Rural Libraries Round Table, NYLA, Advocacy, Passion, and Support |
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What’s it like? I’ve been a one woman show in a few library settings. We do what we can. We have vision, we have a plan for the future, and then there are all those folks waiting for your help RIGHT NOW and books that need shelving, the displays that need moving, the floor that needs vacuuming (and on those terrible days the vomit that needs drying). And in the cleaning, checking out, report writing, and care giving, the big picture changes you want for your library and your community can feel further and further away. Nearly half of the public libraries in NY are either rural or small. In general, we aren’t paid well, a master’s degree is unthinkable for many of us, and we often hold a second job which restricts our ability to attend training or library related events. What’s the Rural Libraries Round Table? NYLA’s Rural Libraries Round Table (RLRT) is a group of library people who work in and/or advocate for rural libraries. RLRT is a part of NYLA. We “talk” through an email list, sharing ideas and challenges. We have a dynamite newsletter called The Best (#4 is available here: http://eepurl.com/bSXuLT). We have fun meet ups, the next of which is near by, in Hammondsport. Sometimes it feels so good to be able to hang out with someone who gets it without you explaining, who knows why you haven’t gotten around to the window display or planning your programs a year in advance, and they won’t judge you for it. We just try to break through the isolation we all feel sometimes. Supporting Each Other Did you go to Advocacy Day? Most of us didn’t (see above for explanation). For the New York Library Association, every day is Advocacy Day. That tiny staff in Guilderland works tirelessly for libraries. Supporting their efforts is lending a hand to your neighbors as well as helping your own library. Boards! Directors! Check out becoming a member of NYLA as an organization : http://tinyurl.com/j944lqq. For many STLS libraries, the cost is $50/year and for almost everyone else it’s $75/year. It’s a small price to pay for year round advocacy. Ooh ooh! I almost forgot to tell you, you can only become an RLRT member as a member of NYLA. RLRT is the rural community voice in NYLA. While you can read about your colleagues in The Best without membership, interacting – through email lists, the polls, or in person at our meet-ups – is reserved for RLRT members.
Yours, in learning and in libraries, Margo |
