<html><head><meta http-equiv="content-type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"></head><body dir="auto"><br><div><br>Begin forwarded message:<br><br></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><b>From:</b> Angela Bombaci <<a href="mailto:abombaci@me.com">abombaci@me.com</a>><br><b>Date:</b> May 17, 2018 at 9:38:01 PM PDT<br><b>To:</b> Angela Bombaci <<a href="mailto:abombaci@me.com">abombaci@me.com</a>><br><b>Subject:</b> <b>Thank you for supporting the Library District effort</b><br><br></div></blockquote><div><span></span></div><blockquote type="cite"><div><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><div class=""><font face="Tahoma" class="">Hello library supporters,</font></div><div class=""><font face="Tahoma" class="">In case you haven’t heard, we didn’t manage to pass the Library District here in Wallowa County - this time. The unofficial results as of Wednesday showed 1,102 Yes votes (35.77%) and 1,979 No votes (64.23 %). Although I am disappointed, I feel far from disheartened. These results tell us that there are more than 1,000 people in the county who recognize the value of our libraries, and recognize it strongly enough that they got out there and voted in favor of a permanent tax rate. Over the past year, the work of the Librarians, the Library Foundation and the YES for Wallowa County Libraries PAC have illuminated the importance of Public Libraries throughout the county. The conversation is just getting started - and now we finally have an audience of people who are thinking about libraries, who are thinking about literacy, who are thinking about “what’s next?” So the work continues. </font></div><div class=""><font face="Tahoma" class=""><br class=""></font></div><div class=""><font face="Tahoma" class="">Please continue to be an advocate for your libraries in whatever way you can. That starts by getting your library card, and reminding your friends to get theirs. Utilize the library services, champion them for others. Teach someone who to download the Libby app and check out Audiobooks from home. The long term goal is to highlight the real value that libraries bring to our communities, and people often don’t see that until they visit the library themselves.</font></div><div class=""><font face="Tahoma" class=""><br class=""></font></div><div class=""><font face="Tahoma" class="">In the short term, you can help fight to keep the County Library open by attending County Commission meetings and insisting that the cash windfall recently received by the County is applied toward the library budget. You can attend City Council meetings in your own communities and advocate for library services, get involved with the library board or “friends” of the library in your town, and remember to thank your local librarians for their endeavors. In short, don’t let our momentum dwindle. </font></div><div class=""><font face="Tahoma" class=""><br class=""></font></div><div class=""><font face="Tahoma" class="">It will take the wisdom of a crowd to develop the next iteration of a stable library solution - whatever that may look like. <span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 38, 0);" class="">Thanks for being part of this work.</span> Read on, friends. On to the</font><span style="font-family: Tahoma;" class=""> next adventure!</span></div><div class=""><font face="Tahoma" class=""><br class=""></font></div><div class=""><font face="Tahoma" class="">Sincerely,</font></div><div class=""><font face="Tahoma" class=""><br class=""></font></div><div class=""><font face="Tahoma" class="">Angela Bombaci</font></div><div class=""><font face="Tahoma" class=""><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 38, 0);" class="">Volunteer Coordinator</span></font></div><div class=""><font face="Tahoma" class="">YES for Wallowa County Libraries</font></div><div class=""><font color="#ff2600" class=""><font face="ComicSansMS" class=""><br class=""></font></font></div><div class=""><img apple-inline="yes" id="63D2B8F0-FE1B-4096-912F-9AD2E34265FD" src="cid:DC5001B0-1BE0-40A9-8BC7-73E0C66E63F4@netgear.com"></div></div></blockquote></body></html>