---------------------------------------- From: "Piper Mountain Webs, LLC" <ddormody@piperwebs.com> Sent: Friday, January 21, 2022 9:08 AM To: director@hudsoncdl.org Subject: Will you lend your support to this effort to help libraries nationwide? Good morning, everyone! As many of you have already heard, Google has announced a discontinuation of their free GSuite service effective July 1. Technically they discontinued the service years ago, but they grandfathered in any organization that had previously signed up. This included many of the libraries served by PiperWebs, and certainly many many more libraries, large and small, across the U.S. While we are working to come up with feasible alternatives for our libraries that have taken advantage of the previously no-cost GSuite mail and other services, we also want to circulate a petition for presentation to Google, respectfully requesting that they expand their non-profit and educational exemptions to include public libraries. The text of our petition is shown below. To sign this online petition and lend your support to this effort, please visit the online version at https://www.change.org/p/go-give-public-libraries-a-break-google. Click the button to sign, and then consider sharing this link with your friends, co-workers, and social media followers. You might also consider circulating this on any of your listservs, and even reaching out to your state library associations and the ALA. With enough support, we may just convince one of the largest companies in the world to change their policy, and actively support public libraries everywhere! ----------------------------------------------------- Below is the text of the petition Google, please give public libraries a break! Google, you previously offered GSuite services at no cost to small groups and organizations. After discontinuing that practice, you graciously grandfathered in organizations that had already taken advantage of your offer. Now you've announced that this grace period will soon come to an end, and these small entities must begin to pay for your services, with exceptions for educational institutions and nonprofits. We are respectfully requesting that you broaden your education and non-profit definiton to include public libraries. Public libraries are the core of many communities, large and small, across the United States. Not only are they centers of community activities and education, but they typically provide free computer and internet access to their communities, opening the online world to a population that might otherwise be excluded. Public libraries rely on local tax dollars, public contributions, even bake sales and raffles, to fund their budgets. Many have little to no flexibility in their budgets. Expansion of no-cost GSuite services to include public libraries would be a huge benefit to these libraries, their communities, and to the millions of people whom they serve. Please expand your exemption to include public libraries by no later than April 1st, and therefore allow them to avoid the costs in both dollars and time associated with upgrading their services or seeking other alternatives. The net cost to Google would be tiny, yet given the crucial role of these libraries, you may never receive a greater return on any investment. -------------------------------------- Remember - visit https://www.change.org/p/go-give-public-libraries-a-break-google to sign and share! Sincerely, Dale Dormody Piper Mountain Webs, LLC www.librarywebsites.com 866-535-1930 ? ? ? ? Piper Mountain Webs, LLC | 125 Wild Acres Road, Gilford, NH 03249 Unsubscribe director@hudsoncdl.org Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by ddormody@piperwebs.com powered by Try email marketing for free today!