Re: SLA-SF: SFPL Firm Library Cards

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From: Deborah Hunt (dhunt@exploratorium.edu)
Date: Thu Jul 29 2004 - 09:17:59 PDT


Message-Id: <a05111b05bd2ed0645b62@[192.168.111.215]>
Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2004 09:17:59 -0700
From: Deborah Hunt <dhunt@exploratorium.edu>
Subject: Re: SLA-SF: SFPL Firm Library Cards

Dear Michele,
I didn't answer before as I was hoping to hear feedback from members.
I just checked the Government Relations Procedures Manual from our
website
<http://sims.berkeley.edu/sfsla/organiza/procedures/procedures.html>
and it states:

        Functions and Responsibilities (just have included the relevant ones)

        B. Coordinates and monitors activities associated with
government relations. Is responsible for communicating opinions and
information to various public officials on issues that touch the
profession. Such activities may involve letter-writing campaigns,
telegrams, and phone calls to public officials. Consults with
colleagues to raise support for programs designed to inform or
influence public policy decision-making.

        D. Serves as the local contact person when an important
piece of legislation or policy is under consideration. Alerts
members at the Chapter level, who, in turn, can contact government
officials, providing information on issues and informing them of the
potential impact on the library/information community. The
Representative may also be asked to identify "expert witnesses" in
the chapter who might be asked to prepare a statement or to provide
input to the Association's Executive Director on government policies
or proposed regulations.

        E. May initiate action on a particular public issue,
without direction from the Association's Legislative Network, when an
issue is purely local in nature.

I think before we move on this, we need to get feedback from members.
If there is a sense that this is important than I think a letter to
SFPL on our chapter letterhead signed by both of us is a great idea
and appropriate. However, if members do not feel that a firm card is
valuable to them now or in the future, then it may be moot.

SF Chapter members, please respond to this list by Monday, August 2,
12 noon, so we can get a sense of your support or non-support for
this issue.

Thanks, Michele, for getting us going on this.
Deb

At 12:12 PM -0700 7/28/04, Michele McGinnis wrote:
>Hi Paula,
>
>Did you get a response to this from this list? I'm the new
>Government Relations chair. I'm not sure this falls in my area, but
>I think it is worth some dialog. Being newly active in SLA, I'm not
>sure how something like this plays out. Can Deb or others who are
>"seasoned" reply to the list on what steps we as an organization
>take when someone puts out a proposal like this?
>
>From a patron's viewpoint, I agree with your position on the policy. Michele
>
>>I just found out that the SF Public Library is no longer issuing firm
>>library cards or renewing currently held cards when they expire. This
>>strikes me as a stupid policy. I for one, do not want to have to lend out
>>my personal library card for firm use or when we are using the borrower only
>>sections of the public library's web site. I spoke with someone in
>>Borrowers Services who says they are doing this because it is not cost
>>effective to issue firm library cards and that only 70 firms have cards.
>>Well, that strikes me as an example of bad marketing by the public library,
>>rather than firms not taking advantage of a service. Plus, I'm not sure how
>>this is not cost effective.
>>
>>Anyway, I was thinking that perhaps some of the local library organizations
>>might want to get involved in this. I will be contacting NOCALL (Northern
>>California Association of Law Libraries) and SLA (can someone tell me who
>>the person would be to call at SLA here?) to see what these organizations
>>can do to perhaps encourage the public library to reverse its decision. I
>>would think contacting some business organizations would be useful, too.
>>
>>Paula Lichtenberg, Librarian
>>Keker & Van Nest LLP
>>
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>
>
>--
>Michele McGinnis, MSIS
>Research Librarian to Kevin Kelly
>
>149 Amapola
>Pacifica, CA 94044
>650-355-7676
>650-359-9701 fax
>
>mm@kk.org
>www.kk.org
>
>"They are subversive. You think they're just sitting there at the
>desk, all quiet and everything. They're like plotting the
>revolution, man." --Michael Moore on librarians
>
>"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people can
>change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has."
> -- Margaret Mead
>
>
>
>
>
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-- 
Deborah Hunt
Senior Information Specialist
Exploratorium
3601 Lyon Street
San Francisco, CA 94123
Voice: 415-353-0485
Fax:   415-561-0370
mailto:dhunt@exploratorium.edu

"A woman is like a tea bag; she never knows how strong she is until she's in hot water." Eleanor Roosevelt


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