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Description: Description: cid:[log in to unmask] the Winners of the Best Elevator Speech Contest 2012 The Best Elevator Speech Contest ran from January to March 31, with contestants being challenged to make a convincing statement on the enduring relevance of libraries in the 21st century, in 200 words or less. Congratulations to our three winners! APLA members can read the winning entries below. First prize goes to Cate Carlyle of Saint Mary's University; second prize to Patricia Parsons of Central Division Libraries (Gander, NL); and third to Anita Cannon of Mount Allison University. The awards will be presented at the annual conference in Wolfville. First Prize: $250 Second Prize: Free APLA membership for one year Third Prize: APLA t-shirt Thanks to all those who participated! *************************************** First Place Winner: Cate Carlyle, Librarian/Instructional Resources Assistant, TESL Centre Library, Saint Mary's University Libraries on the way out? In this economy libraries are the place to be! Where else can you get music, movies, books, internet access, all legal and all for free?! Do you read e-books? We have classes on how to buy the best e-reader, how to use it and how to get the latest titles all for free. Do you have kids? Libraries have programs for babies, kids and teens, homework help, game nights, craft classes, book clubs, all free! Any seniors in your life? We can help them navigate the web, learn about new technologies, get their taxes completed, even start tweeting -again, totally free. Do you know anyone who has been laid off or is job hunting? Library staff can help them with their resume, access the best job sites, and even help with interview skills. Where else can you do everything I just described, legally, for free, 7 days a week with knowledgeable help on hand?! I could go on and on about libraries but instead why don't I just give you my card and you can come visit and see for yourself. Oh, my floor, see you soon! Second Place Winner: Patricia Parsons, Manager, Central Division Libraries, Gander, NL whaddya mean- on the way out ? where are you been livin" to , my son ? In a cow's stomache ? Don't you know that libraries just happen to be on the leading edge of all things technological ? yes, I admit, we do still carry the good old fashioned book, but we also have dvd's, cd's, , mp3's, e-books, ILL's, e-resources , audiobooks, laptops, wireless, computer training... My son- if a library doesn't have it, you don't need it. And have I mentioned it's all free ? absolutely free for the asking. There's no better deal in town than what you'll find at your local library. Look, my son, here's a library card- Now, I have to tell ya- it does come with a Surgeon General's warning . See - it says right here - " NEVER leave home without it ! " ... My son, if you're waiting for the library to become road-kill on the information highway, you better not be holdin' your breath! :-) Third Place Winner: Anita Cannon, Research Librarian, R.P. Bell Library, Mount Allison University Oh no! Without libraries, without librarians, the world would be a darker, harsher, meaner place, for many people, including children, students, and seniors. Not everyone can afford to pay for books, an e-book reader, and access to all the information or research materials they need. If we want to have a democratic society, it is now more important than ever in this "information age", that all citizens have access to the information they need to be informed, to learn, to compete, and to feed their imaginations. Libraries provide that. For many, finding the right information on the Internet is not easy. They need help to learn how to distinguish the most reliable and appropriate information from the inappropriate, commercial or biased sites. Librarians provide that. Libraries are free for everyone and librarians help everyone who comes in their doors or who approaches them electronically. There is no other institution like it and no other profession I'd rather be in. We encourage sharing, learning, literacy and an informed public. We enhance every community we are a part of. I hope you will consider supporting your community library, or better yet: pay it a visit and see what you've been missing!