Category: SCLA

A Message from SCLA President, Bob Johnson, on Advocacy Day 2026:

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Dear Colleagues,
On behalf of the Suffolk County Library Association, I would like to extend our sincere thanks for the incredible outpouring of support and participation at this year’s Library Advocacy Day in Albany.
Your presence made a powerful statement. When we put action behind our words and show up together, our voices carry farther and are heard more clearly. Because of your commitment, our legislators saw firsthand the strength, unity, and dedication of the library community in Suffolk County. Your advocacy truly makes a difference for the future of our libraries and the communities we serve.
We are especially grateful for the extra time and effort it took to travel by bus and spend a full day advocating. Your willingness to go the extra mile speaks volumes about your passion and professionalism.
A heartfelt thank you as well to the entire SCLA Board, The Suffolk Cooperative Library System, the Public Library Directors’ Association, NYLA, our bus captains, and, most especially, Samantha Alberts for her outstanding coordination of the bus schedules and the day’s logistics. Her organization and support helped make the entire experience seamless and successful.
Thank you again for standing together, speaking up, and representing our libraries so proudly. We are stronger because of each of you.
All the best,
Bob
May be an image of crowd

SCLA Winter Mix and Mingle

Posted onAuthorsteve alcalde

Join your library colleagues for the Winter Mix and Mingle Event on Thursday, February 26th from 6-9pm at James Joyce Restaurant & Pub in Patchogue. Enjoy cocktail foods, a cash bar, and raffles while mingling with like-minded library folk from across the county. This is a great opportunity to celebrate with colleagues and also build meaningful connections that can support your professional journey. We look forward to seeing you there!

SCLA, PLDA & CLASC Members: $15
Non-Members & Guests: $30

When: Thursday, February 26th from 6-9pm
Where: James Joyce Restaurant & Pub in Patchogue. The address is: 49 South Ocean Ave Patchogue, NY 11772

Register here!

SCLA’s Annual Dinner 2025

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SCLA’s Annual Dinner is Wednesday, October 22, 2025 from 6-10 pm. Join your colleagues for networking, awards, and the annual meeting over cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and a delicious dinner at Captain Bill’s. There will be live music, raffles, and more fun surprises – you won’t want to miss this!

Help spread holiday cheer to children across Long Island by bringing an unwrapped toy!  Donations will go to Angels of Long Island in Patchogue to brighten the season for local kids.

**Please note: Bar is cash only (credit cards can be accepted at Captain Bill’s main bar)**

You could win prizes donated by these local businesses:

  • NY Axe Throwing Range
  • Island Salt and Spa
  • Sayville Bean
  • Paper Doll Vintage
  • Sayville Falls Mini Golf
  • Local Burger
  • …And many more!

Your library may be able to pay for your ticket as a professional development opportunity. Ask your supervisor or director!

Register

2025 NCLA/SCLA/CLASC PD Series with LILPA & Sam Helmick

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Monday, September 22nd @ 2PM

Zoom

2025 NCLA/SCLA/CLASC Professional Development Series

Join us as Sam Helmick (they/them), the 2025-2026 ALA President, discusses reflections and practices for grounding ourselves when the world feels like, well, a dumpster fire.

Helmick served as a member of the ALA Executive Board and a past president of the Iowa Library Association. They previously served as former chair-elect on the Intellectual Freedom Round Table and chair of the Iowa Governor’s Commission of Libraries. They have served on committees for the Network of the National Library of Medicine, the Stonewall Book Awards, the ALA Policy Monitoring Committee, Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) Michael L. Printz Committee, the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) Sophie Brody Award Committee, and the YALSA Fundraising Task Force. Helmick is a 2016 Emerging Leader, as well as an author, consultant, and instructor for social media marketing and graphic design.

You can register here.

 

Excellence in Library Service Award Nominations

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Nominations are officially open for this year’s Excellence in Library Service Awards. So, if you know someone who you feel deserves to be recognized for going above and beyond in the library world, print out and fill out the form below and get those recommendation letters written. The brochure with full details of the award can be found here. Nominations will be open until July 31, 2025 so anything emailed, mailed or sent through system will be accepted until then.

