[PL-Directors] Announcing Survey & Listening Sessions

[CORNELISEN Wendy * SLO]

Dear library community,

As you know, the State Library receives federal funding from IMLS, thru an annual grant called the Library Services Technology Act (LSTA). After 30 years of stability, future LSTA funding is uncertain. For the latest information on LSTA funding, please visit the Updates page on the State Library's website<https://www.oregon.gov/library/Pages/Updates.aspx>. While our current grant is in place thru September 2026, future federal funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services remains uncertain.

The State Library is assessing the impacts of these potential funding shortages and wants to hear from you. This survey is designed to help us understand what's most needed. Your responses will inform how the State Library plans for potential service reductions and advocates for continued investment in library services. Your perspective is essential as we work together to navigate these challenges.

You can take the survey here: https://bit.ly/StateLibrarySurvey.

You will need 15 minutes or so to take this survey<https://bit.ly/StateLibrarySurvey>; your responses will be critical in helping us with our next steps. The information you share in your survey response will be used to shape the next part of our engagement with the library community: a series of interactive, discussion-based listening sessions, where we will use the feedback from the survey to further explore what services and staff support are critical to retain, prioritize, and support as we navigate our uncertain funding future. Your input in these sessions - the listening we're doing is to you! - is crucial.

We would love to have you attend one of the listening sessions, which are scheduled as follows:

  *   Friday, October 31, 1 to 3pm: Josephine Community Library, Grants Pass Library<https://josephinelibrary.org/branches/grants-pass/> Meeting Room
  *   Wednesday, November 5, 11am to noon: virtual, via Zoom
  *   Monday, November 17 from 10am to noon: Hillsboro Public Library, Brookwood Library<https://www.hillsboro-oregon.gov/our-city/departments/library/about-the-library>, Community Meeting Room (1st floor)
  *   Friday, November 21 from 9 to 11am: Deschutes Public Library, Downtown Bend Library<https://www.deschuteslibrary.org/about/libraries/downtownbend>, Brooks Meeting Room
  *   Wednesday, December 3 from 9 to 10am: virtual, via Zoom
The first session, on Friday, October 31 in Grants Pass, is coming up quickly! If you are interested in attending this session, or any of the sessions, we encourage you to share your responses to the survey as soon as possible, and mark in the survey which session you are interested in attending. This will allow us to send you further information on participating and any information needed on parking, snacks, etc.

The survey will remain open until Monday, November 3, which is just after the first listening session. We encourage you to complete the survey as soon as you can, to ensure we have what we need to structure that discussion.

Thank you so much for all of the support you have shown us at the State Library during these challenging times and thank you in advance for your continued input and support as we navigate what is to come.


Sincerely,

Wendy

Wendy Cornelisen (she, her, hers)
State Librarian
State Library of Oregon
wendy.cornelisen at slo.oregon.gov<mailto:wendy.cornelisen at slo.oregon.gov>
Office: 503-378-4367| Mobile 971-375-3992
www.oregon.gov/library<http://www.oregon.gov/library>
[Title: State Library of Oregon]

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