Public Policy and Advocacy Office Archives | American Libraries Magazine

ALA Criticizes Firing of Register of Copyrights

May 12, 2025

ALA is dismayed at the unlawful dismissal of Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter, who has led the US Copyright Office since October 2020 with integrity, intelligence, and an understanding of intellectual property issues. Before her appointment as registrar, Perlmutter’s work with the library community on the US implementation of the Marrakesh Treaty demonstrated a commitment … Continue reading ALA Criticizes Firing of Register of Copyrights →

ALA Decries Dismissal of Librarian of Congress

May 9, 2025

As the president of ALA, I am deeply disappointed in last night’s decision by President Trump to fire Carla Hayden from her position as Librarian of Congress. I salute Hayden, a wise and faithful steward of the Library of Congress—the library she has called our national treasure. Her abrupt and unjust dismissal is an insult … Continue reading ALA Decries Dismissal of Librarian of Congress →

11 Questions: Lisa Varga

April 21, 2025

Before joining ALA, she spent 15 years as executive director of the Virginia Library Association. Varga has been an ALA member for 20 years and has served on the ALA Policy Corps, Intellectual Freedom Committee, Intellectual Freedom Summit steering committee, ALA Leadership Institute, and Chapter Relations Committee. She answered our 11 Questions to introduce herself … Continue reading 11 Questions: Lisa Varga →

ALA, AFSCME File Lawsuit against Trump Administration

April 8, 2025

The full statement reads as follows: ALA, the largest library association in the world, and AFSCME, the largest union representing museum and library workers, are challenging the Trump administration’s gutting of IMLS—a nonpartisan and independent agency dedicated to supporting and funding libraries and museums and the crucial community services they provide in every state across the country. The … Continue reading ALA, AFSCME File Lawsuit against Trump Administration →

White House Attacks Libraries

By Alan S. Inouye | March 19, 2025

Underneath the Trump administration’s bureaucratic language is the clear intent to take away states’ funding to support their libraries. The president cannot fully eliminate IMLS without congressional approval, but his order takes every possible step in that direction. The order calls for the elimination of IMLS, by limiting budget requests from the agency to only the … Continue reading White House Attacks Libraries →

Outlook on Federal Funding Threats to Libraries

By Larra Clark | February 26, 2025

The following is what library workers need to know—and what they can do to stand up and speak out for needed resources. Federal budget battles The previous Congress’s failure to pass FY2025 spending bills that were due October 1, 2024, resulted in a temporary funding measure that extended federal spending at FY2024 levels through March … Continue reading Outlook on Federal Funding Threats to Libraries →

Elect to Protect Democracy

By Jessica Jones Capparell | June 18, 2024

In mere months, we’ll head to the ballot for a critical presidential election. It’s essential that every voter’s voice be heard as we elect our most powerful representatives. Yet, the past few years have seen a slew of antivoter laws that make it harder for people to cast ballots and for voting rights organizations to … Continue reading Elect to Protect Democracy →

Advocates and lawmakers met during the American Library Association’s (ALA) legislative fly-in, held March 5–7 in Washington, D.C. From left: Jason Homer, executive director of Worcester (Mass.) Public Library; Maria McCauley, director of Cambridge (Mass.) Public Library; US Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.); and Gavin Baker, deputy director for public policy and government relations in ALA’s Public Policy and Advocacy Office.

Advocates Rally to Fund Libraries

By Kevin Maher | June 14, 2024

This year, the campaign for the fiscal year (FY) 2025 federal budget kicked off April 15 and concluded May 10. During that time, members of Congress signed “Dear Appropriator” letters requesting increased funding for specific library programs. Advocates sent more than 20,000 messages to their elected officials—a figure up 11% from last year—in a single … Continue reading Advocates Rally to Fund Libraries →

Geeta Halley (left), assistant director Round Rock (Tex.) Public Library and Jennifer Byrnes director of Rochester (N.Y.) Public Library's Business Insight Center, at the "Fostering Economic Opportunity and Advancement with Innovative Programming" session at ALA's 2023 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Chicago.

Handling Business

By Megan Bennett | June 24, 2023

“The more that they came to the desk, the more I realized, once they took the books off the shelves and left, what happens after that?” said Halley, assistant director of Round Rock (Tex.) Public Library (RRPL). “How do they grow forward and expand their businesses?” Halley and others spoke about libraries supporting entrepreneurs at … Continue reading Handling Business →

Pictured: Erin MacFarlane wearing an orange jacket and has yellow hair speaks into microphone as Becky Calzada, wearing glasses with dark hair and a yellow shirt, listens

Louder Together

By Sanhita SinhaRoy | June 24, 2023

With the unprecedented number of book challenges in the United States this past year, “the rubber meets the road on advocacy when we’re working at the local and community levels,” said moderator Kent Oliver, retired Nashville (Tenn.) Public Library director and senior policy fellow in ALA’s Public Policy and Advocacy Office. Oliver and a panel … Continue reading Louder Together →

Erin MacFarlane, customer experience administrator for the Maricopa County (Ariz.) Library District (right) speaks with US Rep. Raúl Grijalva during ALA's 2023 fly-in at Capitol Hill.

