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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p style='background:white'><span style='color:black'>Good afternoon! ALA President Barbara Stripling is rolling out an exciting community initiative called “The Declaration for the Right to Libraries”.</span><span lang=EN style='font-size:9.5pt;color:#303030'> </span><span lang=EN style='color:#303030'>The</span><span lang=EN style='font-size:9.5pt;color:#303030'> </span><span lang=EN style='color:#303030'>Declaration for the Right to Libraries is the cornerstone document of ALA President Barbara Stripling’s presidential initiative, <i>Libraries Change Lives</i>, which is designed to build the public will and sustained support for America’s right to libraries of ALL types – academic, special, school and public.</span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:12.0pt;margin-right:0in;margin-bottom:12.0pt;margin-left:0in;background:white'><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#303030'>In the next year, libraries of all types will hold signing ceremonies, during which community members can visibly declare their right to have vibrant libraries in their community. The signing ceremony is intended to serve as the launching point for continued and vibrant community engagement to:</span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><ul type=disc><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#303030;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;background:white'><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Increase public and media awareness about the critical role of libraries in communities around the country</span><o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#303030;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;background:white'><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Inspire ongoing conversations about the role of the library in the community</span><o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#303030;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;background:white'><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Cultivate a network of community allies and advocates for the library</span><o:p></o:p></li><li class=MsoNormal style='color:#303030;mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;background:white'><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Position the library as a trusted convener to help in the response to community issues</span><o:p></o:p></li></ul><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;background:white'><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#303030'>Please take a minute to visit </span><span style='color:black'><a href="http://www.ala.org/advocacy/declaration-right-libraries" target="_blank">http://www.ala.org/advocacy/declaration-right-libraries</a> </span><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'>for ideas on how to hold a signing ceremony, print out your own Declaration for your library, or participate with the virtual Declaration.</span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;background:white'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:black'>If you choose to participate, would you please send me details of your event so I can share them with ALA?</span><span style='color:black'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'> <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:black'> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Trish Burns<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Director, Public Libraries of Saginaw<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>505 Janes, Saginaw MI 48607<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>989-755-9833<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>989-755-9828 (fax)<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>tburns@saginawlibrary.org<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>www.saginawlibrary.org<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>ALA Chapter Councilor for Michigan<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><img border=0 width=160 height=169 id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.jpg@01CEC5DA.6459EB40" alt=PLOSlogoSig><o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>