From Congress to local library boards, our elected officials need to hear from library supporters at all levels of government—especially during election years. To launch ALA’s new Reader, Voter, Ready campaign, we’re asking library advocates to pledge to get informed, get registered, and get ready to vote!
We’re still buzzing from National Library Week (NLW), which wrapped on Saturday, April 29. The awareness, advocacy, and love for libraries, librarians, and library workers that we saw throughout the country was outstanding. While it would be a near-impossible task for us to highlight every single way that libraries were championed during NLW 2023, one instance stood out for us.
In addition to officially proclaiming April 23-29, 2023, to be “California Library Week,” California Governor Gavin Newsom penned a love letter to the “nation’s hardworking librarians” at the close of NLW, thanking them for their service and for changing the lives of people everywhere-himself included. We’d be lying if we said the letter didn’t bring a tear to our eyes. Here it is, in full.
To our nation’s hardworking librarians-
You share words with the world, and as we close out National Library Week, I want to share two words with you: Thank you.
In my childhood, I struggled with undiagnosed dyslexia. Books and words weren’t just difficult to read-they felt entirely out of reach. Without them, my world was far smaller than it could have been: I avoided classrooms and libraries for reasons I couldn’t fully understand or articulate. But as I grew, my world did too. Through support, advice, and mentorship from specialists, educators, and librarians too numerous to list, I didn’t just fall in love with words… my life started revolving around them. Because people-people like you-took the time to care about me, to show me the power of words and the power of books, I was able to find my footing in business, service, and eventually, elected office. I am in your debt.
You helped get me here. And my story isn’t unique. Librarians change lives every day. Your impact goes far beyond book recommendations (although, you have recommended many great books over the years). You help us start new chapters at every stage of our lives, showing us the magic of reading as children, and teaching us new skills in our golden years. You are the heart of our communities, providing a way out and a way up for those unsure of where they’re going-including those who are unhoused, unemployed, or simply looking for a new path.
You guard the sanctity of our pasts, good and bad, as you shepherd the possibilities of our tomorrows.
And yet, despite your indispensable contributions-or perhaps because of them-you have become the target of unjust attacks across the nation. Idealogues and demagogues are attacking you for championing diversity, inclusion, and equity-for making sure our children and all people belong. You are facing censorship, battling record numbers of book bans and challenges, as you defend free access to literary works, especially those written by authors who are often targeted: LGBTQ+ writers, writers of color, and those daring to challenge the status quo.
It is more important than ever that we have your back and that we ensure and expand access to public libraries and defend your essential role in preserving freedom. We must refuse to dabble in the zealotry of whitewashing literature and banning books. And in California, we are. Together, we’ve accomplished some incredible things: investing hundreds of millions to equitably improve and modernize your workplaces; working to preserve and share our historically and culturally significant materials by investing in library digitization; renovating and enhancing the Jewish Family and Children’s Services Holocaust Center Library and Archives building; expanding and diversifying our library resources to promote health and wellness and reflect our multilingual and multicultural communities; and beyond. We’ve even worked with Dolly Parton to establish a Statewide Imagination Library.
In California, we know libraries hold more than books-so much more. Libraries, and librarians, stand at the crossroads of opportunity and information, acting as gateways to online job training and educational upskilling programs; to state parks by enabling people to check out a parks pass, regardless of income; and to food through free lunch programs. And above all else, our library walls hold the most valuable treasure: you.
So, I will continue to stand up for you – and stand up to those that get in your way. California has your back, because you’ve always had ours. You’ve always had mine.
I know from my own challenges with dyslexia that when we help people read, we help them succeed. You do that every day. The value of a librarian is inestimable-you go beyond books, and even beyond knowledge. You open the doors to possibility. To opportunity, imagination, and the pursuit of freedom. I’ve experienced it firsthand.
This National Library Week, and always, thank you.
In gratitude,
Gavin Newsom
Governor of California
Thanks to Governor Newsom-and many other governors and state leaders-for celebrating and providing incredible visibility for libraries during NLW. Keep the love going throughout the year!
