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When a library charges fees, denies service, or requires patrons to jump through hoops to gain access, who benefits? Certainly not the patrons that need library service the most.

This presentation will discuss how one rural public library learned to take a hard look at what it really means to provide library service focused on empowering all community members. Institutional barriers can be difficult to take down and - for some - difficult to recognize.  

• Recognize how library policies and procedures disenfranchise the populations that need library services the most
• Identify “this has always been the way” practices and the harm inequitable services cause
• Take home real-life examples of mind-set changes and how to implement them within the boundaries of governing rules

Carrie Valdes ~ Biography

Carrie Valdes has been the Director of the Grand County Public Library in Moab, UT since 2007 although she has worked for the library for 21 years. She has a MLS from the University of North Texas and a Bachelor’s in Human Resources from Utah State University. She has lived in Utah all her life (except for a brief stint in Mexico) and is passionate about reducing barriers to library access for all community members.

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