Speak Up for Library Funding!

~ Becky Ross Michael

From the ALA:

“Each year, the library community makes our voice heard for federal funding, which libraries across the country rely on to sustain crucial programs. Congress is crafting next year’s federal budget on a truncated timeline – with only one week for House members to show their support.

It’s time to take action. It’s time to #FundLibraries. 

Tell Congress to Fund Libraries!

The federal appropriations process began with the President’s proposed budget, before moving on to the House and Senate. Library champions in both chambers are leading our budget request letters and working hard to make the case for increased library funding through the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) and the Innovative Approaches to Literacy program (IAL): 

  • In the House, Reps. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ) and Don Bacon (R-NE) are leading the LSTA letter, and Reps. Jim McGovern (D-MA) and Bacon are leading the IAL letter.  
  • In the Senate, Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) is leading both letters! 

We are requesting funding of at least $232 for LSTA and $50 million for IAL. Learn more about the campaign – and find tools to share this action – at ALA’s #FundLibraries homepage! 

We are incredibly grateful for the time, work, and dedication you have put in to support libraries. Your efforts as advocates are responsible for some of the most consequential wins for libraries in decades. Now stand with libraries, library workers, and the communities they serve: take action to #FundLibraries! 

Speak Up for Library Funding!

Thank you for all you do for libraries! 

ALA Public Policy & Advocacy” 

***********************************************************************

Thanks so much for speaking up for libraries! What would we do without them?

If you love books and libraries, you might enjoy this book by Sara Nisha Adams that so clearly shows their transformational powers. I read this one for library book club and absolutely loved it. I hope you will, too! ~Becky

32 thoughts on “Speak Up for Library Funding!”

  3. Amen! You’re preaching to the choir. Sadly, schools are also doing away with school librarians. Libraries should be open to kids all day, not just when the teacher can bring their entire class.

    Liked by 3 people

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      1. That is a reasonable question, Liz. Unfortunately, when schools are looking to cut their budget, School Boards look at librarians as luxury items. The library will stay, but in my last year, teachers checked in and checked out books with their class, and children did not have access to the library before school, during recess and lunch, or after school. Besides being a great resource, the library is a safe haven for many children.

        Liked by 3 people

  8. Libraries are wonderful. We’re lucky in that two in our area have recently been remodeled, so I’m guessing they are adequately funded. But face it, all libraries should be adequately funded.

    Liked by 2 people

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  9. Thank you for bringing this to our attention, Becky. Sent letters to my reps. Also, put your book rec on my For Later shelf (all 9 copies in our library system are checked out and there’s a hold list. Looking forward to reading!)

    Liked by 1 person

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  11. Hi Becky
    Libraries serve the community and are a democratic institution for learning. We love libraries, our own as well public libraries. We absolutely agree, public libraries need a decent funding.
    Keep well
    The Fab Four of Cley
    🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

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  13. Here in the UK libraries are being closed to save money. There was a ‘consultation’ about closing the one nearest to me. The consultation cost more than it did to run the library for another year. They closed it and had to pay redundancy which would have kept it running for another two years. It’s a listed building so they still have to pay to maintain it.

    Liked by 1 person

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