Cass Kvenild and Cristine Braddy speak with Wyoming Senator John Barrasso in the U.S. Capitol Building about the importance and impact of Wyoming libraries.
Three Wyoming librarians recently represented the Cowboy State at the Chief Officers of State Libraries Agency’s (COSLA) annual Voices for Libraries event in Washington, D.C.
Voices for Libraries is an annual gathering during which a team of library professions from each state has the opportunity to engage with legislators and discuss the crucial role libraries play in their state’s communities and their impact on the citizens of their state. This year’s event was held March 4-5, and Wyoming’s delegation included Wyoming State Librarian Abby Beaver, Goshen County Library Director Cristine Braddy, and Dean of University of Wyoming Libraries Cass Kvenild.
The event included opportunities for library professionals to receive training about policies and funding from a variety of speakers, including Second Lady of the United States Usha Vance and COSLA President Jamie Ritter. During their time in the nation’s capitol city, Abby, Cristine, and Cass met with U.S. Senators Cynthia Lummis and John Barasso, as well as U.S. Representative Harriet Hageman. Conversations centered around the many resources and services Wyoming’s libraries provide, including databases, summer reading programs, and the upcoming AI Summit.
“It was a great opportunity to share all the awesome programs going on in our Wyoming libraries,” said Abby.