Bottled Messages

On Wednesday, 18 teens dropped in to make a Message in a Bottle, the first craft in our six-week Outdoor Art offerings. Everyone was able to write a letter, then put it and some fun thematic elements in the bottle. We had different "recipies" like The American (patriotic glitter, sequin stars, and a flag), The Gardener (flowers, Easter grass, and seed beads), and The Romantic (rose petals, wedding confetti, and lace). After completing the bottle, all you have to do is glue on the lid, slap on an address label, and take it to the Post Office!

Want to send something else strange through the mail? I've heard of people mailing stuffed animals, containers of animal crackers, and even car tires! Check out this article from Improbable Research for even more crazy ideas.

Genni, Nikhila, Christine, Kaitlyn, and Katie E. made an additional bottle to send to Governor Rendell to advocate for libraries during the current budget craziness. They wrote letters with five reasons to love libraries, then filled the bottle with foam hands and beads. I took the bottles down to the Post Office on Thursday morning, and they cost just $1.39 each to mail. The postal worker was a bit confused but willingly sent them! I purchased delivery confirmation for one bottle, so we'll see if/when they arrive.

The five bottles I mailed to Harrisburg.

More Love

Today, 17 more letters were turned in by teens for our state legislators! About half were from people who came to the event yesterday. The rest were written during Anime Club this afternoon. Instead of our usual thematic drawing contest, we had a letter-writing contest while we watched anime. At the end, though, I decided that everyone who wrote a letter should get a prize, so I have to round up more prizes!! Anyway, that makes a total of exactly 29 letters from teen library users making their way to Harrisburg. Thanks everyone!

If you haven't written yet, take time to handwrite or email a note of library appreciation to your legislators. Look them up on the Pennsylvania General Assembly website.

Library Love

Yesterday, 8 teens came out to write letters to our state legislators to support library funding during the state budget process. Five members of the Teen Advisory Board and three other teens made a great effort. During the program, we wrote 12 letters, and everyone took home extra supplies to keep writing! If you love our library and the services it offers, please take a minute to write, call, or email our representatives. Just go to the webpage for the Pennsylvania General Assembly, and use the box in the upper right to look them up.

Advocacy Facebook Page

Marissa made a Facebook page to advocate for Pennsylvania's libraries! It's is called Library Funding for PA. Go join it now!!! And don't forget to drop in for our letter-writing party at Sellers on June 25 between 1:00 and 4:00.

Thanks Marissa!

Love Letters for Your Library

Like Marissa mentioned in yesterday's post, the Republicans and Democrats in Harrisburg are both proposing state-wide library budget cuts which will dramatically impact the services we offer in Delaware County. It doesn't matter what your political beliefs are...everyone in state government seems to think libraries are an easy target. Let's show them we're not!

Why does this matter to you?

• Lack of full funding means no money for Pennsylvania's library summer reading program. The theme materials, programs, and prizes are all affected by this cut. Imagine summer with no library summer reading programs!!!! :(
• Severe cuts to van delivery and inter-library loan would take away our ability to get books for you from other libraries. In addition to personal use, this service helps us get materials for our book groups.
• Draconian cuts to the POWER Library of online databases would greatly decrease your ability to do research from the library or from home.
• The Upper Darby Libraries alone would lose $200,000, which means fewer materials, computers, hour, or programs at our locations.

Here's what we're going to do:

On Thursday, June 25, stop by the library between 1:00 and 4:00 pm to handwrite letters to our Senators, Representatives, and Governor. We will be upstairs in the Board Room. Whether you're voting age or not, we need you to show up and write! Of course, there will be food. Bring your friends!!! The State Representatives and Senators are supposedly voting on the budget on July 1, so our letters will arrive just in time to help make a difference.

If you cannot attend, please stop by the adult library anytime to pick up information, stationery, and addresses to write your own letters. If you cannot afford the postage, the Friends of the Library will mail the letters for you if you drop them off here. We can't make it any easier for you!