Texas and Nebraska renew United for Libraries and ALA membership for their public library groups

BRYN MAWR, Pennsylvania -- The Texas State Library and the Nebraska Library Commission have renewed their statewide membership in United for Libraries, granting more than 1,300 of Friends of the Library groups, Foundations and Boards of Trustees group membership in United for Libraries and the American Library Association (ALA).

“We are very pleased to continue to offer Texas library Trustees and Friends access to the excellent resources available through their membership in United for Libraries so that they can remain competitive, effective, and responsive to the needs of their communities,” says Mark Smith, director of the Texas State Library and Archives Commission.

“United for Libraries provides expertise and essential resources for libraries and their Trustees, Foundations, and Friends,” says Rod Wagner, director of the Nebraska Library Commission. “Information for governance, programming, training, fundraising and more are available. Nebraska’s statewide membership offers libraries ready access to a variety of informational and educational resources – print publications, online access, website sections exclusive to members, and no-fee access to timely webinars.”

Public libraries in Texas and Nebraska receive membership for their board of Trustees, Friends group and/or Foundation and library staff members. Membership includes the bimonthly newsletter The Voice for America’s Libraries; access to the Friends & Foundations Zone and Trustee Zone, which include toolkits, publications, archived issues of The Voice, webinars and more; and other benefits such as award eligibility and deep discounts on publications.

In addition to the standard United for Libraries membership benefits, statewide purchases include full access to:

• The Trustee Academy, a series of online courses to help library Trustees become exceptionally proficient in their roles on behalf of their libraries;
• Short Takes for Trustees, a series of 10 short videos that can be shown during Trustee meetings to stimulate discussion about the important role that Trustees play in the governance of their libraries,
• and the webcast series Engaging Volunteers for Libraries and Friends, a three-part series of webcasts is designed to inform library Friends, Trustees and staff about the new generation of volunteers — what they want from service opportunities, and how libraries and Friends can attract them.

For a complete list of United for Libraries membership benefits, and to join as an individual, group or library, visit www.ala.org/united/membership/mbrbenefits.United for Libraries offers discounted pricing for states or regions that want to purchase membership for their libraries. Discounted pricing is also available for states or regions that purchase the Trustee Academy, Short Takes for Trustees, and/or the “Engaging Volunteers” webinar series.

For information about purchasing United for Libraries membership for a state or region, please contact United for Libraries Deputy Executive Director Beth Nawalinski at (800) 545-2433, ext. 2161, or bnawalinski@ala.org.

United for Libraries: The Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations, is a division of the American Library Association with approximately 4,000 personal and group members representing hundreds of thousands of library supporters. United for Libraries supports those who govern, promote, advocate, and fundraise for libraries, and brings together library Trustees, advocates, Friends, and Foundations into a partnership that creates a powerful force for libraries in the 21st century. To join, visit www.ala.org/united or call (800) 545-2433, ext. 2161.