UPDATE from Friends of the Library-Mtn Indivisible of WNC-4/4 Weekly News Roundup
April Calendar
Friends of the Library (FOL), Yancey County Keep AMY Together Sessions: taking place bi-weekly until July 2025 or until YC Commissioners notify NC State Library of staying w/AMY Regional Library
Calling all Yancey, Mitchell, and Avery residents who want to keep library services and resources in place for all 3 counties as AMY Regional Library System has done for over 60 years! We have lost enough in the storm. Let’s allow Helene to wash the harmful divisions away and choose to rebuild together stronger than ever!
At these sessions we will:
Briefly review updates from local organizers and each focus group since our last meeting
As a group we will explore new concerns, your great ideas, how to improve on progress made so far
Work in focus groups to plan next steps! Bring a notebook or laptop for the small group portion! Majority of the sessions will be spent here. GETTING THINGS DONE
At the end, each group will share its progress, what will be done before the next meeting, and what support is needed from everyone to be successful.
Thanks for caring and using your time and energy to protect important community resources for our region.
Remember, there is still hope for keeping AMY Regional Library System together over the next several months! We won't give up on keeping critical resources and services for our communities because we are committed to building back stronger together.
Local organizers following this situation for almost 2 years will be available to answer any questions you have. Powerpoint: AMY-YCPowerPoint.pdf How we got here, why are folks concerned, and how we move forward together to Keep AMY Regional Library intact! Updated through March 2025.
These meetings are not affiliated with any political party, religion, or personal identity. The goal is to have a cross-section of residents working together to protect their community and library resources.
Come as often as possible! It’s ok to join late or leave early. Showing up and contributing what you can makes a BIG impact even if you wish you could do more. You and your efforts are wanted, needed and enough!
Please invite folks interested in learning more or staying with AMY.
Thank you to the nearly FORTY PEOPLE who spent the last lovely Saturday afternoon working to Keep AMY Regional Library System Together! Many hands make lighter work for all. :)
Docs with details:
Important Library Advocacy Dates: Dates for your calendar.pdf
Updates From March Meeting (Nicole, Landon, reporter info, discussion points) MarUpdates/Discussion Points.pdf,
Resources here: March Resources.pdf
Thank you, Jessica Wakeman,for joining us! She spoke with folks interested in being interviewed about the situation with YCPL. Her great article last summer: https://mountainx.com/news/yancey-county-library-pride/
Jessica Wakeman is a freelance journalist who lives in Asheville. She’s been in journalism for 20 years, and most recently was a staff reporter at Mountain Xpress. She’s happy to speak with anyone off the record or on the record.
Get in touch at Jessica.Wakeman@gmail.com or JessicaWakeman.80 on Signal.
***Since YC Commissioners aren’t speaking to her, please share any emails you have received or information you have been told directly by county officials or staff regarding the library ***
Library Support Resources:
Powerpoint: AMY-YCPowerPoint.pdf How we got here, why are folks concerned, and how do we move forward together to Keep AMY Regional Library intact! Updated through March 2025.
FOL Keep AMY Together resources and meeting info folder: Shared FOL Info
Includes relevant Yancey County, AMY, and local branches’ official documents (policies, bylaws, agendas, minutes, etc), local advocates’ meeting summaries and key points, news coverage listings, State Aid info, resources, etc, & Keep AMY Together Meeting notes, to do, resources, etc
Link to the Advocacy Contact Info & Guide Doc: AdvoContact&Guide.pdf
It includes:
Tips on how and why public comments are critical parts of advocating
4 broad concerns about YCPL leaving AMY Regional Library System
an example of a public comment w/specific questions to help create your own.
Reminder: Public comments come in all shapes and sizes, the most important thing is to talk about something you care about personally!
Using your voice to stand up for what you believe and taking your responsibility as an American to engage with those governing us matters! You matter. What you believe and have to say matters and belongs in the public record.
IF we go silent now, the Commissioners will walk away saying, and perhaps believing, they were right all along. Saying the proof is that folks stopped making their concerns known, so they must've realized we were right.
Feeling like your statements will fall on deaf ears when it comes to the Commissioners? That makes sense. Please remember, we are speaking more directly than we may ever get the chance to those in the audience or watching the livestream who have been misinformed by those elected and have nothing correcting it. We are speaking to our community, not just to those running the meeting. Reach out if you want help!
