Director Briefing - March 31, 2025

Budgets - Director Meeting at OWWL HQ on Friday, April 4 at 10 AM

This Friday at 10 AM will be our first Director Meeting at OWWL HQ. The topic will be budgets.

As a reminder, these in-person meetings are informal presentations on topics pertinent to directors, with time for chit-chat following.

CREW Guidelines

For those interested in resources to assist in weeding, Kathryn shared CREW (Continuous Review Evaluation Weeding) Guidelines at OWWLUG last week.

CREW_weeding_1.pdf

CREW_weeding_2.pdf

2024 Community Connections

The updated version of Community Connections: Serving People in Ontario, Wayne, Wyoming, and Livingston Counties is available at OWWL HQ, and was sent out to regional correctional facilities late last year. The updated version is also available online via owwl.org/outreach/ and OWWL Docs. The PDF version is printer-friendly, should any patrons request it.

Unfortunately, the information included in a resource like this very quickly goes out of date. With this in mind, please consider weeding earlier editions of Community Connections that your library may still have. Evergreen shows three earlier editions are still around (Database IDs 374863, 615266, 291644).

Thank you, and let Piety know if you have any questions on this.

Grant Opportunity: Harold Hacker Fund for the Advancement of Libraries

There is a grant available through the Friends & Foundation of the Rochester Public Library (FFRPL). The application is now open, and all applications are due May 2, 2025.

Funding will be available for projects that meet the following areas:

• To further education and professional development for librarians and library staff throughout the five-county region served by Rochester Regional Library Council.
• To further innovative library projects and programs at RRLC member libraries and the Monroe County Library and OWWL Library Systems and their member libraries.

For more information, visit: https://rrlc.org/services/grant-opportunities/harold-hacker-fund-for-advancement-of-libraries/

Executive Order Targeting IMLS (March 14, 2025)

Many of you may still be receiving questions regarding the March 14 Executive Order. Here is a summary from the FAQ: Executive Order Targeting IMLS webpage by the American Library Association.

What the Executive Order Does:

• Orders the elimination of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and six other agencies to the maximum extent allowed by law.
• Directs agencies to reduce services and staff to the bare minimum required by law.
• Instructs the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to reject any budget requests from IMLS except for shutting it down.

Impact on IMLS and Libraries:

• IMLS Elimination: While the order cannot directly abolish IMLS (since it was created by law), it seeks to make it as nonfunctional as possible.
• Grants to Libraries: It is unclear how current and future grant funding will be affected.
• Funding Conflict: Congress recently approved funding for IMLS through September 2025, but the Executive Order contradicts that decision.
• IMLS Staff: The order aims to reduce and eventually eliminate IMLS employees, which may lead to job losses.
• Library Services at Risk: Programs funded by IMLS—such as technology training, services for people with disabilities, book delivery for seniors, and summer reading programs—could be severely impacted.

How to Take Action:

• Contact Congress: Call or email your Senators and Representatives urging them to overturn the order and protect IMLS funding.
• Spread Awareness: Share the ALA’s action alert with five people in your network.
• Write to Local Media: Submit letters to newspapers about the impact of IMLS funding on your community.
• Join ALA: Support advocacy efforts by becoming a member.
• Share Your Story: Contribute to ALA’s collection of personal stories on the importance of federal funding.

Ways the Executive Order Could Be Stopped:

• Congressional Action: Lawmakers could pass legislation to override the order.
• Legal Challenges: Courts could rule parts of the order unconstitutional or unlawful.
• Future Reversal: The current or a future president could rescind or modify the order.

ALA’s Response:

• Advocating for IMLS preservation through policy work in Washington, D.C.
• Raising media awareness about the impact of IMLS funding cuts.
• Mobilizing library supporters to contact their elected officials.