ALA Public Policy & Advocacy

@librarypolicy.bsky.social

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Updates from the @amlibraryassoc.bsky.social Public Policy & Advocacy team in D.C. #LibrariesStrong #BuildLibraries #FundLibraries #eBooksForAll #ForOurLibraries Become a library advocate: ala.org/takeaction

Show up for our libraries. ALA 150, American Library Association.
National Voter Registration Day: September 15, 2026. ALA is a proud partner of NVRD. bit.ly/ALA-NVRD26 - Reader Voter Ready, ALA American Library Association
Teaming with Solutions: LWV and Library Collaborations to Empower Voters and Protect Democracy. Wed, July 15 2026, 3pm ET. Registration: bit.ly/ALA-LWV-2026webinar League of Women Voters Education Fund, Reader Voter Ready American Library Association.
Teaming with Solutions: LWV and Library Collaborations to Empower Voters and Protect Democracy. Wed, July 15 2026, 3pm ET. Registration: bit.ly/ALA-LWV-2026webinar League of Women Voters Education Fund, Reader Voter Ready American Library Association.
Selfie with eight staff members from ALA's Public Policy & Advocacy Office and Chapter Relations Office, taken on Michigan Avenue in Chicago on Sunday during ALAAC 2026. A CTA bus is visible in the background.
Photo of advocacy materials at the ALA Connect Lounge. Signs advertising National Library Legislative Day 2027, the Save Our E-Rate campaign, and ALA's library funding and broadband priorities.
Library workers, NC IDEA Foundation staff, and ALA staff posing together in a conference room at ALA Annual. Slide text: "Growing Entrepreneurs at the Library: Lessons from the LEAF program."
State Spotlights State Legislative and Advocacy Leaders • State Legislative Leaders meet once a month to network • Every state has one or more member leader leading advocacy, legislative, government relations, and policy work • ALA, American Association of School Librarians (AASL,) and Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) state chairs are welcome
Successful tactics • Pointing out the "grift" when bill sponsors or allies are personally benefitting from requirements in the law. • Pointing out costs associated with implementation, especially unfunded mandates • Getting non-librarian groups to advocate
2026 Overview • Freedom to read legislation continues to be pushed on the state level (NY, AK, FL, MA, PA, SC, UT, VA) • Is most successful in states where the state association supports it, and has a broad coalition. • Increasingly include specific protections for library workers.
2026 Overview • Top target from 2024 through 2026 is content censorship • Continues to focus on sexual content, using broad definitions. In practice, this is actually applied to LGBTQIA+ • Several bills focus specifically on "gender ideology," which is sometimes is explicitly defined as a "don't say trans," bill, sometimes is implied but not as explicit, but still is intended to censor content by and about trans communities. Similar tactic to "sexually explicit" language.
Overview: • Fewer adverse bills this legislative session so far • Some of that is due to legislative session scheduling, since TX is overrepresented and is not in session in 2026. North Dakota, Montana, Nevada are also not in session • However, if we take out Texas from the analysis, the number of adverse bills has still dropped in 2025 and further further in 2026. • There is anecdotal evidence that legislators aren't as eager to fight for adverse library bills
State Legislation Trends - June 2026. (map of the country with a universal library symbol)
Legislation in the States: Update and Discussion
A group of conference attendees and ALA staff sitting together in the ALA Connect Lounge at two tables.
ALA member Joe Thompson and ALA staff Megan Janicki standing together in the ALA Connect Lounge, holding signs that read “Defend E-Rate” and “Show Up for E-Rate”
A group of ALA attendees and presenters discussing voter engagement strategies at the ALA Connect lounge huddle area.
Today’s conversation continues 4-420pm, ALA Connect Lounge. Teaming with solutions, ALA/LWV webinar, July 15 2pm central. bit.ly/ALA-LWV-2026webinar National Voter Registration Day, Sept 15 2026, become a partner! bit.ly/ALA-NVRD26
High school preparation - Learned what my community needed after 2023 Tx. Legislative session - How to make educational sessions interactive, personal and inviting - What outside resources could help
Hoboken Public Library: 2025 was a big year of elections in NJ - gubernatorial & state • Hoboken, NJ is an urban city of 60,000 residents, across the Hudson River from NYC • All municipal and board of education seats up for election in November 2025 • Run-offs were held in December
Strategic priorities: Connect People to Information Connect People to Lifelong Learning Connect People to Resources Connect People to People
PARTNERING FOR DEMOCRACY Strategic Collaboration to Deliver Civic Information And Facilitate Voter Participation
Susan Hempstead, Maggie Snow, Lucy Podmore, and Jennie Pu, sitting together at a table in a conference room at ALA Annual
Education Program Outreach and Advocacy Partnering for Democracy: Strategic Collaboration to Deliver Civic Information and Facilitate Voter Participation I Saturday, June 27, 2026 • 2:30 PM - 3:30 PM CDT. • Location: McCormick Place, W 179 A B
Cook County IMPACT Grant - Learn to Earn - Digital Resulience - Embedded Journalist - Leaders & Learners "It’s the vulnerability. 'Who do I ask? Do I have to get the Geek Squad in? Do I come to a class like this? Where? Where do I look now?' I want to have confidence, that I have a toolbox. If I’m going to have a presence in the digital world, I want to have a more intelligent one.”
Slide showing resource match-making at the Forest Park Library, including open access to computers, digital coaches, tech support 1:1s, Tech empowerment, and Northstar digital literacy support hours.
