Below is an important message from the Florida Library Association. Whether you are an FLA member or not, your input and support are most appreciated.

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The Florida Library Association (FLA) is in the process of updating the Florida Public Library Standards. This document is used to help guide public library service across Florida.

Work in a Florida library? Please take a few moments to fill out this survey to help us in the process. Your feedback will help identify items to update and change to keep our standards relevant.

The survey is open from Monday, November 3 to Sunday, November 30, and we are seeking feedback from all Florida library workers, not just FLA members.

TAKE THE SURVEY HERE

FLA STILL NEEDS YOUR SUPPORT

Your donations support the work of the Florida Library Association, a 501(c)(3) organization. Gifts to FLA are deductible as charitable contributions for federal income tax purposes.

Support FLA by making a donation toward its general operating expenses. Donating to the General Fund allows FLA the most discretion and flexibility in allocating your contribution to our greatest financial needs.

The healthier FLA is financially, the better able we are able to support and advocate for Florida libraries and library staff.

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Thank you for your generous donation!

The library world was shocked last week by news of the abrupt firing of the Librarian of Congress, Carla Hayden. She was fired by email.

Like many of my colleagues, I was sad to hear this news. I am a big admirer of Ms. Hayden and believe that her career is an inspiration for librarians everywhere. From her background as a public library Director and her extensive experience working at the national level, Ms. Hayden was a natural fit for the Library of Congress. Despite this set back, I know that Ms. Hayen will continue to advocate for libraries across the country in her next role.

Below is a statement from the Urban Library Council regarding this situation.

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The Urban Libraries Council (ULC) is deeply dismayed by the dismissal of Dr. Carla Hayden as Librarian of Congress.

A visionary leader, Dr. Hayden modernized the Library of Congress, expanded its digital reach, and championed access and transparency. Dr. Hayden worked tirelessly to ensure that this vital institution served not only scholars and policymakers—but all people, in every corner of our country. She also made history as the first woman and first African American to serve in the role—an appointment that carried deep significance for the institution and the nation.

At a time when truth, history, and civic knowledge are under strain, Dr. Hayden stands as a steadfast advocate for open information and the enduring value of public institutions. Her leadership reminds us that libraries are, at their core, dynamic engines of democracy, equity, and the public good.

Her removal is not simply a personnel decision—it is a profound rupture in our national commitment to knowledge, access, and public service. This moment demands clarity, courage, and conscience—from Congress, from civic leaders, and from all who believe in the integrity of our democratic institutions. The Library of Congress is more than a building on Capitol Hill. It is a symbol of our nation’s belief in the power of knowledge and the free exchange of ideas. Its mission must not be subject to political whims.

The Urban Libraries Council calls on Congress to recognize Dr. Hayden’s historic contributions, to celebrate the transformation she sparked, and to protect the independence and integrity of the Library of Congress. Let this moment not diminish her legacy but instead galvanize a renewed commitment to libraries as pillars of democracy.

ULC stands in solidarity with library leaders across the nation in honoring Dr. Hayden’s vision, her service, and her unshakable belief in the power of libraries to change lives.

Last week it was announced that the Institute for Museum and Library Services was targeted to shut down as part of the larger reduction in the Federal Government. Closing IMLS would remove the only Federal agency that provides funding and support to libraries and museums across the United States.

Library supporters across the Country are rallying to save IMLS from the chopping block. To better understand how the Institute supports libraries, the advocacy organization called EveryLibrary has created a resource on the EveryLibrary Institute website that details the gravity of the situation.

The Trump Administration has issued an executive order directing several small federal agencies, including the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), to review their operations and obligations under law with the intent to cut budgets and staffing.

The Executive Order dated March 14, 2025, directs agency heads to reduce “elements of the Federal bureaucracy that the President has determined are unnecessary … This includes the non-statutory components and functions of the following governmental entities shall be eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law, and such entities shall reduce the performance of their statutory functions and associated personnel to the minimum presence and function required by law.