Photo: Gage Skidmore, via Wikimedia Commons
Today is Take Action for Libraries Day, an annual day of action during National Library Week!
From Congress to local library boards, our elected officials need to hear from library supporters at all levels of government. This year, library advocates like you are joining together to tell Congress to protect the freedom to read and stand against censorship. Threats to the right to read have increased dramatically in recent years, and Congress must stand against any attempts to restrict intellectual freedom.
Use these tools to take action and remind Congress why the freedom to read must be protected.
Tell Congress to stand with school libraries
Library champions in Congress just reintroduced critical legislation to support school libraries and students’ freedom to read! The Right to Read Act, introduced by Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) and Rep. Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ-7), would create protections for school librarians and students’ right to read, as well as require every student to have access to a school library, staffed by a certified school librarian. This legislation has the potential to impact millions of students across the country, providing a much-needed infusion of funding for school libraries, and a huge step forward in the fight against censorship.
The American Library Association is urging members of Congress to stand with school librarians, students, and other educators nationwide by cosponsoring this legislation. Take action and urge your members of Congress to sign on!
Bring Congress to your library
Invite your members of Congress to a virtual or in-person tour of your library! Showcasing the successes and needs of your library to your elected officials is a great way to establish relationships with elected leaders. Check out the in-person tour checklist, and learn more about how to successfully welcome Congress into your library with our dedicated tour resource page which includes recorded sample tours.
It’s Library Card Sign-Up Month (LCSUM)! Held each September, LCSUM is an annual reminder that library cards empower individuals and communities by providing free access to technology, multimedia content, educational programming, and much more. A library card opens up a world of learning for everyone and is one of the most cost-effective back-to-school supplies available.
“During economic shifts, libraries help to foster resilience in the community by providing resources to support patrons in their creative and entrepreneurial endeavors,” says American Library Association (ALA) President Lessa Kananiʻopua Pelayo-Lozada. “A library card offers a wide range of opportunities for the community to find its voice and passion. I encourage everyone to up for a card at your local library and explore the resources and services that are available.”
If you love libraries-and the access they provide to rich and diverse worlds-we invite you to join the festivities and help spread the word about the value of a library card. Here are a few ways you can participate:
You have a library card, of course. But does your best friend? Neighbor? Cousin? Secret crush? There’s no time like to present to persuade those people in your life to register for a library card. Remind them that signing up for a library card is free and easy, and that libraries are still better than the internet.
Share a photo of yourself with your library card using the hashtag #GetLibraryCarded for a chance to win $100!
Post to Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #GetLibraryCarded. Entries can also be submitted by posting as a comment or wall post on the I Love Libraries Facebook page. Be sure not to reveal any personal information on your library card, and don’t forget to tag your library! The creator of one randomly selected post will receive a $100 Visa gift card and a poster of choice from ALA Graphics. Three second-place winners will receive their poster of choice from ALA Graphics.
The #GetLibraryCarded promotion begins Thursday, September 1, at noon CT and ends Friday, September 23, at noon CT. All library lovers and librarians are encouraged to participate. The promotion is open to residents of the United States, Washington, D.C., and U.S. Territories. ALA employees are not eligible to participate. Find the official rules at the LCSUM website.
Libraries and library supporters are using the hashtag #LibraryCardSignUpMonth on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to help get the word out about the value of a library card. The Library Card Sign-up Month website has tons of sample social media posts and graphics for free download featuring this year’s LCSUM Honorary Chairs, Tony Award-winning performer, actress, singer-songwriter, and philanthropist Idina Menzel and her sister, author and educator Cara Mentzel!
Let your neighbors know you’re a proud library card holder with these awesome yard signs from ALA. Pick your favorite sign-options include “Library card holders live here” and “In this house, we support libraries”-or design your own, then print and display to jazz up your yard.
Visit the Library Card Sign-Up Month website for more ways to celebrate!
