marketing and Communications Community of Practice review entries in four key areas: needs assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation. Deadline: March 16, 2018.

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The Library of Michigan is pleased to announce the second year of the Library Services & Technology Act (LSTA) summer quick grant program for public libraries. The application deadline is Monday, March 26th at 5:00 PM EST.

This program provides funding for public libraries to develop a summer program and purchase materials and supplies for that program. There are three selected program topics – technology, children & teens, and literacy. Funding is intended to supplement local services. The grant review will focus on small projects that improve community services and are aligned with the LSTA priorities. The LSTA priorities are targeting library services to individuals of diverse geographic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds, to individuals with disabilities, individuals with limited functional literacy or information skills and expanding services for learning and access to information.

The grant period is from June to August 2018. Grants will be from $500 to $2,000. Funding is by reimbursement. Eligible applicants are Michigan public libraries that are legally established and currently eligible for state aid. Branch libraries may apply individually.

Detailed information on the grant program, including the program timeline, applicant eligibility, and the APPLICATION LINK is available at www.michigan.gov/lsta in the Public Library Services grant section. Please read the Program Application Information before applying. Please contact Karren Reish at 517-241-0021 or reishk@michigan.gov with questions on the program.

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EBSCO is Back with Three $100,000 Solar Grants Available to Libraries Worldwide in 2018. Applications are due April 30, 2018. Click the link for details.

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Grants 101: Tricks & Tips for Writing a Successful Grant - here's a free webinar on Tuesday, May 8, 2018 on how to write successful grant applications.

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2018 Mini Grant: Woodlands mini-grant applications are accepted on a rolling basis - you apply and we'll send you the funds. It's that easy!

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Want to attend a conference or a workshop but can't find space in your budget? Consider a CE Stipend. The Library of Michigan strives to support libraries’ efforts to provide quality service and programming to their communities. A major element of excellent service is empowering library staff to learn and implement new skills and best practices. The Librarian Continuing Education program helps by providing financial support for library staff continuing education. Michigan public, academic and school library staff are eligible to apply for continuing education stipends. You can apply at any time and your application will be considered at the end of each quarter. Visit the CE Stipend web page for details and to apply.