Library Advocacy

While libraries are essential centers for learning, innovation and opportunity, they constantly struggle for adequate funding. Be an Advocate by contacting your elected officials to tell them how important public libraries are to you.

Tell Your House Representative to Fund Libraries!

Shortly before leaving for their August recess, the Senate Appropriations Committee included a small increase for library funding over last year’s budget in their Committee bill for the next Federal budget.

That’s huge, because it gives the House of Representatives a great model for the bills they’ll be developing in September.

Congress is the branch of government that has deciding power on the federal budget. If Congress doesn’t include funding for library programs in its budget, those services will end. Now it’s up to us to keep the momentum going and convince them to do right by our libraries.

Are you a library supporter? Let your congressperson know!

Step 1: Choose your representative

Step 2: Write an email

First, tell them how you use your library

• to help your kids learn through storytimes, reading books, or homework help programs?
• to search and apply for jobs, attend career seminars, or use SAT and college test prep resources?
• to connect your senior relative to the world through audiobooks by mail.

Then, use this template in your email or customize it to tell them you support funding for libraries As your constituent, I am writing today to urge you to support library funding and include it in next year’s federal budget (FY26). Funding for Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) programs, through the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and its grant programs, and funding for the Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL) program that supports school libraries through the Department of Education (ED) are only 0.003% of the federal budget. They fuel programs in our state like job-seeker workshops, veterans assistance resources, home delivery for older Americans, digital access points for rural communities, and so much more. You can’t afford to have them trimmed any further and leave your constituents behind. I’m counting on you to show up for libraries and support full funding for LSTA, through IMLS, and IAL in the budget process for FY26! Thank you,

Step 3: Press Submit!

Join us in urging your House Representative to follow the Senate’s good example and do everything in their power to support library funding!