Hello Fellow Bookaroos! I saw something online the other week where a girl couldn’t remember the word for library and called it a book ranch. Her boyfriend found it funny and tried to come up with different names for librarians including; cowbook, readcher, and finally bookaroo. I decided bookaroo was the best and I needed to use it in this message. That concludes the funny part of this message and we can move on to the more serious part of the message. President's Message Submission by Kerrianne Boetcher, Ward County Public Library, NDLA President As most of you (hopefully!) know, the North Dakota Legislative Session started on January 3rd. It has been a busy one so far with session set to end on April 28th. Thank you to everyone who has submitted testimony, sent letters to their legislators, or otherwise answered our pleas for help. As session ends, there is still time to contact your legislators. Forming relationships with them can help beyond just when we need their support on particular bills. I am so proud of North Dakota Libraries and how we come together to help each other out and to learn from each other. With that in mind and looking ahead to the annual conference, please consider submitting a proposal for a session. We welcome all sorts of ideas, even if you think no one would want to learn about it. I know that it can seem overwhelming or terrifying to think of doing something. However, ask yourself….if not me then who?

“You want weapons? We're in a library. Books are the best weapon in the world. This room's the greatest arsenal we could have. Arm yourself!” – Dr. Who (Season 2, Episode 2)

“The real heroes are the librarians and teachers who at no small risk to themselves refuse to lie down and play dead for censors” – Bruce Coville