On April 4, the American Library Association (ALA) released the State of America’s Libraries Special Report: Pandemic Year Two, a snapshot of the library community’s resilience, determination, and innovation in unprecedented circumstances. The report, which comes out annually during National Library Week, highlights how US libraries navigated the second year of the pandemic, an upswing in book challenges and banning across the country, and innovative ways that libraries met community needs.
Library staffers in every state faced an unprecedented number of attempts to ban books in 2021, the report finds. ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom tracked 729 challenges to library, school, and university materials and services, resulting in more than 1,597 individual book challenges or removals. Most targeted books were by or about Black or LGBTQIA+ persons. These are the 10 most-targeted books.
“The 729 challenges tracked by ALA represent the highest number of attempted books bans since we began compiling these lists 20 years ago,” said ALA President Patricia “Patty” Wong in an April 4 statement. “We support individual parents’ choices concerning their child’s reading and believe that parents should not have those choices dictated by others. Young people need to have access to a variety of books from which they can learn about different perspectives. So, despite this organized effort to ban books, libraries remain ready to do what we always have: make knowledge and ideas available so people are free to choose what to read.”
To learn more, check out the full State of America’s Libraries Report.
April 3-9 is National Library Week—a time for library lovers across the country to celebrate literacy, intellectual freedom, and equitable access to information.
As the COVID-19 pandemic moves into its third year, libraries are proving to be more essential than ever, providing services and programs that have kept communities strong even while socially distancing. The past year saw an unprecedented increase in book challenges and book banning in school and public libraries across the U.S. Librarians have been on the frontlines of these battles, ensuring that everyone has the freedom to read. National Library Week is an opportunity to remind the world that this work matters.
Actress and comedian Molly Shannon will serve as this year’s National Library Week Honorary Chair, helping promote the 2022 theme “Connect with Your Library.” Shannon says she has a deep connection to the library world.
“My mom was a librarian,” Shannon says. “She encouraged kids to read. So, the work of librarians and libraries has such a special place in my heart. Libraries are places where communities connect—to things like broadband, computers, programs and classes, books, movies, video games and more. But most importantly, libraries connect us to each other.”
There are countless ways to join the National Library Week celebration, from attending events at your local library to contacting legislators about library funding. Here are a few of our favorite ways to get involved:
Funding libraries is an investment in our communities: Libraries perform essential social services like promoting literacy, supporting job seekers, and providing access to information for all. National Library Week is the perfect time to contact your legislators to let them know why library funding is so important—and the American Library Association has made it easy to get involved with resources on local, state, and national policy positions; best practices for working with traditional and social media; simple methods to discover exactly who represents you in Washington and locally; advocacy assistance for everything from equity, diversity, and inclusion issues to disaster aid to book challenges; and more.
ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom tracked 729 challenges to library, school and university materials and services in 2021, resulting in more than 1,597 individual book challenges or removals. Most targeted books were by or about Black or LGBTQIA+ people. Show your support for these books—and the librarians and library workers defending your freedom to read—by reading a banned book. The Top 10 Banned Books List for 2021 will be released on April 5 in ALA’s State of America’s Library Report or you can select a book from past lists, including titles like Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Ibram X. Kendi and Jason Reynolds, The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, Beyond Magenta: Transgender Teens Speak Out by Susan Kuklin, and To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.
All week long, we’re asking library users to talk about the connections you’ve made because of their library. Did you find a great book? Get access to computers? Attend a great program or storytime? Did you make new friends at your library’s book club? Post to Instagram, Twitter, or on the I Love Libraries Facebook page using the hashtag #MyLibrary. We’ll gather all the entries, and one randomly selected winner will receive a $100 Visa gift card. The promotion starts Sunday, April 3 at noon CT and ends on Saturday, April 9 at noon CT.
One of the easiest ways to support your library is just to visit their website and use their resources! With countless free ebooks, audiobooks, movies, magazines, databases, and more, your library has something entertaining and informative for everyone. Don’t have a library card? Many libraries allow you to register online-visit your local library’s website or contact a librarian to find out more.
