So about Monday… (Pretty much sums it up, actually.) I decided not to double-down on my mistake then, so am instead including this correction in today’s note.
They call your name at an appointment, but you’re in the middle of something and you hurry up and gather all your stuff?
Yah, well, on Monday, instead of “Schedule time to email”, I hit SEND TO EVERYONE NOW! It wasn’t supposed to come out until my birthday in October.
Many apologies for my disservice to your Monday inbox 🙄🙈😳, please read on for today’s engagement alphabet idea,
Stephanie Sharp
PS: EXTRA apologies to current State Treasurer Steven Johnson, who I lumped in with - but who is most definitely the exception to - this year’s list of statewide Republican candidates
You have a library branch. You know your favorite one - the parking, the drop box, the librarians, the smell of loved books, the corner that gets afternoon light.
That’s great. But most other library systems have multiple locations and each one is its own little world, reflecting the neighborhood which houses it. (Kind of like every Aldi has different goodies!)
Uniquely local collections, programming, and communities gathering in the same free, open space that belongs to all of us. When I’m looking for a great meeting place for a candidate or incumbent, libraries are a perfect fit - public, well-known, easily accessible physical spaces and hours, and typically available to reserve online!
Challenge for you: Visit a branch you’ve never seen. Wander around, ask a librarian what’s good right now. Check the community board for local events. Browse the new-arrivals shelf.
The library is one of the most “small-d” democratic institutions we have. Free, open to everyone, with no purchase necessary, no membership fee, and no political litmus test.
In a time when a lot of shared public spaces feel embattled or commercialized, the library is still just... the library. Yours. Ours.
Are you using it fully? Tell us how in the comments!
Happy serving,
Stephanie Sharp
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