ARSL Home<http://arsl.memberclicks.net/message2/link/81971fb9-52f8-403f-b158-1f5029568f75/1> | About<http://arsl.memberclicks.net/message2/link/81971fb9-52f8-403f-b158-1f5029568f75/2> | Join<http://arsl.memberclicks.net/message2/link/81971fb9-52f8-403f-b158-1f5029568f75/3> | Support<http://arsl.memberclicks.net/message2/link/81971fb9-52f8-403f-b158-1f5029568f75/4> | ARSL Store<http://arsl.memberclicks.net/message2/link/81971fb9-52f8-403f-b158-1f5029568f75/5> [Image] ARSL Office Dispatch Welcome to the ARSL Office Dispatch! Weekly updates from ARSL Upcoming Closures The ARSL Office will be closed on Friday, June 9, 2023. We will re-open Monday, June 12, 2023. Need Advocacy Advice or Support? The Advocacy Center is ARSL's new and growing resource hub in support of advocacy efforts in rural and small libraries nationwide! Have a topic you'd like the Advocacy Committee to investigate next? Email the ARSL Office at info@arsl.org<mailto:info@arsl.org> to let them know! Coming Soon: ARSL Advocacy Video Series! These short-form videos will provide practical guidance and advice for educating your staff, Board, and community members on hot advocacy topics. [Visit the Advocacy Center] [Request Advocacy Support] Become an ARSL Hero! Want your organization listed here? Join the ARSL Supporters Alliance at the Hero level to show your support of rural and small libraries to 7,000+ library workers, advocates, and fans every week! Other Hero level benefits include a complimentary exhibit booth at our annual conference, coordinated social media cross-promotion, and more! Click the link below to learn more about the Alliance and help libraries do more, with more. [Join the Alliance!] ARSL Newsroom How Two Iowa Librarians Are Standing Up for Readers Written by Joel Bleifuss; Published by Barn Raiser Libraries are one of the very few places, rural or urban, where you can just go somewhere and be," says Kate Laughlin, the executive director of the Association for Rural and Small Libraries (ARSL). "You can be there for as long as you want. There's no admission price. It's warm and dry and there's entertainment and a comfortable place to sit. You'd be hard pressed to think of any place in our country where that is the case besides one's own home and the occasional community center. That is a very important part of a library, when you're talking about rural areas." Rural libraries are also outposts of intellectual freedom, providing community members with books, movies and magazines that represent a diverse range of political, social and cultural perspectives. And for that reason, in red states and in red counties across the nation, rural libraries are ground zero in a culture war being waged by an unholy alliance of evangelical Christian nationalists, Donald Trump's MAGA Republicans, and Moms for Liberty, the book banning group aligned with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. In 2022, American Library Association members reported 1,271 book challenges, many of which involved multiple books, adding up to 2,571 unique titles targeted last year. Barn Raiser spoke with the directors of two Iowa libraries, who are active members of the 2,600-member strong ARSL, about the role libraries play the life of their communities. Tyler Hahn, 31, is the director of the Cherokee Public Library in Cherokee, Iowa, a town of 5,199 in Cherokee County, in the northwest corner of the state. Cherokee is a red town in a red county that is 90 percent white. Hahn is a member of the Advocacy Committee of the ARSL, which these days is busy supporting rural librarians confronted by book banners through the group's Advocacy Center. Jennie Garner, 55, is the director of the North Liberty Library, North Liberty, a town of 20,875 in Johnson County, in eastern Iowa. Garner, who describes her county as "a little blue bubble," is the president of the ARSL board of directors. [Continue Reading] ARSL 2024 Elections The ARSL 2024 Board Elections season is here! The candidacy form is now open. All candidates will self-nominate using the candidacy form. Once the nomination window has closed, the candidates will be announced. To learn more visit our Elections page at the link below. [Learn More] ARSL Professional Networking Groups Upcoming Meetings Librarians with Disabilities - First Meeting: June 7, 2023 First Wednesdays, 10 am PT / 11 am MT / 12 pm CT / 1 pm ET Youth and Teen Services - First Meeting: June 8, 2023 Second Thursdays, 12 pm PT / 1 pm MT / 2 pm CT / 3 pm ET Adult Services - First Meeting: June 12, 2023 Second Mondays, 10 am PT / 11 am MT / 12 pm CT / 1 pm ET [Register Here] [Register Here] [Register Here] Neurodiverse (ADHD, autism, etc library staff) - First Meeting: June 21, 2023 Third Wednesdays, 3 pm PT / 4 pm MT / 5 pm CT / 6 pm ET Readers' Advisory - First Meeting: June 28, 2023 Fourth Wednesday, 12 pm PT / 1 pm MT / 2 pm CT / 3 pm ET [Register Here] [Register