As always, we look forward from hearing about all the wonderful library workers we have here in Suffolk County.

Nomination Form

[SCLA] Networking Opportunity: SCLA, PLDA, & CLASC’s Annual Spring Mix and Mingle on June 5th

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Please join us for an exciting networking opportunity on Thursday, June 5th from 6-9pm at James Joyce in Patchogue! Mix and mingle with friends and colleagues from SCLA, PLDA and CLASC in a relaxed and social environment. Cocktail foods, a cash bar, and raffles will be available for everyone to enjoy. We look forward to seeing you there!
Register Here  or click “Register Here” on the attached flyer to secure your spot today!
Pricing
Association Members: $15.00
Non-Members and Guests: $30.00
Location
James Joyce Pub & Restaurant
Have questions? Email Morgan Tamburro: morgan@sayvillelibrary.org

SCLA Advocacy Update: IMLS Grants to States Program Withdrawn

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Colleagues and Friends, 
 
Last night, we received word that the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Grants to States Program has been cancelled. This action withdraws 85% of the federally appropriated aid to the New York State Library and Division of Library Development (DLD). The consequences of this decision will be profound, including a significant impact on all of Suffolk’s libraries and by extension, our professions, patrons, communities.

As we learn more about the local implications, we will share updates. But right now, we must respond.

The SCLA Executive Board has issued an official statement on behalf of The Association. The statement is attached to this email and will be on our website shortly. We urge you to read it – and more importantly, to take action.

Contact Your Representatives Today
We strongly encourage you to reach out to the following individuals, especially if you are a constituent. Tell them what libraries mean to you, and why this funding must be restored. 

 
Call, write, and email

Andrew Garbarino

31 Oak Street Suite 20

Patchogue, NY  11772

Phone: (631) 541-4225

https://garbarino.house.gov/contact

Nicholas LaLota

515 Hauppauge Road Suite 3B

Hauppauge, NY  11788

Phone: (631) 289-1097

https://lalota.house.gov/contact

What Should You Say?

  • Share your name and contact information.
  • Say that you are a constituent and that you care deeply about libraries.
  • Be brief, direct, and authentic.
  • Add a personal story if you have one.
  • If calling, prepare your message ahead of time.


Why This Matters
Here’s what is now possibly at risk with the loss of this funding:

  • NOVEL NY Databases: Resources like Opposing Viewpoints, Academic OneFile, and Britannica – used by students, educators, and job seekers.
  • Library Construction Aid: Critical funding for libraries to make buildings ADA-compliant and meet the needs of growing communities could disappear.
  • Training and Consulting: Staff at the NYS Library provide expert support in areas like records management, and library staff can request training or consult with staff to understand their obligations.
  • Library Systems and Resource Councils: 23 Library Systems and 9 Resource Councils in the State rely on aid from the NYS and DLD to keep their doors open. These entities provide programs and support to the 756 public libraries in the state in areas like eBook and electronic resources purchases, delivery of materials that libraries borrowed from other libraries, and professional resources.


Our Message Is Simple
“Libraries are essential to me, my family, and my community – we vote, and we want this funding restored. Do what you must to reverse these cuts.”

We know that these are uncertain times, but these times require action. Raise your voice and tell everyone that our libraries are worth fighting for.

 
Thank you for your time and attention. 
On behalf of the Suffolk County Library Association Board,
Anthony Giansante
SCLA President

SCLA Advocacy Update: Thank Senator Gillibrand

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The SCLA Executive Board voted to send a letter to our Senator Gillibrand thanking her for her support in standing up for IMLS and the rule of law. As library workers and/or  library supporters, we know that the work we do increases the quality of life for communities we serve and that we work to promote the greater good and it is wonderful to see our NYS senator is amplifying those sentiments by defending funding that was lawfully allocated to the IMLS.
Below is a copy of a letter expressing our gratitude to her.  We are incredibly grateful and proud of our senator but to continue to reinforce that libraries aren’t luxuries, they are lifelines, we must defend them. Please continue to contact your federal, state, and local representative and remind them of the importance of our work and that we, as a collective and individuals, work to make the lives of our communities better, and encourage your friends and family to do the same!; click here to find your state and federal representative.

