Thanks for your patience in waiting for our April monthly updates! We’ve got lots to share.
In Summary
- Tomorrow, 4/8, 8:30am: Bill hearing for AB416 (anti book banning bill)
- Testify in Carson City or on the phone; instructions and details here
- Tomorrow, 4/8, 10am: BCC meeting (National Library Week)
- Meet in the lobby of 1001 E. Ninth Street, Building A at 9:30am
- Bring a book and/or tell the commissioners why our libraries matter to you!
- Sunday, 4/13, 3pm: FtR-NV members meeting
- Sparks Library; kid-friendly
- Among other things, we’ll discuss the upcoming 4/15 BCC meeting and 4/16 LBOT meeting
- Tuesday, 4/15, 10am: BCC meeting (BUDGET!)
- Meet in the lobby of 1001 E. Ninth Street, Building A at 9:30am
- Tell the commissioners why they should fund the library budget and/or show up to support!
- Wednesday, 4/16, 5:30pm: LBOT monthly meeting
- Spanish Springs Library
- Agenda will be posted this Friday, 4/11
- Saturday, 4/26, 3pm: Free for All: The Public Library showing
- South Valleys Library
- Final screening and convo!
- All of our merch is through Figbar Lonesome’s Redbubble page. Please double-check the URL before purchasing, as we’ve found a handful of scam sites.
First Up: Legislative Bill Hearing TOMORROW!
This legislative session, our friends at Silver State Equality have taken the lead on AB416 to help prevent book bans. Tomorrow, April 8, at 8:30am, the Assembly’s Judiciary Committee will hear the bill presentation and take public testimony.
For those who can’t go to Carson City, we encourage calling in support. The Nevada Equality Coalition has a bill guide for AB416, which includes talking points, details on how to testify in person or on the phone, and how to give your opinion on NELIS (Nevada Electronic Legislative Information System).
You can also find out who your assemblyperson is here and contact them to encourage their support.
Upcoming BCC Meetings
Much to our chagrin, the Board of County Commissioners will not have their budget meeting this week. Still, we encourage anyone who can to join us tomorrow, April 8, at 1001 E. Ninth Street, Building A, Reno, NV 89512. The meeting begins at 10am (we’ll be there at 9:30!) and opens with public comment (so you don’t have to stay the whole time).
Need help figuring out what to say? Check out our guide to giving public comment. If you don’t plan to give comment, you can still show up with a book to show your support!
There will be a proclamation acknowledging National Library Week for tomorrow’s meeting, which makes it worth showing up if you can. But if you can’t make it, the commissioners won’t be discussing the budget until next Tuesday, April 15, so join us then instead. We’ll again be there at 9:30am to advocate fully funding the library.
Save the Dates!
You can always find these and other happenings on our events page!
Fun Stuff
Our next members meeting is this Sunday, April 13, at 3pm at the Sparks Library. We encourage members to pop by and chat with us about why they love the library and how to support it in these trying times. For those planning on going to the BCC (see above) and/or LBOT meeting (see below), we’ll be happy to talk about those too. Also, we encourage families to bring the kids along—we’ll have a Kidz Korner ready. (I’m so sorry; I couldn’t resist.)
We’ve had two terrific showings of Free for All: The Public Library! If you weren’t able to make them, fear not—we also have one more screening and conversation on Saturday, April 26, at 3pm at the South Valleys Library. Afterward, the full documentary will be available online, but sans our scintillating conversation and free snacks.
Not-Fun Stuff
Just kidding, bureaucracy is always fun when you’ve got a library card! That’s how the song goes, right?
In all seriousness, the next Library Board of Trustees meeting is on Wednesday, April 16, at 5:30 at the Spanish Springs Library. The agenda should be posted by this Friday, April 11.
Recommended Reading
This month, the steering committee is reading Starting Somewhere: Community Organizing for Socially Awkward People Who’ve Had Enough by Roderick Douglass. It’s a short, easy read and also accessibly priced, and we encourage anyone who picks it up to chat with us about it at the next members meeting!