Here] 2023 Conference Updates [https://s3.amazonaws.com/oasis-prod01-unlayer/1678836159847-ARSL23+logo.png] ARSL Conference | September 20-23, 2023 | Wichita, KS This year's conference theme is "Unite & Ignite"! Our conference provides an opportunity to unite as a professional community and foster a sense of togetherness across a nation of small but mighty libraries. When we come together to share and learn we'll light fires of innovation and change that can burn bright all year long. #ARSL2023 Conference Scholarship Recipients Dr. Bernard Vavrek Conference Scholarship for LIS Students Recipient: Bailey VandeKamp, University of Iowa iSchool, Iowa City, IA Founders Conference Scholarship for Early-Career Library Workers Recipient: Nicole Sargent, Gill Memorial Library, Paulsboro, NJ The Empowering Library Workers of Color Conference Scholarship Recipient: Christinna Swearingen, Rusk County Community Library, Ladysmith, WI ARSL Angels Conference Scholarship Recipient: Elizabeth Miller, Rehoboth Beach Public Library, Rehoboth Beach, DE [https://s3.amazonaws.com/oasis-prod01-unlayer/1685464900089-Copy+of+Copy+of+...] Exhibitor & Sponsor Registration is open! We look forward to continuing our successful hybrid event model for 2023. We will be able to bring the ARSL community together again in Wichita, Kansas, and we'll also be able to reach those who are unable to travel via virtual access. So come exhibit with us to unite with our attendees and ignite interest in your products and services with our key organizational decision-makers. Your exhibitor registration includes both an in-person booth and a virtual booth to maximize attendee engagement. Sponsors will be even more visible across our in-person conference and virtual app, with on-site logo placement and a presence in the virtual sponsor hall. [Register as a Sponsor or Exhibitor] [Visit the ARSL Conference Store for apparel, drinkware, accessories, and more!]<http://arsl.memberclicks.net/message2/link/81971fb9-52f8-403f-b158-1f5029568f75/16> Conference Hotels Booking Information is Now Available! If you plan on attending the 2023 ARSL Conference, please visit our website to book your room from our Conference hotels: Hyatt Regency - Downtown Wichita $122/night (plus taxes and fees) | Connected to the conference center Drury Plaza Broadview Hotel Wichita $137/night (plus taxes and fees) | 0.3 miles from the conference center Fairfield Inn & Suites Wichita $129/night (plus taxes and fees) | 0.3 miles from the conference center Note: rooms booked through third-party booking sites (Expedia.com, Priceline.com, KAYAK, etc.) will not be eligible for conference attendee rates. To ensure the best rate possible on your conference accommodations be sure to use the official booking links on our conference website by clicking the button below! [Book Your Room] Important Dates Registration June 13, 2023 | Early Bird Registration opens; Virtual Registration opens July 18, 2023 | Early Bird Registration closes September 6, 2023 | Advance Registration for in-person attendance & preconference workshops closes September 20-23, 2023 | On-Site Registration for in-person attendance & preconference workshops available September 23, 2023 | Virtual Registration closes Conference Hotels August 29, 2023 | Hyatt Regency Wichita booking deadline August 18, 2023 | Drury Plaza Hotel Broadview - Wichita booking deadline August 30, 2023 | Fairfield by Marriott booking deadline Conference Store Order any time! Merchandise is printed & shipped on-demand. 2023 ARSL Conference Registration 2023 Conference Rates ARSL Member Rates Base Conference Attendance Early Bird - $290 Regular - $375 Preconference Workshops** 3-Hour Workshops - $55 4-Hour Workshops - $70 Virtual Attendance $55 Student, Advocate & Retiree Rates* Base Conference Attendance Early Bird - $245 Regular - $285 Preconference Workshops** 3-Hour Workshops - $55 4-Hour Workshops - $70 Virtual Attendance $30 Nonmember Rates Base Conference Attendance Early Bird - $380 Regular - $450 Preconference Workshops** 3-Hour Workshops - $80 4-Hour Workshops - $95 Virtual Attendance $80 *Must be a Student, Advocate, or Retiree member<http://arsl.memberclicks.net/message2/link/81971fb9-52f8-403f-b158-1f5029568f75/18> of ARSL to receive this pricing. **Preconference Workshop fees are charged in addition to Base Conference Registration and are available for in-person conference attendees only. [Learn More] [Image] Contact Info: The Association for Rural & Small Libraries PO BOX 33731, Seattle, WA, 98133 (206) 453-3579 info@arsl.org<http://arsl.memberclicks.net/message2/link/81971fb9-52f8-403f-b158-1f5029568f75/20> Connect with Us: [Facebook] [Twitter] ________________________________ The Association for Rural & Small Libraries * PO Box 33731, Seattle, Washington 98133, United States * 206-453-3579<tel:206-453-3579> [Powered by MemberClicks]<http://www.memberclicks.com/>
