Garland County Library Alliance

02/25/2025

"Garland County Library considers building new facility on former Majestic Hotel site"

Talk about an incredible use for a historic space! 😍 This would be so cool for our community. By the way, this site was home to the city's original library, a log cabin library way back in 1833. How poetic.

Multiple Garland County Library patrons suggested the possibility of a new facility on the former site of the Majestic Hotel during focus group discussions, and the library's board of trustees is fully behind exploring that possibility.

09/07/2024

📣🗳️ Since it appears we can rest easy regarding the defunding threat for the time being, this page's focus until election day is going to be educating the voters of Garland County on the candidates running for local office. 🇺🇲

The most relevant to our library is the Quorum Court, made up of 13 Justices of the Peace. In spite of the library having its own board, the JPs have some powers to make decisions over the library, including but not limited to approval of the library board candidates. This page is nonpartisan and will support candidates of any party as long as they are pro-library. 📚

Our next step is going to be to send out a survey to all 2024 Garland County JP candidates, and report the results to you.

Before we do, we would like feedback from you: what questions and topics would you like candidates to answer on that survey? 🧠

09/06/2024

📣 VICTORY!!! A wonderful start to the weekend.

The judge has denied the Petition!!! 🥳

What's next? We can celebrate this weekend, but get out there in November and VOTE for pro-library candidates. This isn't over, and we must stay alert. This page will continue to inform you and protect the Library against future attempts to defund or censor it. 💪

09/06/2024

🚨We expect a decision from Judge Mahoney by the end of TODAY. He has to make a fair decision based on the validity of the petition using the current laws and precedents that exist. That's not easy, and he has to put his personal opinion aside. IF he decides the fair choice is to allow it on the ballot, we ask you kindly to respect the judge's ruling, and put all of your focus and energy into the 'VOTE AGAINST' campaign. 🗳️🚨

🧠 Meanwhile, here's a final thought on Wednesday's Library Hearing:

Our hearts genuinely go out to the petition "spokesman" George Pritchett in this instance. He had a major loss in his family and nobody can fault him for not attending that day

With that said: there were 100+ other people that signed the petition. Not ONE of them was sitting at that table, willing to defend it? Not ONE person in the crowd was willing to speak in favor of defunding the library? Four people known to have signed the petition showed up and left before anything even got started. Did seeing the large crowd scare them away?

If not a SINGLE person who signed the petition has the courage or respect for the voters to show up and speak up on its behalf, it does not deserve to be on the ballot.👎

09/05/2024

📰 As we await a decision from Judge Mahoney on the fate of the petition, here's one more excellent article from Arkansas Advocate, written by Tess Vrbin.

Several great quotes from some of yesterday's speakers are included here. There's also thorough coverage on what's happening with other libraries around the state. Some dangerous precedents we don't want Garland County to be any part of. ❌👎

Many speakers said the ballot language would confuse people into voting for the measure even if they do not actually support defunding the library.

09/05/2024

We made THV11 News last night!

📣 Shout out to every single one of you who spoke in support of the library, or cheered on those who did. Several of you are featured in this video.

It's so important to attend public hearings or forums on important issues like the library. Our power as a community is in numbers and you all proved that yesterday by bringing attention to the cause, and you'll prove it again in November when it's time to VOTE! 🗳️

People living in Garland County could be tasked with deciding the fate and funding of the local library in November.https://www.thv11.com/article/news/local/...

09/04/2024

📰 Midday reporting from The Sentinel-Record about today's hearing.

Wild to think that after all the verification, there were only 101 valid "registered voters AND taxpayers" who signed the petition, and that only needed 100 signatures in the first place. So if this makes the ballot, it came down to only 1 person more than the minimum.

We MUST NOT let the November vote get that close! 🔥

County Judge Darryl Mahoney is set to rule by the end of the week on whether the initiative to reduce Garland County Library's millage will appear on the November ballot. 📚 A packed crowd filled the Garland County Armory Building, with 20 individuals speaking in favor of the library. Stay tuned for the decision later this week.
📅 🔗 Read more here: https://www.hotsr.com/news/2024/sep/04/county-judge-to-rule-on-library-millage-petition/
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09/04/2024

😳 AMAZING show of support this morning. Standing room only.

Three big takeaways for now:

1. The Judge will have a ruling on the validity of the petition by the end of this week. So within the next two days we will know if this is making the November ballot. If it does, don't get confused. Vote AGAINST defunding the library. 🗳️

2. When it came time for public comment, the support for the library was UNANIMOUS. Everyone from a State Library Board member, to JP candidates, to retired teachers, to both lifelong and new residents, to a TEA Party member who denounced the petitioners. Hopefully we'll have some great clips from the media. What an amazing show of library love this morning. ❤️

3. Unfortunately the main face of the petition had a family emergency (we wish him and his family well), but nobody else on that side was present to defend the petition or speak in favor of it. The four people who did show up in support of defunding reportedly left early.

📸 Creds to Kasey. If anybody has more photos or videos of today, please share in the comments!

09/04/2024

🌅 Good morning, Alliance! Grab some coffee, a pro library shirt, and we'll see each other at 210 Woodbine in an hour!

After the hearing we should have some clarity on what happens next.

Best case: Maybe some legal flaw is revealed today and it gets thrown out!

Worst and likeliest case: It's on the ballot and we spend the next two months educating the public and VOTE AGAINST IT in November like our library depends on it! 🗳️

Either way, we as a community will be there to support and defend our library! ❤️📚

09/03/2024

(UPDATE: The Sentinel-Record article says 8am, even though this original notice says 8:30am. Get there early to be safe and get a good seat. 🫡)

📢 ATTN Library Supporters! In just over 24 hours (8:00am on Wed the 4th) you are encouraged to attend the public hearing at the G.C. Armory Building (210 Woodbine).

The judge has questions for the petitioners and surely you do too!

🚨 Be aware: Unless some major issues are revealed tomorrow, this does not mean it's going to get thrown off the ballot. If it is determined the sufficient steps were followed to conduct the petition, Garland County will be voting (AGAINST IT!) this Election season (Oct 21st through Nov 5th).

💪 What tomorrow IS is our first opportunity as a community to show massive public backlash against the petition, in-person. To show them we love our library, and have our voices heard. Wear your shirts, bring your signs, and get up and ask a question or say a few words against the petition if the judge permits public comment. Even if you're just there amongst friends in the seats, numbers matter, just as they will in a couple months at the polls.

Together we will defeat this selfish attempt to hurt our library. ❤️📚

09/01/2024

👜 Those people trying to save a few bucks by wanting to take away from the library could get a library card and SAVE instead!

That's because September is Show Me Your Library Card Month, and tons of local businesses in Garland County are participating! ❤️📚 Shout out your business and discount in the comments here 👇

Black Ribbon Books loves and supports The Garland County Library , so come by during the month of September, show your library card, and get 20% off your book purchase! Woohoo! 📚📚

08/29/2024

📣 For those attending next Wednesday morning, if you have library-related shirts, wear them in support! 👕📚

It hasn't been publicly revealed exactly what we can expect from the hearing the judge has called, but it sounds like it will be an opportunity to face and question those individuals on the 'Tax Alliance' behind the petition.