Updated library staffing questions and financial-related questions that need streamlining. Please reach out to take on this task
Yancey: Commissioner: contact info, meeting info, how to: comment/get agenda/minutes, Records Request: form, examples, School Board: contact info, meeting info, how to: comment/get agenda/minutes
Join a FOL Focus Groups’ effort, become an organizer, or help out wherever you can:
Local Government Advocacy: attending meetings, public comments, meetings with local officials, record requests
Media Outreach: print, digital, audio (radio/podcast, etc)
Messaging/ Graphics Design: reaching more people in our communities w/accurate unbiased info, highlighting accruate info, what's at risk, inspiring hope it can be changed and increasing motivation to advocate
Mitchell/Avery Advocacy: advocating in other counties
Real World Awareness: library advocates in the community, attend markets and share info, plan and host events, walks, signs/murals
Online Awareness: FB groups/pages, email blasts, graphics to share online
Outreach: connect w/ local orgs partnered with AMY/YCPL, phone banking, other impacted libraries, broad range support, supporting library stafff and board members
Backups for Yancey: independent library options, funding, monitoring materials
Updates on each group's actions in March and how to join a group here: FOLFocusGroupInfo.pdf
To Dos that need Organizers helping to-do them:
Records requests re: County Lawyer and others - contact Nicole and Advocacy group to sign up for this - do not want overlap as it will slow the process
Connections/outreach to radio & podcasts to spread awareness - esp WKYK/WTOE, Blue Ridge Public Radio, etc
Phone Banking Organizer
Visuals Organizer: artist posters, murals, support campaign with lawn decorations etc
Yancey Back Up planning: independent library options, fundraising, monitoring books and materials post transition
Outreach to other impacted local libraries/communities
Outreach to organizations that have partnered with AMY Regional/YCPL in the past to lend support now
Outreach to folks on the right leaning spectrum: how can they be more involved? What could we do to make our spaces more approachable for them? How can we support their efforts publicly or behind the scenes?
What else?
Your great advocacy idea that we haven’t thought of yet - here!
Reach out if you would like to be involved with any of these efforts or want to work together on your awesome advocacy idea!
friendsofyanceylibrary@gmail.com
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Help and hope outlast the difficult times
We have more in common than we think
We can disagree respectfully
All people deserve love & support
Community is connection & healing
Let's thrive by valuing our differences
We Are Always Stronger Together.
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April 5th
Hands Off Protest
12-2:00
Burnsville Town Square
https://www.mountainactionindivisible.org/
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April 7
Bookmobile in Bald Creek/Pensacola
Monday, April 7⋅8:00am – 5:00pm
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Tue, Apr 8
Bookmobile in Jack's Creek/Bald Mountain
8am – 5pm, NC
Planning Regular Meeting
5 – 6pm, Burnsville Town Hall
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April 11
Yancey Progressives Meet up
Main St Coffee
731 E Main St, Burnsville
10:30 AM
Let’s have coffee and connect.
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April 12
Friends of The Library-Keeping AMY together session
1:00- 3:30 pm
Upstairs conference room YC library
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Mon, Apr 14
YC Commissioners' Monthly Meeting
6 – 7:30pm
Yancey County Courthouse
Yancey County Board of Education
5:30 – 7:30pm
Cane River Middle School
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Tue, April 15
ABC Board Meeting
6 – 7pm, Burnsville ABC Liquor & Spirits, 752 W US Hwy 19 E Bypass, Burnsville, NC 28714, USA
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April 16
Mountain Indivisible of WNC
4:30
Yancey AMY Library
Michelle Williams
michelewilliamsnc@gmail.com
General meeting:
-April 16 at 4:30, Yancey library
Michael Minor
mkminor@gmail.com
Many people are upset about things that are going on in our government. There are ways to speak out. Join us, Mountain Indivisible of WNC. We are part of a nationwide movement. There is strength in numbers. Find us on Facebook.
https://www.mountainactionindivisible.org/
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YC Government employment opportunities:
https://yanceycountync.gov/Jobs.aspx
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Latest local government news:
https://yanceycountync.gov/
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NC General Assembly
https://www.ncleg.gov/
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NC Governor Recovery website
https://www.wncrecovery.nc.gov/recovery-overview/progress-and-dashboard
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Call Your Representatives
5calls.org connects you with your representatives and gives you a suggested script.
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Suggested Substack accounts: (click the links for the latest posts)
NC:
National:
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https://www.readtangle.com
Tangle is an award-winning media organization that covers the biggest politics stories in the U.S. by summarizing arguments from the right, left, and center (then "our take").
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Tracking Regulatory Changes: Brookings Institute
https://www.brookings.edu/articles/tracking-regulatory-changes-in-the-second-trump-administration/
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All Sides
Balanced News from the Left, Center and Right
https://www.allsides.com/unbiased-balanced-news
AllSides empowers you to understand the role media bias plays in the news and information you consume. The AllSides Media Bias Ratings™ and AllSides Media Bias Chart™ help make news bias transparent, allowing you to identify different perspectives and political leanings so you can get the full picture and think for yourself.
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Please notify me of any corrections that need to be made, as well as any meetings or announcements that should be included in the newsletter.
Thank you for your support.
Brandy