Oregon Library Association

Hi! What are you doing on Sunday? Here is a good program.

Citizen Activism 101— Making Change Happen
With Donna L Cohen, MLIS MEd Civics for Adults - Nonpartisan.
Sunday, June 7th from 2-3:30
Multnomah County Library—Woodstock Branch. 6008 SE 49th Ave., in Portland. Please click on the link below for more information.

Citizen Activism 101: Making Change Happen Duration: 1.5 hrs (30 min setup / breakdown)

From KLCC:

The city of Cottage Grove is preparing to make several budget cuts–including to its library–in an effort to close an ongoing structural gap.

Miranda Gehrke is part of a group of community members that opposes library cuts. She said city leaders found ways to preserve other services by dipping into unused housing funds. She said they should do the same for the library.

The most recent budget draft reduced library staffing to one full-time librarian. On May 19, city councilors pulled $50,000 from a hodgepodge of funds to preserve an additional part-time position in hopes that volunteers will take on other duties.

Gehrke said the library needs twice that amount, and volunteers can’t replace all the work and expertise of library staff. Her group plans to rally for library funding before the council’s 7 p.m. meeting on Wednesday at Cottage Grove City Hall.

Cottage Grove has been preparing for a tough budget cycle for a few months, after city leaders discovered years of budget errors and inaccurate numbers.

Cottage Grove City Manager Mike Sauerwein said the city needs to shrink its spending by about $500,000 to close a structural gap and stop spending down its reserves.

He said the city is making cuts across many services and programs, and may need to change the staffing model at the library to be able to continue to operate it.

He said city leaders are also exploring long-term solutions, like creating a special library taxing district.

The full proposed budget is available now on the City of Cottage Grove’s website. Sauerwein said the budget committee has signed off on the budget, but it has not yet been approved by the full council. There will be more opportunities for discussion and review during the June 8 and June 22 city council meetings.

Find the full article and more listener-supported news at KLCC.org. Link in comments.

The city of Cottage Grove is preparing to make several budget cuts–including to its library–in an effort to close an ongoing structural gap.

Miranda Gehrke is part of a group of community members that opposes library cuts. She said city leaders found ways to preserve other services by dipping into unused housing funds. She said they should do the same for the library.

The most recent budget draft reduced library staffing to one full-time librarian. On May 19, city councilors pulled $50,000 from a hodgepodge of funds to preserve an additional part-time position in hopes that volunteers will take on other duties.

Gehrke said the library needs twice that amount, and volunteers can’t replace all the work and expertise of library staff. Her group plans to rally for library funding before the council’s 7 p.m. meeting on Wednesday at Cottage Grove City Hall.

Cottage Grove has been preparing for a tough budget cycle for a few months, after city leaders discovered years of budget errors and inaccurate numbers.

Cottage Grove City Manager Mike Sauerwein said the city needs to shrink its spending by about $500,000 to close a structural gap and stop spending down its reserves.

He said the city is making cuts across many services and programs, and may need to change the staffing model at the library to be able to continue to operate it.

He said city leaders are also exploring long-term solutions, like creating a special library taxing district.

The full proposed budget is available now on the City of Cottage Grove’s website. Sauerwein said the budget committee has signed off on the budget, but it has not yet been approved by the full council. There will be more opportunities for discussion and review during the June 8 and June 22 city council meetings.

Find the full article and more listener-supported news at KLCC.org. Link in comments.

OVERDUE: Weeding Out Oppression in Libraries
S5, E1: Disability Justice, Inclusion and Anti-Oppressive Compensation w/ C.A. Deane.
See: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1948067/episodes/18510296

Episode 1: In the first episode of this two-part interview, we chat with C.A. "Dean" Deane, a law librarian moving between academic law libraries and law firms with the skill to think in big picture about what is fair and reasonable using a global perspective and an anthropological lens. With their ability to synthesize information from many different places, Deane brings knowledge and information together for us to see the landscape of disability justice in (law) libraries.

Applying their academic background to find solutions, learn from Deane about the Ten Principles of Disability Justice, the importance of intersectionality, anti-oppressive compensation (not just equitable and not just wages…and WHY that is an important distinction), personal problems that are really systemic problems, and why libraries that create environments in which employees can engage with their whole selves cultivate happy patrons and the community.

Check out the MANY resources that Deane spoke about in the episode notes!

Episode 2 will be released in May.

Guest: C.A. "Dean" Deane

Hosts: Roxanne M. Renteria & Brittany Young

Tech/Producer: LaRee Dominguez

Date of recording: January 11, 2026