Show off your library love with t-shirts from our friends at Out of Print emblazoned with beloved ALA READ posters featuring actor, author, and literacy advocate LeVar Burton and 90s heartthrob Fabio! The best part? Proceeds from these products support the American Library Association’s efforts to promote digital access, combat censorship, and champion much-needed funding for libraries.
Visit the National Library Week website to learn more! And don’t forget to sign up for the I Love Libraries newsletter!
Amid the recent upswing in efforts to ban books across the United States, a new national poll commissioned by the American Library Association (ALA) shows that seven in 10 voters oppose efforts to remove books from public libraries, including majorities of voters across party lines. According to the poll, large majorities of voters (71%) oppose efforts to have books removed from their local public libraries, including majorities of Democrats (75%), independents (58%), and Republicans (70%).
These findings demonstrate that, far from being a partisan issue, book bans are opposed by large majorities of voters of all parties. The value of libraries and librarians has similar bipartisan support, with strong majorities of voters voicing confidence in libraries and favorability toward librarians.
The new poll is the first to approach the issue of book bans through the lenses of public and school libraries. It also found near-universal high regard for librarians and recognition of the critical role that public and school libraries play in their communities.
Three quarters of parents of public school children (74%) that were polled expressed a high degree of confidence in school librarians to make good decisions about which books to make available to children. When asked about specific types of books that have been a focus of local debates, large majorities say for each that that they should be available in school libraries on an age-appropriate basis.
According to the poll, most voters and parents hold librarians in high regard, have confidence in their local libraries to make good decisions about what books to include in their collections, and agree that libraries in their communities do a good job offering books that represent a variety of viewpoints. They also are confident in local public libraries to make good decisions about their collections and think libraries do a good job representing a variety of viewpoints.
A majority of public school parents who were polled affirmed that various types of books should be available in school libraries on an age-appropriate basis. This includes works about US History that focus on the role of slavery and racism in shaping America today, such as the 1619 Project (84%); works of literature that use racial slurs, such as Huckleberry Finn, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Of Mice and Men (82%); novels for young adults that portray police violence against Black people, such as Ghost Boys and The Hate U Give (68%); fiction and non-fiction books about lesbian, gay, and transgender individuals, such as George and This Day in June (65%); and works of fiction that have sexually explicit content, including scenes of sexual violence, such as Beloved and Looking for Alaska (57%).
“The survey results confirm what we have known and observed: that banning books is widely opposed by most voters and parents,” said ALA President Patricia “Patty” Wong, in a March 24 statement. “As a career librarian who began my career in public libraries working with children, I’m thrilled to see that parents have a high degree of confidence in school libraries’ decisions about their collections and very few think that school librarians ignore parents’ concerns. This truly validates the value and integrity of library professionals at a time when many are feeling burnt out because of accusations made by small but loud groups.”
The survey was conducted by the bipartisan team of Hart Research Associates and North Star Opinion Research on behalf of ALA among 1,000 voters and 472 parents of children in public school. It was conducted March 1, 2022, to March 6, 2022, and the sample is demographically and geographically representative of US voters and parents.
Review the full survey findings, methodology, and more on ALA’s website.
This is a guest post by Kristin Pekoll, assistant director of the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom.
We often hear about book bans from the perspective of the banners, but these events affect whole communities, particularly library professionals on the receiving end of accusations and threats. I know because it happened to me when I was a librarian serving young adults at West Bend (Wis.) Community Memorial Library.
I’ll never forget the day it started: Tuesday, February 3, 2009. That afternoon, we received a request for reconsideration in our library book drop. It was a complaint about a book list on our website titled, “Out of the Closet” Books for LGBTQ Teens. The list had been online for almost 5 years, and it was frequently used by the local high school’s Gay Straight Alliance, whose members often helped me select titles.
By the end of the week, the front page of the local newspaper read, “Library’s Gay Link Criticized.” From there the issue grew beyond concern about the book list to become a formal challenge in which 37 books were singled out for removal—books the complainants felt were gay “propaganda and encourage[d] and normalize[d] illegal behavior.” (The list grew to more than 85 titles by the time the challenge ended.) For the next five months, my life and my library were the subject of dozens of newspaper articles, letters to the editor, social media opinions, blog posts, FOIA requests, emails, and meetings.
