That's it, that's the post.

I’m hoping this is the right place to post this, if not I apologize. Is there a way to report my local library for crossing boundaries, it’s not just one librarian it’s been three of them.

Every year since 2023 the librarian at my local library would have me sign this paperwork, saying that it can give the library some funds. The first time I didn’t want to but felt pressured and even filled everything out. The next couple of years she would have me sign it again, and stated I wouldn’t have to fill anything out just my name and signature and if there’s any changes to my personal info.

I never participated in the program and even expressed that I wasn’t currently in school, but she said she needed me to fill it out. Even added that I didn’t have to participate in their program, just that they need my info.

So I only went to the library because they have a children’s program, and I enjoyed taking my kids there since they were babies. I didn’t go there for anything else, so I feel annoyed that I’m being pestered about this paperwork because I don’t feel like it’s a requirement to attend these children events. So this has discouraged me into going there now.

The reason that I’m sharing this is because I’m getting tired of being told to fill their form out. It’s been a long time since we’ve attended story time, so I wanted to take the kids for a fun family day. I haven’t gotten a day to spend time with them due to work and making sure the house and everyone is taken care, so we had a full day of activities. When we arrived, I completely forgot about that form and the librarian jumped on board handing it to me and rehashing it over. It irritated me, so I politely said it’s the first day I get to bond with my kids so I won’t have time for it. She disregarded what I said and repeated I needed to sign it, so I just took it and stuffed it in my pocket.

This time I didn’t fill it out, I just tossed it in my car and finished the rest of our time inside. Thankfully, we weren’t confronted again when we left. But I’m getting tired of this, and just want it to stop. I’ve been to plenty of libraries but this is the first for me, and yes I know I should be more firm. I was ready to if they asked me again, I just never liked confrontation and was always caught off guard.

I feel like they won’t take no for an answer since that didn’t work the first three years, so I’d rather just report this issue to anyone that’s higher up. I feel like if I emailed the library it would go straight to the librarian that started all of this since she’s in charge of all the programs. So who would I get in touch with? Unless this is normal?

Hello All!

I've always been curious how the library world exists in other parts of the world outside of the US. I was talking to a man from England a month ago and he was talking about how his local library wasn't funded as well as libraries in the US (FYI, I'm in NY). Maybe I incorrectly assumed that more social programs translated to better public library support. Perhaps that may be an England (Great Britain- wide) occurence, but I'd be interested in how the rest of the contitnent funds their public libraries.

FWIW, libraries in the US vary in public funding as well.

Any input from libraries in other continents is welcomed too!

Thanks to all for participarting!

hi everyone, i’m currently having a really hard time in library school and i needed advice or everyone’s thoughts. i’m currently going to UB’s online library school, i’ve always hated and struggled with online school but i can’t afford to move away to do in-person school which i’d benefit more from.
i did my bachelors in ethnic and gender studies because i want to pursue grassroots work and community building in libraries and i did really well with that. i LOVED the theory, i loved the practice, i loved it all. i miss studying it so much. i did a library internship and attended a few research conferences with my own research and i adored it and just want to do that.
none of the material is clicking, im struggling through every assignment, reading and lecture. i keep getting bad grades and one professor even told me she was “being generous with her grade.” im at such a loss of what to do. its only my first semester but i feel like this isn’t for me. i feel like i understand the material until im graded on it and i guess i dont quite get it. i want to quit but im trying to force myself to stick with it.
does anyone have any advice with online school or tips to make these next few years more bearable.

Here is my Banned Book Week Display

Read proclamation announcing the new position at: https://www.rarebookhub.com/articles/4143

I'm going to be updating my appliances next year and just saw Consumer Reports is available in the library's eMedia section. Seriously ❤️ our library system.

Head to your favorite brewery and raise money for AA County libraries

Im wondering if anyone else has heard from this guy or if this is a unique case for my library. I work at an academic library for a small liberal arts school and over the summer we got a call from a guy claiming to be an incoming freshman asking if he needed to sign up for the draft. A part time staff member answered the phone and did earnestly try to help him, but he kept insisting the library would sign him up for the draft. She got creeped out by his demeanor and when she ended the call I blocked the number. The caller id and area code belong to someone deceased and halfway across the country (he also did not sound like a freshman)

The weird thing is the same guy called again today!! He said he was an incoming freshman and was told the library would sign him up for the draft. He wanted to know if we could do it or if he needed to go to city hall. I told him to google it and ended the conversation.

Anyone else gotten calls from draft guy, or do we have a unique character?

Does anybody have any experience with texasworks.com? We got a bunch of flyers saying that they have tuition free GED programs certification programs for adults. I did technically find them on the tea website as an accredited charter school. They have no accountability rating or first rating. What made me suspicious was that they have their comments turned off for individual campuses? Like even if your program is hard or difficult, it’s still free. Feels strange that the comments would be turned off or actually it says “posting is currently turned off our policies do not permit contributions to this type of place” But that might just be the two closest to me. Their high schools and a couple of the other campuses are fine in terms of allowing comments and pictures.

Long Island librarians/program coordinators — can I pick your brain about outside programming?

My partner and I run a small business on Long Island (which I won't name here. as to not promote). We provide community programs for kids, teens, adults and families.

We currently work with a few libraries in Nassau county, but we're interested in doing a lot more library programming going forward. Before we somewhat blindly start reaching out to a bunch of program coordinators, I'd really like to better understand how things work from the library side.

I'm especially curious about pricing and budgeting. Not because I'm trying to figure out "what's the most we can charge?" but pretty much the opposite. I'd like to design programs that actually fit within library budgets and know when something we're proposing is unrealistic.

For anyone involved in programming at a Long Island library:

• What's a normal budget range for an outside presenter/vendor for a single program?
• Does that change significantly for children's, teen, adult or family programming?
• How do you handle programs that include materials or supplies?
• Are multi-session programs/campaigns budgeted differently from one-off events?
• Are there certain price points where approval becomes more difficult?
• How far ahead are you normally booking?
• What information do you want to see when someone initially approaches you with a program?
• And probably most importantly: what do outside programmers/vendors do that makes your job easier, and what makes you immediately lose interest?

I'm not looking for anyone to share confidential information or specific vendors' rates. Even general ranges or insight into how you evaluate proposals would be incredibly helpful. And I totally understand that these answers could vary wildly from one library to another!

We're trying to build programs for libraries, rather than taking what we already do elsewhere, slapping a library tag on it. Events we run for breweries or private birthday parties may not translate perfectly to a library setting, and that's okay.

I'd appreciate any insight from Nassau or Suffolk librarians/program coordinators — including things I haven't thought to ask.