[CASL-L] House Bill 5417 - We need your help now to show legislators why this matters!

[CASL President]

Please excuse the duplicate posting.

Hello CASL community!

A bill has come out of the Education committee, HB5417
<https://casl.wildapricot.org/EmailTracker/LinkTracker.ashx?linkAndRecipientCode=5QqVl9c%2f%2bqfapipGz%2f45C8Q7HTGut5w7DwN2qIzh5WhZ6%2b3RtCrFtJS7MIz9lxbPZhoaUAOcC8KFWBySv7BUwvYeKE7jToVGiJyx0tKT31o%3d>,
which provides help for school librarians in terms of the reconsideration
of books. This is in response to the listening session in December.

This is awesome!!! But we need to work quickly!

The public hearing is Monday, March 11 at 10am at the Legislative Office
Building in Hartford. *Here are the ways you can participate and we need
your help!*

   -

   Testify in-person at the Legislative Office Building in Hartford. Link
   <https://casl.wildapricot.org/EmailTracker/LinkTracker.ashx?linkAndRecipientCode=pHiL3qoocDQA1vTahtg%2bG1ZQmZGtusbhh1z26at0J6w7FDZcJ1m5Z3G6gUWag79A3aW7yRPPasTmOzB9yZcydPdAPw7jfsUc9tckM%2f1CJxg%3d>
(you
   will also get a zoom link in case you are not able to be there) 3
minutes. *Submit
   written testimony too.*
   -

   Sign up to testify via zoom
   <https://casl.wildapricot.org/EmailTracker/LinkTracker.ashx?linkAndRecipientCode=pHiL3qoocDQA1vTahtg%2bG1ZQmZGtusbhh1z26at0J6w7FDZcJ1m5Z3G6gUWag79A3aW7yRPPasTmOzB9yZcydPdAPw7jfsUc9tckM%2f1CJxg%3d>.
   3 minutes. Rep. Currey has recognized that school librarians may not be
   able to be there when it's their turn and has said he will call on us when
   we log into zoom. *Submit written testimony too.*
   -

   Submit written testimony via this link
   <https://casl.wildapricot.org/EmailTracker/LinkTracker.ashx?linkAndRecipientCode=FgOSfxEsPbi703zMX3fTTWTfk%2fWJn8TQ56MzlAdR31iweVOUEJNyo%2fciPOth2%2fvYQ%2buxZ00mkPOWTLpVczob8HbD%2bd%2fxyG%2foRBIxIVKGup4%3d>
as
   soon as possible.
   -

   *When submitting written testimony, select Mar. 11 at 10am, Support, HB
   5417 and upload a pdf. This is the preferred format.*

Register to speak (live or zoom) by 3pm Sunday, March 10. Submit written
testimony as soon as possible.

Please note: If you are planning on testifying, it could be during school
hours. Make sure your administrator is aware.

In addition, we need as many non-school library people - colleagues,
parents, students, family members, community members, retired librarians,
public librarians, Friends of Libraries, etc. as we can get to testify or
submit testimony and also contact their state representatives and senators.
Here’s how to find your legislators
<https://casl.wildapricot.org/EmailTracker/LinkTracker.ashx?linkAndRecipientCode=q9og%2fahXChQyP1eZpDFCKrvwIIhR7uBzWePT0vGVO8Zh0hvUmEMR01wRm7GzqU2Yx5pEiNHZiWO8ciHkU0D%2filzAemGEx%2bFWn91LugSum5Q%3d>
.

When sharing, use email but if you need to use social media, do so within
your trusted networks.

*Ideas:*

Please use your own words, but this may help those people who need some
guidance. Any personal stories about how HB 5417 would impact you, your
students, and your community would be especially helpful.

*Sample Story Sharing Format:*

*I'm the school librarian at [School Name] in [Town] serving [Number of
students] in grades [K-12] and I’m speaking on behalf of myself.*

*[Something* *positive* *about your role/school/students/district!]*

*As other state's try to implement bans on books, Connecticut has an
opportunity to be an example for the nation as to how school librarian’s
can protect students’ freedom to read.*

*[Provide examples of why it is important for students to have the freedom
to read in your library, why it is imperative that they be able to have
books that serve as windows and mirrors and represent the world that we
live in . . .].*

*Please support HB 5417 and allow us to do our jobs to support our
students’ freedom to read. *

*Talking points:*

   -

   A family has the right to limit what their own child can read, but one
   person does not have the right to decide what all children read.
   -

   Policies: we have selection policies, collection development policies,
   weeding policies, reconsideration policies - We follow the established
   board policies
   -

   This is about our students’ right to read.
   -

   Libraries are centers of voluntary inquiry and dissemination of
   information - 1st amendment rights
   -

   School librarians are specially trained, highly educated, certified
   teachers - we need full time, certified library media specialists in all CT
   schools


Please reach out if you have any questions! Thank you in advance!

Jenny

president at ctcasl.org


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