Parents wouldn’t let their teens volunteer for the library’s summer reading program because of me. I received voicemails telling me that I was going to hell; that I had a gay agenda; and that I couldn’t be a good mom because I exposed innocent children to pornography. Did I happen to mention I was pregnant throughout this whole experience? Yeah, I was a first-time mom-to-be going through my first book challenge.
I remember walking out the back door of the library and sitting in my car in the parking lot, sobbing uncontrollably some days. I was loaded with pregnancy hormones and so much stress and fear. Was I going to lose my job? Was I doing the right thing? Was I going to be a bad mom?
Early on in this process, someone recommended that I call the American Library Association (ALA). I did and talked to (my now-colleague) Angela Maycock, who was the assistant director of ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom. She helped me gather what I would need to defend the individual titles, especially as the list continued to grow and grow and grow. She provided tools and resources when she could.
Most important, Angela listened to me. I felt so alone and so hurt that members of my own community could have so much hate in their hearts. Those days, I had to be careful about what I said and who I talked to—as did my family, who would get angry on my behalf for the things people would say about me. I felt guilt for putting this on their shoulders. So, I turned to Angela. She listened to me cry. She listened to me vent.
Despite a city council member calling the library a “porn shop” and shake ups that included the removal of four people from the library board, the books were retained.
On June 2, 2009, members of the community met in the elementary school gym—the largest facility we could find as to not violate fire code or open meeting laws. The board listened to comments. Sixty people spoke. Some shared stories about their gay children who never felt accepted. Some called for books to be burned. I presented information about the library floor plan that indicated exactly how many feet apart the toddler board books were from the YA section where the challenged books were located. And Deborah Caldwell-Stone from ALA’s Office of Intellectual Freedom drove up with Angela from Chicago, three hours to the south of West Bend, to talk about the First Amendment.
It was a victory. But despite all our efforts, it never quite felt like we had “won.” Efforts to ban the books continued. The group that wanted to censor the books sponsored a float in the town’s July 4 parade featuring a washing machine and signs that proclaimed, “Your Library is Unclean.” The mayor of West Bend lost the next election, and eventually all the board members were replaced. There was turnover among library staff. Including me.
In 2014, I was offered a job with ALA to do for others what Angela and Deborah had done for me. I listen and I support library workers who are going through similar experiences of censorship and attacks on their profession, skills, and humanity. My family moved to Chicago and started a new chapter. Even though I’m not working in a library, I still consider myself a librarian. I’m still close friends with my queer colleagues from West Bend. I keep in touch with the teens who spoke up in defense of the books and being represented in such a homophobic community. That day in 2009 changed my life. And today I hope I can be of some comfort to others when censorship changes their lives.
Kristin Pekoll is assistant director of the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom in Chicago. For 12 years she was the youth librarian at the West Bend Community Memorial Library in Wisconsin. Her primary focus is supporting librarians who are dealing with censorship issues, and she also works to raise awareness of the value of intellectual freedom within the library profession and among the public.
There is broad and bipartisan opposition to book removal efforts in both local public libraries and school libraries. People acknowledge that readers of all ages need to have access to a variety of books, and they agree that parents should make decisions for their own children, but not for other parents’ children.
In the wake of an unprecedented rise in book challenges and banning across the US, ALA has launched Unite Against Book Bans, a national campaign of readers against book censorship. This campaign will bring together people from across the country who are opposed to book banning. Together, we will raise our voices for everyone’s freedom to read.
Visit Unite Against Book Bans for more information about book banning in the US. Sign up to join the fight against censorship and record a video message voicing your opposition to book bans.
