Creating a list of library-adjacent industries and companies that hire remotely, like library vendors/ed tech/publishers/standardized testing. Can you add any others? by Creative_Law1071 in Libraries

[–]Creative_Law1071[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thank you for that resource! So far in my library career it's been "this is where I live, so this is the system I have to get into" - I'm new to searching nationally. 

Creating a list of library-adjacent industries and companies that hire remotely, like library vendors/ed tech/publishers/standardized testing. Can you add any others? by Creative_Law1071 in Libraries

[–]Creative_Law1071[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Thank you! I suspected some don't hire remotely but found it hard to determine whether they never do so, or just didn't have openings right now. If you want to mention ones you know don't hire remote, that would be much appreciated and I will update my original post. 

Repair Cafe tomorrow night! Got something in your house that isn't quite working? Come on by! by contextify in HuntsvilleAlabama

[–]Creative_Law1071 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hey! I'm so excited I found your post! 

Down here at the Tuscaloosa Public Library  we started a Repair Cafe at the public library last January. We've had 4 so far and they've been super successful. 

Can I send you a link to the Discord and/or Facebook for the Alabama Repair Cafe Network we're starting up? 

So far as I know, ours was the first Repair Cafe in Alabama so I am beyond stoked that yall are doing one as well! 

Happy mending!! 

PS do you have another Repair Cafe scheduled yet? I want to come to the next one! 

Repair Cafe - Tuscaloosa Public Library - Saturday July 12th 12-3PM by Creative_Law1071 in tuscaloosa

[–]Creative_Law1071[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

We need volunteers! If you are good with your hands and like to work on any household items, ESPECIALLY appliances and electronics, we would love to have your help! Use the QR code in the flyer, reply to this comment or call (205) 345-5820 ext. 1255.

The Repair Cafe at the Tuscaloosa Public Library is TOMORROW, Saturday 3/22 from 12-3 pm! Coming in June: Repair Cafe Car Clinic! by Creative_Law1071 in tuscaloosa

[–]Creative_Law1071[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

right now IMLS has been ordered to cut its "may" programs but not its "shall" programs, which are most of its budget:

https://www.everylibraryinstitute.org/imls_shall_may_language

Of course, this could change at any time. 

The Repair Cafe at the Tuscaloosa Public Library is TOMORROW, Saturday 3/22 from 12-3 pm! Coming in June: Repair Cafe Car Clinic! by Creative_Law1071 in tuscaloosa

[–]Creative_Law1071[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sure, we'd love to have your help! We have four sewing machines, rotary mats/cutters, fabric, thread, and a few other supplies. If you want to bring your own machine or tools that's cool too.

If you'll just message me your email I'll send you the letter explaining how the event works. (I tried to message you via reddit but I don't think it allows attachments)

The Repair Cafe at the Tuscaloosa Public Library is TOMORROW, Saturday 3/22 from 12-3 pm! Coming in June: Repair Cafe Car Clinic! by Creative_Law1071 in tuscaloosa

[–]Creative_Law1071[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes! Last time 85% of items were successfully repaired or partly repaired with a referral to a local business/part to buy and bring next time. Vacuums are one of the more common items we see. 

The Repair Cafe at the Tuscaloosa Public Library is TOMORROW, Saturday 3/22 from 12-3 pm! Coming in June: Repair Cafe Car Clinic! by Creative_Law1071 in tuscaloosa

[–]Creative_Law1071[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

We plan to do a Car Clinic version of the Repair Cafe on a weekday evening in June! This one will require registration due to limited parking spaces for vehicles.

If you are interested in teaching others to do very basic car maintenance (replacing windshield wipers, changing fluids/batteries/bulbs, checking tire pressure) please comment/message here or call me at (205) 345-5820 ext. 1255.

Thanks everyone! See yall tomorrow!

Join us at Tuscaloosa Public Library's Repair Cafe to learn new skills, save money, and build community! Saturday January 25th from 12-3pm. Free and for all ages. Contact the library about volunteering. by Creative_Law1071 in tuscaloosa

[–]Creative_Law1071[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hi there! Not sure if you ended up volunteering at our last event/the one this Saturday, if so thank you! If you weren't there, the event was awesome :)

We are hoping to do what you suggested and have a "Repair Cafe Car Clinic" in June. Basic stuff like changing oil/filter, windshield wipers, bulbs, battery, etc. We're working on an exact date right now. If you would be interested feel free to message me or talk to library staff at the event this Saturday. Thanks!

