Advocacy Archives | American Libraries Magazine

A Transition Plan for Library Advocates

By Kathi Kromer | November 13, 2020

Based on campaign pledges, the Biden-Harris administration will be more favorable to education investment and the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion. President-Elect Joe Biden’s cabinet selections will likely indicate a significant shift in policy around education, telecommunications, workforce issues, and many other areas. However, the change of leadership in the White House does not … Continue reading A Transition Plan for Library Advocates →

Our Collective Power

By Meredith Farkas | November 2, 2020

However, during this crisis, many library workers are unexpectedly forced to advocate for themselves. Early in the pandemic, Twitter became a vital space for workers seeking advice and support when trying to get their libraries to close or to demand adequate safety measures. I know many library workers who are fierce advocates for their patrons … Continue reading Our Collective Power →

From the President, by Julius C. Jefferson Jr.

We the People

By Julius C. Jefferson Jr. | November 2, 2020

The primary focus of my ALA presidency is to serve the people—all people—with particular attention to those who were not included or who are underrepresented or forgotten. In my last column, I shared the idea behind ALA’s “Holding Space” tour, which began in July and featured virtual visits to 11 libraries across the country that … Continue reading We the People →

New York Library Association members and staffers meet virtually with Christina Henderson (bottom row, pink shirt), Legislative Assistant for U.S. Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) handling education, workforce, and census issues for both the Senate leadership and Sen. Schumer’s personal office.

Pushing for Action on LSFA

By Kevin Maher and Shawnda Hines | September 14, 2020

LSFA (S. 4181/H.R. 7486) would establish a $2 billion emergency fund to address financial losses and bolster library services for libraries of all types, with priority given to the hardest-hit communities. Most of the funding ($1.7 billion) would go directly to states to meet local library needs such as avoiding furloughs, providing safe workspaces, or … Continue reading Pushing for Action on LSFA →

Stand Up, Speak Out

By Julius C. Jefferson Jr. | September 1, 2020

For 60 years Lewis served and advocated for our collective humanity. What many may not know is that his wife, Lillian, who passed in 2012, was his chief advisor and a librarian. Lewis’s legacy reminds me that service is the fundamental reason libraries exist and that reading and access to information—which are human rights—are necessary … Continue reading Stand Up, Speak Out →

The Latest on Broadband Bills

By Kevin Maher and Marijke Visser | July 15, 2020

In recent months, the House and Senate have introduced several bills that include provisions to ensure libraries are equipped to address the digital needs of their communities, and the American Library Association (ALA) has supported many of them. The nation needs to address this gap on all fronts, and libraries are part of the solution. … Continue reading The Latest on Broadband Bills →

Congress Introduces Library Stabilization Fund Act

By Kathi Kromer | July 8, 2020

Gaining cosponsors for the LSFA is important. While Congress provided $50 million in emergency funding for libraries to support digital connectivity in the CARES Act in March, there is currently almost no dedicated support for America’s libraries in new COVID-19 relief packages, although healthcare, small businesses, and numerous other sectors have been included. The Senate is currently crafting … Continue reading Congress Introduces Library Stabilization Fund Act →

A Year of Change, Loss, Hope

By Wanda Kay Brown | June 1, 2020

This is not how I imagined the end of my term as president. Indeed, this year has brought some of the greatest joys and deepest sorrows, and the COVID-19 pandemic has changed everything—everything except my deep love for this profession. I am profoundly grateful for the opportunity to have met so many library workers during … Continue reading A Year of Change, Loss, Hope →

HEROES Act Stalls in Senate

By Kathi Kromer | May 22, 2020

Despite the 101 representatives who called for $2 billion in funding for libraries, a bipartisan letter signed by 46 senators calling for new library stabilization funding, and a coalition of 35 national organizations, the HEROES Act provided only $5 million for libraries through the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The HEROES Act does aim to increase digital equity. The House bill provides $4 billion to expand high-speed internet access to those who cannot afford it, … Continue reading HEROES Act Stalls in Senate →

