St. Cloud, MN, February 2017: Wednesday, Feb. 22, is Library Legislative Day.
Library advocates from throughout the state will visit the Capitol to deliver some very important messages. Libraries have been running a grassroots advocacy campaign called “Minnesota Loves Libraries” since December. They have collected stories of the ways that libraries affect people and communities across the state.
“We know our patrons love their libraries because they tell us every day,” said Karen Pundsack, executive director of Great River Regional Library, the library system serving much of Central Minnesota. “It’s good to be able to share these stories with our legislators so they can also see how much their support is needed and appreciated.”
A library patron from Monticello said, “The library is a quiet oasis from the stormy blasts of the world. Comfy chairs, an abundance of reading materials and special programs make ‘library day’ the highlight of our week!” And an elderly patron wrote, “I am 95 years old and live in a care center. I’m in a wheelchair, but I can still travel the world by reading. The library is everything to me.” Staff have gathered hundreds of messages with similar sentiments.
Library supporters attending Legislative Day at the Minnesota Capitol will hand deliver these messages from constituents to their legislators. This will allow Legislators to see the impact libraries have in the communities they represent and to provide an opportunity for them to respond directly.
Supported by the Council of Regional Public Library System Administrators (CRPLSA), the campaign was administered by each library region individually.
GRRL provides library services at 32 public libraries in Benton, Morrison, Sherburne, Stearns, Todd and Wright Counties. It provides Central Minnesota residents with nearly 1 million books, CDs and DVDs, 250 public computers, programming and information services.
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