ALA Launches FY2024 #FundLibraries Campaign

By Lessa Kanani'opua Pelayo-Lozada | March 14, 2023

This year, there is a remarkably brief window for action: the deadline for signatures is March 20. The Library Services and Technology Act (LTSA) letter, circulated by US Reps. Raul Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Don Bacon (R-Neb.), urges House of Representatives appropriators to provide $232 million for LSTA to fund a wide range of essential library … Continue reading ALA Launches FY2024 #FundLibraries Campaign →

One Voice

By Lessa Kanani'opua Pelayo-Lozada | January 3, 2023

One of our greatest strengths is the simple and singular tool of using our united voice. When we unite our voices: We have the volume and power of a choir to amplify messages and make positive changes. Our message is informed by our unique and varied life experiences, our ancestors, and the goals we have … Continue reading One Voice →

Latest Library Links

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Anne Ford writes: “With total earnings of $426,600, Adriana Harmeyer, archives and special collections assistant professor and archivist for university history at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, is the winningest library professional ever to have appeared on Jeopardy! On May 14, she seeks to further cement that title, as she aims for the quarterfinals of the 2025 Jeopardy! Masters Tournament. Harmeyer—who holds the 11th longest consecutive winning streak of any player on the show—spoke with American Libraries about her longtime love of the game, her least favorite category, and how she blazed her path to the Masters.”

American Libraries Trend, May 12
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Leslie Burger writes: “We have all been impacted in both anticipated and unpredictable ways following the sweeping changes in Washington, D.C., since the January inauguration. ALA has always done its best to avoid partisan politics, choosing instead to work across the aisle to develop partnerships and relationships with individuals and organizations that share our values and support the important work of libraries. Libraries are inherently nonpartisan institutions. But this time a different approach may be needed.”

American Libraries column, May; AL: The Scoop, Apr. 8
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On May 12, ALA President Cindy Hohl released a statement criticizing President Trump’s May 10 dismissal of Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter. Perlmutter was fired two days after the Trump administration fired Carla Hayden, head of the Library of Congress, which oversees the US Copyright Office. Perlmutter’s termination came shortly after her office issued a report questioning the legality of training artificial intelligence systems on copyrighted works. According to Wired, Paul Perkins, who claimed he was new acting director of the Copyright Office, and Brian Nieves, who identified himself as the new deputy librarian, attempted to enter the Copyright Office May 12, but were turned away by Capitol Police.

AL: The Scoop, May 12; Associated Press, May 11; United States Copyright Office, May; Politico, May 10; Wired, May 12
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Chase Ollis writes: “The 2025 recipients of the I Love My Librarian Award are 10 standout librarians. They include a bookmobile librarian serving a community in crisis, a school librarian bridging gaps for low-income students, a youth detention facility librarian creating a more inviting and inclusive space, and other notable community figures. ALA presented the awards on January 24 as part of the LibLearnX conference in Phoenix (watch video of the ceremony). Among the recipients were four academic librarians, three public librarians, and three school librarians, each nominated by community members for their expertise, dedication, and impact.”

American Libraries feature, May
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ALA, along with other members of the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition, expressed strong disappointment following the Senate’s passage of S.J. Res. 7, a Congressional Review Act joint resolution that overturns the Federal Communications Commission’s decision to allow E-Rate funding for Wi-Fi hotspot lending by schools and libraries. The resolution now heads to the House of Representatives. If enacted, it would eliminate a critical tool that community anchor institutions use to provide broadband access to students and library patrons who rely on hotspots for education, employment, and health care. Over 800 school and library districts have requested approximately 200,000 Wi-Fi hotspots to loan out this year to students and library patrons.

ALA Public Policy and Advocacy Office, May 8
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On May 9, ALA President Cindy Hohl released a statement condemning President Trump’s May 8 firing of Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, who had been in the role since 2016. The statement celebrates Hayden’s leadership and efforts to make the Library of Congress “a bastion of knowledge and a beacon of opportunity” for all. The statement also urges all library supporters to reach out to their Congress members. According to the Washington Post, Hayden had recently been criticized as “woke” by the American Accountability Foundation, a conservative organization that identifies nonpartisan appointees it suspects will resist Trump’s policies.

AL: The Scoop, May 9; ALA Public Policy and Advocacy Office, May 9; PBS News, May 9, Washington Post, May 9
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Steve Tetrault writes: “I bet I’m not the only one who has, at some point, told students how much easier they have it than we adults did at their age—especially when it comes to doing research. But I’ve recently been rethinking that stance. While I had to ‘work’ to get information throughout most of my primary, secondary, and early higher education years, I knew that when I went to the library, the information I would find would be considered reliable. Our students have a wealth of information at their fingertips, but determining the veracity of the information requires work.”

Knowledge Quest, May 6

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