Friday, January 25, 2008

Fundraiser, fundraiser, make me a match! Find me a find! Catch me a catch!

There's a pointed and well written letter to the editor in today's Providence Journal. Of course, I like the slant, since it's the same as mine. It also says that "The mayor, under the new agreement between the city and PPL, is expected to serve as the honorary chair of a new fundraiser for the library." Maybe by pretending this is going to happen, we can make it happen?

That actually worked for my sister when she wanted to get a cat. Instead of asking my mom for a cat, she started asking, "When we get a cat, what will we name it?" So I'm all for asking the city and PPL, "when we get a fundraiser, who will we appeal to?* how will we communicate with them? what information will we communicate in order to motivate them? and how will we establish accountability so the funds are used as advertised?"

Whether or not we can actually expect a fundraiser, it is in the memorandum of agreement between PPL and the city. Voila: "The Mayor of the City of Providence will serve as an honorary chair of a fundraising appeal for branch libraries and will identify and recruit an appropriate individual to serve as the other co-chair. The city and the PPL will agree on the use of the funds to be raised in this appeal based on the recommendation of the Library Partnership Advisory Committee. " Page 6, people.

At the community meetings last year, PPL administration talked about its fundraising efforts, but if you check the language above, it puts the mayor on the hook and PPL off--as far as fundraising for the branches goes--which is unfortunate, because I want everybody to be on the hook like it's a coat check. Just like I want everyone to have a website with lots and lots of information (I'm just dying to stalk the Library Partnership Advisory Board online...)

Anyway, here's a discussion question: What is PPL? A central library with branches? Or branches with a central headquarters?


Also, I'm not sure when Library Reform updated their webpage, but they did.** And it has a very scary picture of children with scissors and gluesticks covered by a big red X!!!

*I know, I know, it should actually read: "To whom will we appeal?" But I always feel snooty correcting my own grammar.
**Is it because I was an archivist that I get frustrated when things aren't dated?

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