Good afternoon, all. For the fourth year in a row, the White House budget proposal eliminates funding for IMLS, and we need your support to fix that. Our work together over the past three years has resulted in Congress restoring and, in fiscal year 2020,  increasing  funding for the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), and sustaining funding for the Innovative Approaches to Literacy Act (IAL). Although the routine is familiar, we must act with a fresh sense of urgency to ensure that federal funding for libraries is a priority for Congress in FY 2021. The “Dear Appropriator” campaign has begun .  Two library-specific "Dear Appropriator" letters are circulating in the House and Senate. One asks members of the Appropriations Committee for $206 million to fund the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). The other asks the Committee to fully fund ($27 million) the Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL) program. The more signatures we have, the more l

Dear Esteemed AzLA Members, I am so pleased to have the opportunity to represent your interests and work with you as AzLA President for the next 12 months.  As I mentioned during the 2019 conference, I view library services from a holistic perspective, with each library type playing a key role in serving the citizens of Arizona.  Because the Arizona Library Association represents the interests of all libraries, the organization is well-suited to address all our needs in service of that mission. Our priority at AzLA is to promote service and librarianship in libraries of all types throughout the state of Arizona.  During my term as president, I will work with the Executive Board and the membership to advocate for our school libraries through the Arizona School Boards Association (ASBA) which will champion school libraries directly to those who vote on school library budgets. We will start a conversation with accreditation entities about requiring K-12s to have and support scho

photo @ 2019 Steven Meckler Photography Copper Queen Library Awarded Best Small Library 2019 Check out the article in Library Journal Thriving Together | Best Small Library in America 2019

This year's winner of the Louise A. Stephens Memorial Scholarship is Alexander Soto. As a graduate student earning a Master of Library and Information Science from the University of Arizona and a member of the Knowledge River cohort, Alex is setting into motion his desire to provide library services in tribal communities on and off the reservation. With experience in public, academic and tribal libraries, Alex has already assembled a wide range of skills and abilities that attest to his commitment to providing library services. Currently, he works for the ASU Library system and oversees the operations at the Labriola National American Indian Data Center’s West Campus branch. Alex believes a career as a librarian synthesizes his creative, cultural and professional backgrounds, as well as his interest in social justice by democratizing access to information.

A limited number of scholarships are available to support library staff who live at least 50 miles from the venue to attend the full summit. Support for scholarships is provided by the Arizona State Library, Archives & Public Records, a division of the Secretary of State, with federal funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Scholarship applications are being accepted through October 25, 2019 and applicants will be notified of scholarship awards by November 4. General registration will open November 8. If you have questions about the scholarship application process, please contact the Registration and Scholarship Committee at 520-432-8935 or earlyliteracysummit@azla.org . If you are ready to apply, the application is available here . For more information please visit the Early Literacy Summit Program Book .

ALA has launched a national campaign against Macmillan's e-book embargo. An online petition has been created to engage members and the community in urging Macmillan Publishers to reverse the proposed embargo on e-books sold to libraries. Please participate in the petition and read our letter to Macmillan Publishers below. ebooksforall.org Letter to Macmillan Publishers CEO, John Sargent: Dear Mr. Sargent, On behalf of the more than 700 members of the Arizona Library Association (AzLA), we are writing to object to and ask Macmillan Publishers to reconsider its plan to embargo new eBook titles for U.S. public libraries staring November 1. Under this new model, we understand a public library may purchase only a single copy of each new title in eBook format upon release, after which Macmillan will impose an eight-week embargo on additional eBook sales of that title. To public libraries and the millions of people who rely on them every day, Macmillan's new policy is

You can now register for the 2019 AzLA conference in Tucson! Register for AzLA's 2019 Conference because…. ·           Keynote Speakers inspire sustainable thinking and invigorate your practice ·           You can join the Conversation! - Solidarity Roundtable Discussions around Advocacy and Sustainability ·           We have more Program sessions, More Blitz sessions than ever before ·           There are more than 30 Program Sessions and over 20 Blitz sessions to choose from ·           You have the opportunity to attend up to 20 different programs during the 2 1/2 day conference ·           You will have access to over 35 vendors and exhibitors ·           You can buy a 3-day streetcar pass for just $5 If you are unable to make it on a weekday or are a school librarian, educator, or paraprofessional, we have thought of you. See the schedule for Saturday! All fees are lower for members, so be sure to renew or become a member first, if you wish. Pleas