Interested in FtR-NV merch?
Our member-artist Figbar Lonesome has a Redbubble page where you can purchase official FtR-NV merchandise. Whether you’re looking for a t-shirt, tote, tank, or something else, this is our only merch page. We’ve gotten wind there are scam pages out there. PLEASE make sure you are using this Redbubble link before purchasing anything!!
Getting this email but haven’t filled out the pledge form?
Please do!! It takes five seconds! All the pledge form does is allow us to officially count you among our number of supporters. That’s it—we don’t charge a membership fee or gatekeep information. You must opt-in this way in order to be counted.
Local Mutual Aid & Activism Events
- HeaterBloc Reno is a volunteer-run community DIY group supporting our unhoused neighbors. They host build days for their tent-safe heaters and often need donations for those supplies. Check them out to see how you can help!
- Good Neighbors Reno has currently closed their overnight warming centers for the season, but you can still email goodneighborsreno@gmail.com to learn about future volunteer opportunities.
- The Reno Sunrise Movement has started community “zitching” sessions, where you fold zines and very respectfully discuss local and larger issues. The next one is coming right up—7:30pm on this Thursday, April 10!
- Since it’s that time of year, Urban Roots Nevada is getting especially busy! April 12 is their next volunteer session. On April 25, they’re doing a free coffee and community session for newcomers and returning folks alike. And there are still a few slots left for their April 26 Beekeeping 101 workshop. Honestly, they have a lot more going on that’s not been updated on their Instagram, so check out their website to see what events are still open!
- If you’re looking for more urban gardening opportunities, Good Deed Seeds has a community garden in Sparks that is looking for more seedlings, cuttings, and general community support! On April 13 at 10am, they’re doing a final greenhouse day to get ready for the growing season (with pizza for volunteers!). Keep an eye also on Earth Care Coop NV, which has had recent seed swaps and community education events!
- Biggest Free Little Pantry has several active locations where you can pick up or drop off food. Addresses for all their locations are in their Instagram bio.
- Hampton House Gardens presents Reno Family Dinner! Get in touch to find out when and where you can join the next one. For now, you can find them doing outreach every Saturday from 3-4 pm.
- Every Saturday from 10-12pm at Bennett Park: Biggest Little Food Not Bombs serves free meals! Learn more and find out how you can get involved.
- Every Sunday from 12-2pm: Northern Nevada Harm Reduction Alliance hangs in the Radical Cat parking lot to provide harm reduction services and equipment.
- Every other Sunday, 12pm: Reno Burrito Project rolls burritos at the Center of Influence food pantry at 1095 East Taylor Street and distributes them starting at 2pm from the parking lot at Evans Ave and East 6th Street. Their next date is April 20. You can help with donations, rolling, or distributing (or all three!).
- Every Tuesday at 6pm: Family Soup Mutual Aid distributes hot food and necessities at the Belief Plaza to anyone in need, no questions asked. Check out their LinkTree to sign up for their newsletter, donate via Venmo, or volunteer to bring food!
- Besides their regular Thursday meetings, CodePink Reno has a bookclub! They’ll wrap up their discussion of We Are Not Here to Be Bystanders by Palestinian author Linda Sarsour on April 27 at 10am. Space is limited, so make sure to RSVP by sending them a DM or emailing CodePinkReno@proton.me. On April 19, they’ll also be at Idlewild Park at 10am with local partners for Earth Day.
- Every Friday from 12-2pm: Laundry to the People offers a laundry service to our unhoused neighbors at the Mr. Bubbles laundromat on the corner of Victorian and Rock. They’re always in need of supplies like laundry detergent, heavy-duty trash bags, color-safe bleach, fabric softener, and dryer sheets. If you can’t meet up with them on Friday, you can bring donations to the Radical Cat!
With all the bad library news that’s been happening, we’ll end on a lighthearted note: Why did Dracula go to the library? He wanted a good book to sink his teeth into!
We can only blame our shelves,
FtR-NV Steering Committee
Freedom to Read Nevada 
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