ALA Rallies Support for Congressional COVID-19 Relief Packages

By Kathi Kromer | May 12, 2020

According to the letter, “COVID-19 has caused significant revenue losses for libraries, resulting in thousands of furloughs and layoffs to date. Fiscal stabilization is needed to preserve crucial library services for students, job seekers, and small businesses.” Citing significant support for libraries in Congress, the letter’s signatories wrote, “We join with more than 100 bipartisan … Continue reading ALA Rallies Support for Congressional COVID-19 Relief Packages →

COVID-19: Filling the Learning Gap

By Marijke Visser | May 7, 2020

With stay-at-home orders reshaping education, many students are unable to participate in the online learning most states require. Members of Congress are now recognizing that the “homework gap”—experienced by the roughly 8–12 million K–12 students who lack broadband access at home—is only part of a larger learning gap. Libraries are a safety net for those … Continue reading COVID-19: Filling the Learning Gap →

Fund Libraries: Tell Congress to Invest in Libraries graphic, with red and white text on black background

Library Advocates Stay in Motion

By Emily Wagner and Kevin Maher | April 1, 2020

February 10 may feel like 100 years ago, but that date marked—for a fourth consecutive year—the administration’s threat to eliminate all library funding from the federal budget. As ever, library advocates responded with emphatic determination. The annual campaign to gather support for the federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) and Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL) program began with ALA’s annual fly-in, the timing of which aligned with the … Continue reading Library Advocates Stay in Motion →

Latest Library Links

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Hundreds of families received food packages after Cobb County, Georgia, residents donated produce and shelf-stable food items to help those in need. The items were distributed to 370 families a drive-through pantry at the Stratton branch of Cobb County Public Library System. Agencies including Atlanta Community Food Bank, the teamwork of CCPL staff with colleagues from Cobb Parks, Cobb Water, Cobb State Court, and Cobb County Sheriff’s Office assisted with organizing the donations.

WGCL-TV Atlanta, Dec. 2
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Librarian Abby Johnson writes: “A few years ago, our library restructured and created our first collection development librarian position. I was hired for the position of doing all collection development for my library. Children’s, adult, teen, print, digital, periodical—you name it, it was my job. In June, while our library’s doors were closed due to COVID, I started our Grab Bag program and began taking patron emails myself and filling the grab bags. And it completely changed how I was doing collection development.”

ALSC Blog, Nov. 30
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Bing Crosby’s “White Christmas” is one of America’s most popular holiday tunes. That recording, along with more than 3,000 record albums and CDs, are part of the Bing Crosby Collection recently acquired by the University Library System’s Center for American Music, housed at the Stephen Foster Memorial.

PittWire, Dec. 1
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A former city library has been tentatively declared historic—which could stop plans to demolish it for a new Children’s Wisconsin clinic on Milwaukee’s south side. The city Historic Preservation Commission voted November 30 to permanently designate the former Forest Home Branch Library. The petition to designate the building was filed after plans surfaced for a $5.4 million medical office building at the site.

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Nov. 30
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A crowdfunding campaign has been started to purchase and restore the longtime home of author J. R. R. Tolkien and turn the property into a museum. Project Northmoor, as the group effort is called, began a three-month campaign on December 2 to raise at least $5.3 million to buy the house on the outskirts of Oxford, England, where he wrote The Hobbit and much of the Lord of the Rings trilogy.

New York Times, Dec. 2
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Star Wars fans, book lovers, and collectors from around the universe can use their powers to help libraries this holiday season. The Child (a.k.a. Grogu or Baby Yoda), the breakout star of the Disney+ series The Mandalorian, is featured in a new poster and bookmark from ALA Graphics. All proceeds will fund advocacy, awareness, and accreditation programs for library professionals worldwide.

ALA Graphics, Dec. 3
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Sarah Schwartz writes: “As students search for news online, it’s increasingly likely that they’ll come across the steady stream of disinformation on the web: conspiracy theories like QAnon, manipulated images and videos, false claims that the coronavirus is a hoax. Online spread of disinformation and rumor like this has posed new challenges for civics teachers. Confronting it requires a different kind of news literacy education in the social studies classroom, experts say—one that goes beyond the common practices of encouraging students to see both sides of an issue and provide evidence to back up their claims.”

EdWeek Teacher, Nov. 25

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