ROBIN DALE: All right my name is Robin Dale I'm the associate Deputy Director of library
services and I get to work with a lot of the fantastic people that are in the room here
today and have helped put this together and I just wanted to present a few final thoughts
on behalf of IMLS So first, thank you for joining us for this
final convening of 2015 we've had two previous ones, one on the national digital platform,
one on learning in libraries held in April and May respectively.
And both of those particular convenings are helping inform IMLS and driving some of the
funding priorities that you'll see coming in the 2016 notice of funding opportunities.
This particular one is very different, though, this last convening of the year And it's really
an opportunity for us to -- for us to think more about the amazing work that's being done
in libraries through a variety of programs that we have out, through a variety of state
programs that are going on, both the state funding and also the LSTA funding that comes
out through IMLS' grants to states program I want to stop just a minute and really kind
of hold up the work of state libraries both for people in this room I know we have five
state librarians, chiefs, with us here today.
But I've had a great opportunity to meet and work with these libraries in the last ten
months that I've been at IMLS and they really do amazing work and I think often don't get
the credit that's due to them.
And Maura and I were talking a little bit earlier about the kind of basic work they
do that make things run that help all of us I don't know how many times I've heard today
from public libraries and other libraries in different states and regions say and I
was able to do this through LSTA funding or state funding that was available to me so
I really just want to kind of hold up state libraries and say thank you for what you do
you're kind of like this basic infrastructure that we take for granted but there's so much
fantastic and amazing work going on and we really just wanted to be able to recognize
that here today, too.
But there's also an amazing amount of work going on through the IMLS discretionary grant
program and many people in the room spoke about those grants and the projects that are
enabled by that funding, too, so we thank you for that.
Because those discretionary grant programs such as the national leadership grant program
and also the Laura Bush 21st Century librarianship program also help us serve all different types
of libraries, all different types of communities.
They fund library schools and professional development training and continuing education
for librarians and library staff in those organizations.
And of course it also gave us a chance to hold up our Federal partnerships and partnerships
with other really fantastic organizations in the room, many of whom you have heard from
today.
So I just want to kind of think about and think about how we would describe this particular
convening and that is an amazing chance to showcase these activities, the things we have
talked about, a lot of tweets have been going on about the amazing work that they are hearing
about on the twitterverse and we're appreciative of that and I hope all of you have found some
level of inspiration in some of the projects I know I have.
I feel like sometimes I live and breathe these things and I learn so much -- learned so much
today by just being able to participate myself so I hope you have, as well.
The good work and more information about what took place today will be written up for us.
We have Christy Hill and Sharon Streams from OCLC they have been here with us both participating
and madly taking notes.
So that they can synthesize the discussions and the information today and prepare a report
for us that will be available on the IMLS Focus Web site so just so you know all of
those kinds of information they may be contacting you for slides.
I believe we probably have those that are there and just being able to put that information
up there.
Note now that it's up there in public or when it is in about a month approximately a month,
be sure that you will probably be contacted by other people out there that are learning
about this for the first time.
And certainly last but not least, I would be remiss for not thanking many, many people.
So I do want to start actually really briefly for thanking our IMLS Office of Library services
staff that organized this event and Maura recognized them indirectly a little bit earlier
but let me just name them so thank you to Madison Bulls, Teri DeVoe, Michelle, Katie
and Sandy Torro they have done an amazing job they did all of this planning they put
this together so thank you to them very much.
(Applause).
>> ROBIN DALE: And of course because every event has a ton of logistics just a quick
thank you to Margaret at Capital Meeting Planning and her associates because for those of you
who needed to work with them to get here to stay here and all of the onsite things, thank
you to them.
And certainly our largest thanks as well also goes to John and his colleagues at the Los
Angeles Public Library for hosting us so thank you very much.
(Applause) >> ROBIN DALE: Finally last but not least
thank you to those of you who joined us today, those of you who joined us today on the twitterverse
at the height of it we had 236 unique users online and actively watching us tweeting along
with us and we appreciate you and all of those comments are also going to be incorporated
as a part of the publication So thank you for your time, your really good
questions, your discussions and helping us think about the really good work, share the
really good work that's happening out there today.
And we wish you safe travels to those of you who had to travel to come here and otherwise
the locals, thank you very much for taking the time to join us to have to run off and
come back and join us, thank you, all, very much.
(Applause)