PO Box 75498 Tampa, FL 33675 | 813-622-8252

Friday, November 6, 2009
8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
Tampa Bay History Center
801 Old Water Street
Tampa, FL 33602
Registration – $30
Please register at https://tblc.org/training/index.php

We are thrilled to announce that this year’s TBLC Annual Meeting will be held at the Tampa Bay History Center – a wonderful new facility housing a very exciting and re-energized regional cultural program. The facility is dazzling – and the organization is a model for how to do collaboration right.

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

Susan was recently named CEO of the Urban Libraries Council. Before taking the ULC position, Susan was Research, Development and Strategic Partners Executive at the International City/County Management 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 from 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.

Look for further announcements in the days ahead!

Tampa Bay Library Consortium Annual Meeting
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