In This Issue
President's Corner ~ Macmillan eBook Embargo ~ EDI Summit 2019
News from the RI Library Community ~ News from the Sections
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September is “back to school” month, and I wanted to take a moment to mention our wonderful school librarians and all they do to promote reading and information literacy to the young students of Rhode Island.
As you know, we welcomed the
School Librarians of Rhode Island (
SLRI) last year as a new section of RILA. SLRI “represents school library media professionals and support staff working for school library media, computer, and instructional technology programs in Rhode Island. The purpose of SLRI is to provide leadership and support for school library media professionals and support staff in the development, promotion, improvement, and evaluation of school library media, computer, and instructional technology programs in all Rhode Island schools.” A most important mission! We welcome you to RILA and look forward to supporting and promoting all you do.
Julie Holden, RILA President
Reminders:
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RILA
Calls for Macmillan to Reverse Library eBook Embargo
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On July 25th, Macmillan Publishing announced it would become the only major (Big 5) publisher to limit eBook lending for U.S. libraries. Under its new licensing model, scheduled to begin November 1, 2019, a library may purchase one copy upon release of a new title in eBook format, after which the publisher will impose an 8-week embargo on additional copies of that title sold to libraries.
As American Library Association (ALA) President Wanda Brown asserted that same day, “Macmillan Publishers’ new model for library eBook lending will make it difficult for libraries to fulfill our central mission: ensuring access to information for all. Macmillan’s new policy is unacceptable.”
Rhode Island Library Association (RILA) President Julie Holden agrees and adds, “By providing readers with wide access to authors and their works, libraries are partners, not adversaries, of the publishing industry. We contribute to the success of Macmillan’s writers and authors, who will be negatively affected by this embargo.”
Click here to
Sign the Petition
and tell Macmillan Publisher CEO John Sargent that you demand #eBooksforAll!
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Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Summit 2019
The RI Office of Library & Information Services, along with the RI Library Association, Cornucopia of RI, and the URI Graduate School of Library & Information Services, held a day-long Equity, Diversity & Inclusion Summit on August 7 at the University of Rhode Island's Carothers Library.
Eighty librarians and library staff from all types of libraries came together for this full-day program, which provided opportunities for listening and sharing about how to embed equity, diversity, and inclusion practices into library services, programs, collections, and work culture.
Read more about the events of the day, and the organizations and speakers who participated, by clicking
here
.
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News from the Rhode Island Library Community
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Marlene Lopes Retires After 26 Years
Marlene Lopes, Special Collections Librarian, retired after 36 years at the Adams Library at Rhode Island College. Marlene began working in the library as Head of Reference in 1983 and became Head of Special Collections in 1990. She was granted Full Professor in 2014. In her tenure at the Adams Library, and as a Reference Librarian at the Providence Public Library, she built lasting relationships, especially in collecting the works of the local Cape Verdean community.
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Greenville Public Library to Close for Construction
The Greenville Public Library will close for two weeks, from September 22 through October 6, for construction. The library is expanding its parking lot, increasing its parking capacity from 44 spaces to 98 spaces. The library has a capacity of 201 people, so the additional spaces will help more patrons to access the library during its busier hours. The library is also constructing a new entrance and exit on Pleasant View Avenue, which will provide an alternative way to access the library. The library is currently accessible only from Putnam Pike (Route 44), which is often congested during peak traffic times. Many of the library's patrons have expressed their anticipation and relief at the prospect of being able to access the library without having to drive on Putnam Pike.
Library staff will conduct outreach in the community while the library is closed, offering story times and other programs at Deerfield Park and the Smithfield Senior Center. Staff will be taking advantage of the “free time” to hold strategic planning meetings and training sessions, which can be difficult to schedule when the library is open.
Greenville Public Library looks forward to reopening on October 7 and expects that the construction project will be completed by October 31. This project was made possible through a $700,000 grant from the Champlin Foundation.
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News from Cranston Public Library
CPL Wins Grant to Launch Racial Equity Initiative
The Cranston Public Library has won a $10,000 grant from the Rhode Island Foundation to offer racial equity training to as many as 50 municipal, business, and nonprofit leaders this fall. The initiative is a partnership with the OneCranston Working Cities Initiative and the Cranston City Council.
The library will bring the Racial Equity Institute to Cranston to conduct the training using its “Groundwater Approach to Addressing Racial Inequities.” The goal is to give participants the skills to interact with diverse populations in a culturally competent manner.
Click
here
to learn more.
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CPL Receives Funding to Provide Digital Skills Training
Cranston Public Library was selected to participate in Libraries Lead with Digital Skills, an initiative of the American Library Association (ALA) and the Public Library Association (PLA), sponsored by Grow With Google, the tech company’s economic opportunity initiative. The library will use the funding to host three job skills seminars led by Jean Baur, a career coach, writer, and speaker with 20 years of experience in the outplacement industry.
Click
here
to learn more.
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News from Tiverton Public Library
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TPL Receives Funding to Provide Digital Skills Training
Tiverton Public Library was selected to participate in Libraries Lead with Digital Skills, an initiative of ALA and PLA, sponsored by Grow With Google, the tech company’s economic opportunity initiative.
Tiverton Public Library will use the funding to introduce a series of digital literacy programs, including classes on computer and internet basics, online job searches and resume-building, and getting a small business online. The first of these classes is slated to begin in early September.
“We see many patrons come to the library looking to learn how to better use technology and the web,” says Patrick Elliot, Technology Librarian at TPL. “Our upcoming programs introduce patrons to powerful, free online resources that are available at home and in the library, helping them learn a variety of 21st-century skills using the Grow with Google platform.”
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TPL Holds Escape Room for Banned Books Week
"A group of concerned citizens have formed a group, the Society To Understand People’s Interests & Desires, to better protect the public from inappropriate ideas and materials. This group has locked up all your intellectual freedom rights. You have 45 minutes to break into the box and gain back full access to your rights."
As part of its celebration of Banned Books Week, TPL will host a series of escape rooms for adults and teens on Saturday, September 28th, that highlight the importance of intellectual freedom.
Click
here
for more information.
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Passages
It is with great sadness that we report the passing of
Shirley Payne
, former Director of the North Kingstown Free Library, and
Daniel Murphy
, reference librarian at Coventry Public Library.
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News from the RILA Sections
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News from the RI Coalition of Library Advocates
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News from Cornucopia of Rhode Island
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The Rhode Island Library Association
is a professional organization that serves its members through career development, education, advocacy, networking partnerships, and legislative action.
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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 include publishing the RILA Bulletin, managing social media platforms, such as Facebook and Twitter, and exploring other media as needed.
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