IFLS is celebrating 35 years of library service on Wednesday May 21st - and we hope you can attend the celebration! Held at Fanny Hill in Eau Claire, perched high on a bluff with beautiful views of the Chippewa River, we will be sharing appetizers and a cash bar, a great speaker and a fun activity as well as conversation and camaraderie.
Starting at 4pm with a social hour, then Marge Lock-Wouters will entertain and inspire us with her unique brand of insight, wacky humor, storytelling mojo and passionate advocacy at 5:15pm. A game will follow Marge's talk along with more laughter and conversation until 7pm.
Please RSVP by May 12th along with $5/person to help cover costs.
We are hoping you could send us some photos to put in the slideshow too. Please send these to oleary@ifls.lib.wi.us by May 12th also. We want to show off all 53 libraries.
Here is the invitation
Invite Your: Library Staff, Board Members, Friends of the Library, and significant others.
Does your voice matter? Why should you go? What can YOU do?
Have you heard the name "Library Legislative Day" but just disregarded it because it didn't sound like something you'd want to participate in? Me too.
Last year I got involved because it was part of my job. I was apprehensive about going. At 6am I climbed the steps into the school bus leaving IFLS along with several others - many whom I did not know. What a surprise I got when we started mingling and planning our groups and getting hand outs on talking points. I was not alone and would be meeting with my legislators with a group of well-spoken people. It was fascinating to wander the capitol beforehand and it felt really good to be part of something that might make a difference for libraries. Even the bus ride back home after was full of conversation and laughter and maybe a little snoozing - what a great day it had been.
Stepping off the bus at 6pm, my feelings toward Library Legislative Day were really different from just 12 hours earlier. It felt great to have been a part of it and I was already looking forward to going again next year.
If you have any inkling go - I encourage you to do it. Ride the bus from IFLS if you can or at least meet up with the folks coming from the IFLS region when you are there.
Here is a link with lots of good information including the webinar Demystifying Library Legislative Day.
Remember to register so an appointment will be made for you.
Kathy O'Leary, Indianhead Federated Library System
