Friends chapter contact:

Hope you had nice holidays and your new year is off to a great start!  The State Friends Board met earlier in January and we have a couple of items for your consideration.

1. Library Legislative Day is Thursday, February 9.  We encourage you to contact your Library Director as they are scheduling visits with Representatives and Senators so you can join them in these visits.  If you haven’t participated in these visits before, I’m sure you will find them interesting and enlightening!  Visits by Friends make a big impression on legislators.  In addition to our visits, Friends will be managing the registration and also providing M&Ms for legislators.

The only bill related to libraries proposed thus far is SB35 which defines the way publishers of e-books can provide materials to Kentucky libraries.  This legislation is actually favorable to libraries – which is a pleasant turn compared to recent years!  The Public Library Legislative Committee will be watching this bill and others that may be proposed and will let us know if/when calls need to be made.  We will keep you posted.

2. The Friends Board is considering when and where to hold our annual meeting this year.  We plan to use as much time on the agenda as possible for exchanging information among Friends from across the state.  For many years we have held our annual meeting in conjunction with the Kentucky Book Festival in central Kentucky.  Some Friends enjoy the benefit of attending the book festival while also attending our annual meeting.  However, many of our chapters are located in western Kentucky and those Friends must travel a long distance to attend the annual meeting.  We would like to have your input on whether it is important to hold the annual meeting in conjunction with the book festival or would you prefer to hold the annual meeting in a location closer to our western Kentucky Friends?  If you have thoughts, please respond to me at wayneonkst@fuse.net.

Thanks very much for your consideration of these items and thank you for your work for the Friends and your library.  If our board can be helpful to you in your work, please let me know.  Also, if you are no longer the contact for your Friends chapter or you would like to add another name to receive this information, please let me know.

Wayne Onkst

President, Friends of Kentucky Libraries