And please fill out the following forms/petitions:

Attached to this email is a PDF of the SCLA letter and the letter she and 3 other senators sent to the Acting Director of the IMLS.
On behalf of the Suffolk County Library Association Board, I thank you for your time and attention.
We sink and swim together,
Anthony Giansante
President of the Suffolk County Library Association

The Honorable Kirsten Gillibrand
155 Pinelawn Road

Suite 250 North

Melville, NY 11747

Dear Senator Gillibrand,

On behalf of the Suffolk County Library Association, representing the dedicated library professionals serving over one million residents across Suffolk County, New York, I extend our deepest gratitude and appreciation for your continued leadership and advocacy on behalf of America’s libraries and museums.

We are especially appreciative of your recent letter, co-authored with Senators Jack Reed, Susan Collins, and Lisa Murkowski, to Acting Director Keith Sonderling of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Your dedication to the rule of law, your support for the full and timely implementation of the Museum and Library Services Act (MLSA) of 2018, and your recognition of the importance of the $294.8 million in appropriated funds, affirms what we know to be true: libraries are not luxuries – they are lifelines.

Federal funding provided through IMLS makes it possible for libraries to deliver critical services like but not limited to: early literacy, digital inclusion, workforce development, and civic engagement. As frontline community institutions, libraries across Suffolk County use these investments to serve the evolving needs of our residents.

We respectfully urge you to continue pressing your colleagues in Congress to support library funding and protect the role of IMLS in sustaining library infrastructure nationwide. Your voice carries weight, and your continued advocacy is paramount in ensuring that these vital services remain accessible to all.

Thank you once again for standing with us and with the communities we serve.

On behalf of the Suffolk County Library Association Board,

Anthony Giansante
President
Suffolk County Library Association

The Honorable Kirsten Gillibrand

SCLA Advocacy Update

Letter the Acting Director of the IMLS

Suffolk County Library Association’s (SCLA) Statement on President Trump’s Executive Order Eliminating IMLS Funding

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Suffolk County Library Association’s (SCLA) Statement on President Trump’s Executive Order Eliminating IMLS Funding

The Suffolk County Library Association (SCLA) strongly opposes the Executive Order issued on March 14, 2025, which advances the elimination of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) which is the only federal agency solely dedicated to supporting libraries and museums across the United States.

The IMLS plays a vital role in ensuring equitable access to information, education, technology, and community services for all Americans. Through programs like the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), IMLS funding aids local libraries in offering essential services, including early literacy initiatives, workforce development programs, technology access, services for veterans, and resources for lifelong learning. In New York State alone, IMLS provided nearly $20 million in FY2024 to sustain these critical services.

Libraries throughout Suffolk County use IMLS-administered funding to help meet the needs of our diverse communities. From homework help and job search support to digital literacy training and language learning programs, the resources provided through IMLS are foundational to the work our community libraries do every day. Eliminating IMLS would not only devastate these programs but also widen the digital divide, reduce community access to knowledge, and undermine the infrastructure that supports lifelong learning in every corner of Suffolk County.

In solidarity with the New York Library Association, SCLA urges President Trump to reverse his decision and we call on our federal, state, and local elected officials to do what they must to reject this harmful proposal and to stand in support of libraries, their workers, and the millions of individuals and families they serve. We urge residents across Suffolk County to speak out in defense of the IMLS and advocate for continued investment in library services that strengthen communities and change lives.

If you have not done so, please consider becoming a library advocate and signing NYLA’s petitions: Protect Our Libraries – Increase State Funding Now! & Defend IMLS Now!

Libraries are not a luxury, they are a lifeline. Now more than ever, we must fight to preserve and protect them.

TAKE ACTION! DEFEND IMLS!

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If you are looking for a way to express your support for libraries, please take a moment to participate in NYLA’s call to action.

Dear NYLA Members,

On March 14, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order advancing elimination of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). We are asking all members to take action! We have two Take Action campaigns we are asking all members to sign and share.

Our federal take action Demands that Congress act to defend IMLS now!

Our State level take action asks our legislators to protect NYS libraries by increasing funding.

Defend IMLS Now!

Protect Our Libraries – Increase State Funding Now!