There’s been a lot of debate on the Hill and in the media about what constitutes infrastructure. As the Biden Administration begins its push to pass a $2 trillion package designed to reshape and rebuild the economy – and the country – library supporters like Eric Klinenberg are asking: why aren’t libraries a part of this bill? Writing in the New York Times in April, Dr. Klinenberg said:
Mr. Biden’s proposal makes disappointingly clear, adequate investments in civic and social infrastructure are less common… Our gathering places are overrun and dilapidated. Parks and playgrounds need updating. Athletic fields need new surfaces. Public libraries have an estimated $26 billion in capital needs, according to the American Library Association, and the costs of safely operating them at full capacity are likely to exceed what states and local governments can afford. None of this, sadly, is explicitly addressed in Mr. Biden’s proposal.
We know that libraries are fundamental to our communities. But as Dr. Klinenberg notes, the physical spaces they inhabit are not up to 21st century standards.
Change is necessary – and urgently needed. At current levels of funding, it would take decades to meet the assessed needs. Based on the average capital expenditures from the five most recent years for which data is available, ALA says it would take more than 20 years at current funding levels to meet the estimated national facilities’ needs – not accounting for the future needs that would occur during those lengths of time.
Congress is going to make key decisions about the scope of an infrastructure package, including whether libraries will be in it or left out.
Now is the time to get involved. May 10 -14 is United for Infrastructure Week, an opportunity for libraries and their supporters to position themselves as critical infrastructure. The Build America’s Libraries Act (BALA) does just that – including funding upgrades to the nation’s library infrastructure to address challenges such as natural disasters, COVID-19, broadband capacity, environmental hazards, and accessibility barriers. This groundbreaking legislation would pave the way for new and improved library facilities in underserved communities across the country.
As United for Infrastructure Week commences, join us in the effort to support this bill and #BuildLibraries. Here’s how you can help.
Contact President Biden and Congress to ask that crucial funding for libraries is included in the upcoming infrastructure package. ALA’s Action Center makes it easy.
Want to do more? Take a moment to tell your community how important it is that we pass this legislation and #BuildLibraries. Use our social media graphics (Facebook graphic / Twitter graphic) and sample posts to spread the word or craft your own message and tag your legislators. Don’t forget to follow @LibraryPolicy and #BuildLibraries on Twitter for more updates
As advocates across the country utilize this week to communicate the importance of infrastructure in our communities, library advocates can share their personal stories to amplify the need for library facilities to be fairly recognized as a critical part of our nation’s infrastructure. The example Tweet below from Blue Island Library in Illinois shows one impactful way to illustrate the need for this designated funding for infrastructure upgrades in your library.
Check out the Build America’s Libraries homepage for more special templates and resources to help spread the word, including an informative template on how to craft compelling social media posts during United for Infrastructure Week.
Libraries have always been cornerstones of their communities, and during the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, they’ve transformed their services to connect people with the resources they need while maintaining social distancing.
But while libraries are among our nation’s important institutions, many are woefully underfunded. New federal legislation would help fix that, providing much-needed upgrades to library infrastructure, especially in the country’s most underserved communities.
Sponsored by Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), and Ron Wyden (D-OR), the Build America’s Libraries Act would provide $5 billion in funding to repair, modernize, and construct library facilities in the communities that need it most.
Libraries could use the funding for critical projects like upgrading outdated internet services, expanding accessibility for people with disabilities, updating their facilities to be more environmentally sustainable, and improving their protection against hazards like lead, mold, and COVID-19.
Nationally, public libraries have billions of dollars in assessed facilities needs, including more than $1.5 billion of facilities needs in New York, more than $500 million of needs in Illinois, and more than $250 million of needs for libraries in Washington’s rural distressed counties. Congress hasn’t dedicated federal funding for library facilities in more than 20 years. The Build America’s Libraries Act is an opportunity to provide long overdue support to libraries and the communities they serve.
If the act passes, Institute of Museum and Library Services will distribute funding through state library agencies, which will prioritize assistance to libraries serving marginalized communities. Public libraries, tribal libraries, and state libraries serving the general public would all be eligible for funding support.
It only takes a few moments to contact your representative and senators and ask them to co-sponsor the Build America’s Libraries Act. Just enter your name and information in ALA’s action center, modify the template message if you’d like, and hit send. Your support could help make an impact for America’s libraries and the communities they serve for generations to come.
