As Evanstonians are acutely aware, times are tough for libraries. The current economic climate has resulted in cuts to library funding nationwide. Large cities and small towns alike have been feeling the crunch of tight budgets and funding cuts. But for those of us who love and support our local libraries, there are still ample opportunities to have our voices be heard. For those looking to share some library love, there are a couple of easy ways to do so right now at EPL:
1.) Woman’s Day magazine and the American Library Association are currently running an essay contest for women who love the library. They are looking for original essays (by women) of 700 words or less, telling why the library is important in your community. Up to four essays will appear in an upcoming issue of Woman’s Day and online at WomansDay.com. Submissions are being accepted through May 09, 2010. Additional information and the official rules for the contest are available here.
2.) The week of April 11th is National Library Week and we’d like for you to help us celebrate. We’re looking to collect brief, 1 or 2 sentence testimonials from our patrons about why they love the library. We’re planning to post your comments on our website for the week to celebrate our patrons, our library, and our community. If you’re interested in contributing a comment, please stop by either the 2nd Floor Reader’s Advisory Desk or the 3rd Floor Reference Desk and talk to a librarian anytime.