What I Do Advancing digital equity across Cook County, in policy and in practice: 1 Set the strategy. Released the inaugural Cook County Digital Equity Action Plan (Oct. 2023) and the Digital Equity Map, scoring every suburban municipality and Chicago neighborhood. 2 Co-design with community. Our Digital Equity Action Committee (DEAC) are on-the- ground champions hosting conversations, distributing devices, and building confidence and safety skills equitably. 3 Partner with libraries. Working with RAILS and suburban libraries to course-correct systems and position them as a stronger collective with training, resources, and devices.
Regional Digital Navigator Sharing Plan https://libguides.ctstatelibrary.org/sharing-digital-navigators
Federal Broadband Funding A Brief Overview of Major Programs Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Schools and Libraries (E-Rate) Program Broadband Equity, Access and Deployment: $42.5 billion for broadband deployment, workforce development, and affordable connectivity 96% of public schools and 73% of public libraries receive E-Rate support Digital Equity Act Programs: $2.75 billion in funds for digital equity programs: digital navigation, digital skills training, affordable devices E-Rate discounts (20-90%) on connectivity and network costs are tied to need Status: Under FCC Review
Slide showing presenters. Emily Durkin, ALA Advocacy Office (moderator) Grace Tepper, Editor & Researcher,Benton Institute for Broadband & Society Christine Gauvreau, Digital Navigation Consultant, Connecticut State Library Kyla Williams Tate, Director of Digital Equity, Cook County, IL Skye Lavin, Manager of Adult Services, Forest Park Public Library
Skye Lavin, Christine Gauvreau, Kyla Williams Tate, and Grace Teppner, sitting together in the front of a presentation room at ALA Annual.
Slide title: “Further Together: A Collaborative Approach to Digital Equity for All”
Join us in Chicago! Register today and save with advance rates! ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition. Chicago, June 25-29, 2026. For Our Libraries, For 150 Years More. American Library Association.
Join us in Chicago! Register today and SAVE with advance rates! ALA Annual, Chicago June 25-29, 2026. FOr our libraries, for 150 years more. American Library Association.
Register now! Faith for Libraries Bootcamp. Tickets: $10. Thur, June 25, 2026, Chicago, IL. Interfaith Alliance; American Library Association; Unite Against Book Bans; Association for Rural and Small Libraries
Show up for our libraries. ALA American Library Association.
Register today and save with advanced rates! ALA annual conference and exhibition. Chicago June 25-29 2026. For our libraries. For 150 years more. American Library Association. alaannual.org
Join us in Chicago! Register today and save with advance rates! ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition. Chicago, June 25-29, 2026. For Our Libraries, For 150 Years More. ALA American Library Association.
Join us in Chicago! Register today and SAVE with advance rates! ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition. Chicago, June 25-29, 2026. For Our Libraries. For 150 Years More. ALA American Library Association.
ALA's Megan Janicki standing with a Libraries Build Business participant with LEAF and LBB signage
Show up for our libraries. ALA American Library Association
National Voter Registration Day, Sep 15, 2026, ALA is a proud partner of NVRD. bit.ly/ALA-NVRD26. Reader Voter Ready, American Library Association.
National Voter Registration Day, Sep 15, 2026. ALA is a proud partner of NVRD. bit.ly/ALA-NVRD26 Reader Voter Ready, ALA American Library Association
ALA Joins Amicus Brief in Case Fighting Cancelation of Digital Equity Act Funding. Show up for our libraries, ALA 150, American Library Association
ALA staff and NLS staff posing together in front of an NLS sign. From left: Gavin Baker, ALA; Lisa Varga, ALA; Megan Janicki, ALA; Jason Broughton, LOC NLS; and Jason M. Yasner, LOC NLS.
Partnership for Public Service. Public Servants Fuel America. Public Service Recognition Week, May 3-9, 2026
Webinar: Defending the USF after SCOTUS. Wed, May 6, 2026 at 2pm ET. Featuring: Andrew Schwartzman, Senior Counselor of Benton Institute for Broadband and Society; and Jason E. Neal, Partner at HWG Law. Brought to you by the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition and the American Library Association.
At 30, E-Rate is a proven success. Let's keep improving it. Sam Helmick in The Hill.
Fund Libraries: Tell Congress to invest in libraries. ALA 150, American Library Association, #FundLibraries
Fund Libraries: Tell Congress to invest in libraries. ALA 150, American Library Association.
ALA Public Policy & Advocacy staff, friends of ALA, and ALA President-Elect Dr. Maria McCauley pose together for a group photo in a dining room.
Fund Libraries: Tell Congress to invest in libraries. ALA 150, American Library Association.
Jane Fonda posing with ALA's Lisa Varga.
FCC Commissioner Anna Gomez posing with ALA's Lisa Varga in a restaurant after an event in support of free expression.
Fund Libraries: Tell Congress to invest in libraries. ALA 150, #FundLibraries
Democracy is everyone's business. Reader Voter Ready, American Library Association.
Writing the Story: Collaboration and Local Voice to Mark America's 250th. Friday, April 3, 1145-1245, PLA Conference 2026. Lisa Varga, ALA; Joseph Thompson, Carroll Co. Public Library; Jesse Simons, Mesa Public Library; Kate Coyne, Indianapolis Public Library. Public Library Association.
Fund Libraries: Tell Congress to invest in libraries. ALA 150, American Library Association.
ALA staff Emily Durkin and Megan Janicki, posing with Angela Goodrich of the Urban Libraries Council in front of the US Capitol.
Show up for our libraries - ALA 150, American Library Association