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
“ALA is proud to welcome our third cohort of Policy Corps members,” said ALA President Wanda Kay Brown in a March 25 statement. “As the number of Policy Corps members grows, so does the power and strength of our overall network for library advocacy across all library types. As our libraries—and the nation—struggle to respond … Continue reading Meet the 2020 ALA Policy Corps
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
In addition to supporting funding for libraries, the American Library Association (ALA) supported relief provisions for nonprofit organizations that will allow ALA and other library associations to continue to serve our professions during a crisis that has severely impacted revenue streams, such as conferences. The significant aid for workers across the country through stimulus checks, unemployment … Continue reading Federal Relief Package Supports Libraries
The Census Bureau shared its tool for daily updates on response rates, as well as recent updates to census operations and timelines. Changes to 2020 Census operations On March 20, the Census Bureau announced it was adapting or delaying some operations to protect the health and safety of staff members and the public, which includes: … Continue reading The 2020 Census and COVID-19
In an acknowledgment of the tough road ahead with the COVID-19 pandemic, Sargent said in a letter to librarians, “There are times in life when differences should be put aside.” He added that Macmillan would return to the pricing model in effect prior to the November 1 embargo. “In addition, we will be lowering some … Continue reading Libraries React to Macmillan Embargo Lift
On March 3, library advocates in New York sent 10,000 letters to state lawmakers as part of a public campaign in response to recent efforts to limit library access to ebooks. The letters, drafted by the New York Library Association in partnership with the American Library Association (ALA), were in support of legislation that would require publishers who … Continue reading States Act on Ebooks
For the fourth year in a row, the Trump administration has called for the elimination of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), currently funded at $195.4 million, and Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL), a school library-eligible program through the Department of Education, currently funded at $27 million. Sens. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) and Susan Collins … Continue reading Advocates in Motion to #FundLibraries
This year, the fly-in aligned with the release of the White House budget proposal for FY2021, which—for a fourth consecutive year—lays out the closure of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). ALA responded to the budget proposal with a statement and call to action, and ALA’s incoming Executive Director Tracie D. Hall opened … Continue reading Doubling Down on Strategic Library Advocacy
Like many libraries and consortia around the country, RILA has denounced Macmillan Publishers’ policy that places an eight-week embargo on new ebook titles after libraries purchase one copy. Cranston Public Library (CPL), for example, has stopped buying any ebook or digital audio book published by Macmillan or its imprints. CPL has also stopped promoting Macmillan authors and … Continue reading Bringing Congress on Board with #eBooksForAll
Ramiro S. Salazar, Public Library Association (PLA) president and director of San Antonio (Tex.) Public Library was aided by four panelists who have been working on the campaign since the beginning: Sari Feldman, Alan S. Inouye, Patrick Losinski, and Larra Clark. Salazar noted that the embargo affects all libraries, public libraries in particular. ALA has … Continue reading The Latest on #eBooksForAll
Macmillan Ebook Policy Draws Fire Macmillan Publishers announced a policy preventing libraries from purchasing more than one copy of a new ebook title for the first eight weeks after a book’s release. In protest, American Library Association (ALA) launched the #eBooksForAll petition, which by November 27 had garnered more than 216,000 signatures. Said ALA President … Continue reading 2019 Year in Review
