Tampa Bay Library Consortium Annual Meeting
Shining Bright for 30 Years

Friday, November 6, 2009
8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Tampa Bay History Center
801 Old Water Street
Tampa, FL 33602
$30 registration fee

We are thrilled to announce that Susan Benton will be the keynote
speaker at this year's annual meeting.

Susan was recently named executive director of the Urban Libraries
Council. Before taking the ULC position, Susan was Research,
Development and Strategic Partners Executive at the International
City Managers Association (ICMA). 

Susan has a strong background with sustainable communities,
community building, and civic engagement.  While at ICMA, Susan
began the ICMA Local Government and Public Libraries Partnership
Initiative.  The initiative developed an approach based around the
idea of building stronger libraries by connecting them more closely
with communities’ needs and service priorities.  A significant aspect
of this initiative involved building closer working relationships
between city and county managers. Seminole Community Library
Director Michael Bryan and the City of Seminole City Manager
were both involved in that initiative.

Susan’s work with the Local Government  and Public Libraries
Partnership Initiative then led to a project with the Gates Foundation
-- the Public Library Innovation Grant Program.  The Gates grant
program drew over 550 applications, including many from Florida
and several form the TBLC area.

Susan’s background and experience are particularly valuable in
these times when libraries are struggling to convince funders of
necessity to fund libraries when all types of services are being
cut back and reduced.

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