"provide communities with Internet connectivity, career services, immigration assistance, economic development, teen services, childhood literacy, public safety, and other important services."
Nice! So often do librarians complain that their parent governments not understand the scope of services that we provide in our communities that it is refreshing to see an organization dedicated to local government recognizing the broad range of services we actually provide on a daily basis! Furthermore, ICMA states that a strong relationship between the Library and government administrators is key to maximizing the potential of public libraries. I'm not sure how I missed this wonderful and unexpected perspective but I have to say I'm thrilled.
The Public Libraries Initiative site has some nice features. There is a bibliography (on the Public Library Initiative homepage) that serves as a public library advocacy clearinghouse with links to many of the recent reports and articles that highlight the various ways in which public libraries are assets to the local community. (As an aside, it's amusing to see how many different newspaper articles feature virtually the same image of a person at the end of a shelf range browsing the collection!)
By visiting the sites "Libraries" topic page, you can find even more information. You can network with other librarians and public managers interested in the need for fostering strong relationships between both groups, ask questions and respond to those of others, and read a series of white papers on topics including strategic planning, libraries and e-government, libraries and broadband, and libraries' role in workforce development.
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