The page details the items that IMLS is required to do by law versus those that are optional. For libraires, IMLS oversees many library grants, including the Library Services and Technology Act.

The American Library Association also released a statement opposing the elimination of IMLS.

If you want to voice your support for IMLS, EveryLibrary has a list of resources and actions that can be done, including reaching out to your local member of Congress or U.S. Senator. Working together, IMLS can be saved.

I’m proud to share that the 18th location of the Palm Beach County Library System has opened.

Canyon Branch, located in the Canyon Town Center in Western Boynton, is a 33,000 sq ft facility with a beautiful plaza space, a drive-up service window, our largest meeting room seating 300 people, and the first maker space in the system.

Reporter Carolyn DiPaolo wrote a wonderful article about our opening day and the amenities of the building.

As well, local NPR reporter Wilkine Brutus visited the branch for a preview day and published an article about the library along with an interview with myself.

A project of this size cannot be done without a great team effort. Thank you to everyone who made this new location possible. This includes our Board of County Commissioners, County Administrator, the Library Advisory Board, and the Friends of the Library. Most of all, thank you to all County staff who helped with the project, especially my library employees. Everyone went above and beyond to make this happen.

I invite you to visit the new Canyon Branch to see it for yourself. It is open seven days a week and four evenings until 9 pm.

Learn more about the Palm Beach County Library System by visiting our website.

What is the most amazing way for a librarian to start the new year?

By opening a brand-new library branch of course!

I’m excited to share that my library system’s newest location, the Canyon Branch, is opening on January 11, 2025. Over the past five years I have been working on this project alongside our architects, interior designers, construction contractors and a host of library and County staff. It is the first location that I was involved in creating from the ground up. Now all the hard work that the Palm Beach County team has put into the project is about to come to fruition.

Thank you to all the people whose support made this new branch possible, including our library district residents, County Administration, and the Board of County Commissioners.

Do you want a sneak peek at the library before our official opening? On Tuesday, January 7, the Friends of the Palm Beach County Library System will host tours of the Canyon Branch from 3-6 pm as a fundraising event. Friends of the Library members pay $10 per person for the early access. Not a Friends member yet? Become one at the door for as little as $25 or sign up now through their website.

If you live in or near Palm Beach County, I invite you to attend the ribbon cutting on January 11, 10 am. Can’t make it that day? Then drop by anytime afterward to visit the new library. It will be open seven days a week all year round.

The Canyon Branch is located in the Canyon Town Center at 8915 Senator Joe Abruzzo Ave, Boynton Beach, Florida 33472, about a mile west of the Florida Turnpike exit.

Below is the press release for the opening day. I look forward to seeing you at the Canyon Branch library.

Press Release

The Palm Beach County Library System is excited to begin the official countdown to the grand opening of the Canyon Branch Library. The culmination of this momentous project is set for Jan 11, 2025, where the branch will officially open to the public. This has been many years in the making, with the official planning for the new branch library beginning in 2019.

A six marble column art installation called “Opening Minds,” designed by Brad J. Goldberg, graces the front of the building. The columns feature famous quotes and titles from American and World history and binary code representing the intermingling of the traditional and digital world. This installation reinforces the Library’s vision of opening minds to a world of unlimited possibilities.

The new building features an open and spacious design. It boasts a collection of 130,000 library materials, a beautiful atrium, a bright Children and Teen Area and our largest meeting room space.

Located in the heart of the lively and up-and-coming area of Canyon in western Boynton, the Palm Beach County Library System hopes to provide the community with a space that connects, inspires and enriches the lives of its members.

Library Director Douglas Crane stated, “We are excited to welcome residents to the new Canyon Branch. It will offer a wealth of resources, programs and services designed to meet the diverse needs of our community.”

Follow the Palm Beach County Library System on social media for updates and sneak peeks of the branch, @pbclibrary, on all platforms.