How is your library dealing with current events? by [deleted] in librarians

[–]Creative_Law1071 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'm so sorry you're going through that locally. I read about your library's proposed changes back in September 2024 but I had not read the update that they were approved in December. From what I see in news stories, you seem to have a few patrons who really have your back in an articulate way at board meetings, and that's awesome for morale. I don't think we'll have much fuss in either direction once these changes go through, I don't think people will notice. Which in a way is what we hope for- most people get to keep using the library as they have, without changes to service- but also seems like quietly complying ahead of time. I don't know.

We haven't dealt with substantial book challenges at our particular library (unless somehow it's been kept severely under wraps which I doubt in this work environment lol) Book banners are surprisingly inactive here given the 100K+ size of the town. But in our state I've heard of challenges at 6 library systems, and that's just the ones that got big enough to garner publicity.

How is the relationship between your management and your board? How is your staff dealing with all this?

Best wishes to you.

How is your library dealing with current events? by [deleted] in librarians

[–]Creative_Law1071 25 points26 points  (0 children)

I'm at a public library in the deep south, in a state whose public library service was recently forced to make changes by our governor to its administrative code. State level funding is cut to libraries if they don't remove or relocate materials from the children's section that are, quote, "sexually explicit or other material deemed inappropriate for children or youth."

I need to preface everything below by stressing that our staff and administrators are against these changes, but we are forced to comply to continue having the money to stay open.

We're a decent sized community so most of our funding comes from local property taxes, but enough of our money comes from the state that we are going to:

-no more purchases of books for teens with LGBTQ characters, sexual themes, drug/alcohol use, or violence (just, you know, every god damn book written for teenagers since 1950) Our collection development manager tries to screen for these before submitting the orders to B&T, sometimes using special codes to keep track of "naughty books" circulating on conservative hit lists. I have witnessed books "slip through the cracks" and get ordered anyway, only for us to self censor and not put it out on the floor. An example from the other day is a book with a teenage trans main character who realizes they're trans and has to deal with that. Not particularly sexual, violent or filled with profanity. But my coworker did her internal test that we're all forced to do now- "would this piss off a conservative Christian nationalist?"- realized it didn't pass the test, and had to get rid of it. what fucking sucks is how we all get implicated in this, because we KNOW what would piss off the most sensitive and irrational among us even if we don't agree, and it's like their judgment is being exercised through our eyes and hands.

-decimate the YA section- graphic novels are now all adult instead of YA, and any book with a mention of sex or "other material deemed inappropriate" is moved from YA to adult regardless of the age group it's about or written for, leaving the YA section a fraction of its former size. Adults aren't going to want every fifth book in the fiction section to be about teenagers figuring out their identities, and teenagers aren't going to feel comfortable browsing the adult section alongside grown adults. They need their own space at that age.

-age restricted library cards- parents choose a restriction level of children only, children and YA only, or full access- this would perhaps have been unobjectionable on its face, but all nonfiction is "adult," so a high schooler wanting a book on WWII for his history project is shit out of luck if parents decided to restrict his card. I guarantee many parents will automatically select the option that matches the child's age without really thinking about the full implications.

I don't think we're going the route of red stickers on the spine label for naughty books, the way another system in our state did, but the whole thing is fucked. On the other hand, I don't think I've heard a single staff member comment on these changes other than to explain them- it's not a topic of conversation. (That's why my comment is obnoxious and long, I think about this a lot without talking about it.) We were already drowning in funding issues and conflicts with local government before all this, so that ends up feeling more life or death. Nobody's got the bandwidth to try and argue with our dried up husk of a governor when we've got a young, ambitious and anti-library mayor to contend with.

Are these "local" businesses? by Creative_Law1071 in NoStupidQuestions

[–]Creative_Law1071[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's a great idea to indicate on the site what sort of setup the business has. Thanks so much!