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Summer reading, outreach and federal IMLS uncertainty discussed; staff travel and cultural passes affected
Summary
Library staff told trustees summer reading programs are underway and that federal litigation involving the Institute of Museum and Library Science has disrupted a staff leadership institute and created uncertainty about related grant funding.
Library staff updated trustees on summer programming, outreach and federal funding uncertainty. The Nogales system has launched summer reading events for children and teens at branch libraries and is participating in back-to-school outreach: Rio Rico’s back-to-school blitz is scheduled for July 12 and Nogales High School outreach on July 19. Staff said the libraries partner with the Friends group to provide backpacks and school supplies for community giveaways.
Library staff reported that litigation involving the Institute of Museum and Library Science (IMLS) has introduced uncertainty around federal grants and related programs. "Last week just, a federal judge declined to block the Trump's administration to dismantle inter the Institute of Museum and Library Science," the director said; that ruling affected the staff summer leadership institute, which was canceled and postponed for Laura Rodriguez, the system’s children’s librarian, who had been scheduled to graduate from that program. Staff said they have not yet heard details from state or county library leadership about longer-term impacts and will update the board when additional information is available.
Staff also promoted the Act 1 culture pass program available through the county library system that lets cardholders borrow a pass for two people to selected Arizona cultural sites, and noted that the director was elected to the Amigos board and will attend orientation July 8 and conferences in August and November. The director said she will bring back information from those meetings to share with staff and the board.
Trustees asked about local funding: staff said the library budget is established by the city, and the city then bills the county for roughly half of the cost. The director said there is no separate local library tax currently in place here; the idea of a library district has been discussed historically but not advanced.
