Advocacy

Spending Bill Includes Big Increases for Libraries

March 23, 2018

“We are thrilled that Congress has passed an FY2018 omnibus spending bill today that includes significant federal funding increases for our nation’s libraries! “One year ago, the White House proposed eliminating the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and slashed millions of dollars in federal funding for libraries. Twelve months and tireless advocacy efforts … Continue reading Spending Bill Includes Big Increases for Libraries →

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Marrakesh Treaty Closer to Reality

By Carrie Russell | March 15, 2018

If the Marrakesh Treaty Implementation Act is passed and signed by the president, the bill will greatly increase access for English speakers with print disabilities, especially in developing countries, where less than 1% of all published print content is accessible. The US will benefit as well by being able to obtain foreign-language content, especially for … Continue reading Marrakesh Treaty Closer to Reality →

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ALA and AASL Release Joint Statement on Florida Senate Bill 7026

March 8, 2018

“ALA and AASL support the efforts of Florida Association for Media in Education (FAME) and Florida Library Association to provide safe and accessible learning spaces for students and learners of all ages,” stated Neal and Yates. “School librarians work with classroom teachers to provide instruction integral to the curriculum and offer additional informal learning opportunities for students. School … Continue reading ALA and AASL Release Joint Statement on Florida Senate Bill 7026 →

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Next Steps to Fund Libraries

By Kevin Maher | March 7, 2018

The following excerpt originally appeared March 6 on District Dispatch, the blog of the American Library Association’s Washington Office. Read the full post at District Dispatch. The White House budget proposal for FY2019 recommends the elimination of most federal library funding. Though the budget proposal is concerning, Congress has the final say over the budget. Starting today, two … Continue reading Next Steps to Fund Libraries →

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ALA President Issues Statement on White House Budget

February 13, 2018

In response, American Library Association (ALA) President Jim Neal issued the following statement: “The administration’s FY2019 budget is out of touch with the real needs of Americans and the priorities of leaders in Congress who represent them. The president miscalculates the value of more than 120,000 libraries across America, just as he did in his … Continue reading ALA President Issues Statement on White House Budget →

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Community-centric Advocacy

By Miranda Doran-Myers | February 9, 2018

Libraries transform lives. Libraries transform communities. Librarians are passionate advocates for lifelong learning. Libraries are a smart investment. According to the research cited by the bootcamp’s leaders, humans need to hear something up to 10 times before the message really sinks in, so let’s see how many times I can pepper these messages into my … Continue reading Community-centric Advocacy →

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Meet the 2018 ALA Policy Corps

By Marcus Banks | January 29, 2018

The Policy Corps team will meet at the Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits in Denver in February, attend a workshop about political activism and the legislative process in March, and attend ALA’s National Library Legislative Day in May. Meet the first members of Policy Corps, a dozen people with diverse backgrounds and experiences who are united … Continue reading Meet the 2018 ALA Policy Corps →

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Tying Up the Lion

By Jim Neal | January 2, 2018

I suggest we begin by engaging with other library associations, including the Special Libraries Association, Urban Libraries Council, Society of American Archivists, Medical Library Association, Association of Research Libraries, Association for Rural and Small Libraries, Association for Library and Information Science Education, American Association of Law Librarians, Association for Information Science and Technology, Chief Officers … Continue reading Tying Up the Lion →

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Advocating for Libraries

By Ann Joslin | December 7, 2017

I have been Idaho’s state librarian since 2005 and held several positions in the state library agency for 26 years before that. The Idaho Commission for Libraries—the state’s library development agency—relies on a mixture of state and federal funding to execute its mission of assisting the more than 850 public, school, academic, and special libraries … Continue reading Advocating for Libraries →

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Policy Corps: A New Generation of Advocacy

By Timothy Inklebarger | October 13, 2017

Neal says the Association has always had a group of library workers with practical and policy experience it could call on to testify before national committees and speak with the press on behalf of libraries. But that advocacy network, which was already small, is shrinking even more as longtime advocates retire or move out of … Continue reading Policy Corps: A New Generation of Advocacy →

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Our Shared Responsibility

By Jim Neal | September 1, 2017

The 120,000 libraries of all types across the US—public, school, academic, government, special—are an essential component of the national information infrastructure, and library workers are critical leaders in their communities. We stand for individual rights, democracy, diversity, intellectual freedom, and social responsibility. We are trusted, helping to address community concerns and needs, and championing our … Continue reading Our Shared Responsibility →

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Libraries Transform: A Progress Report

By Jeff Julian | June 1, 2017

More than 6,900 libraries and library advocates have joined the campaign since it launched in October 2015. From legislative advocacy meetings to social media campaigns, many libraries are using the tools to demonstrate the power of speaking in one distinct, energetic voice for the library profession. In year two, the campaign continues to focus on … Continue reading Libraries Transform: A Progress Report →

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