2008 MN Library Legislative Forum

I'm attending the 2008 MN Library Legislative Forum where the discussion is on developing the legislative platform planks that MLA & MEMO should support. I am very interested in is what the invited legislators have to say. They have been very supportive of libraries and right now a discussion is happening on how libraries really are an important part of some many things in a community. Libraries can assist schools in helping prepare students to be not only literate but also information literate. This is also a benefit to the workforce too as employers are looking for employees who have good information skills as our economy and the world's places more value on this type of skill. Another point that was brought up is about how public libraries in particular are many times in competition with the jails and law enforcement in their communities. It was refreshing to hear that maybe if we put more emphasis on education and literacy, maybe we could have an effect on how much more jail space or law enforcement we need. I'm no Pollyanna about this as we do need law enforcement and they could always use more money. But I do think that we have to try and devote more to education and literacy because in the long run we will be and our children will be better off.