ALA Public Policy & Advocacy

Library needs federal support to survive The Washington County Library System (WCLS) serves more than 25,000 cardholders each year—families, students, seniors, job seekers, and lifelong learners who rely on their library as a gateway to know...

Washington County Library System in Mississippi serves thousands of patrons, supported in part by federal funds.

Community like Washington County NEED fully funded libraries: www.ddtonline.com/library-need...

Tell Congress to #FundLibraries: ala.org/fundlibraries

How a public library's summer game took over a Michigan city Summer in Ann Arbor, Mich., means thousands of people hunting for hidden codes around the city and reading books to earn points. It's part of a popular game organized by the public library.

Summer for thousands of people in Ann Arbor, Mich., means scavenging for hidden codes around the city and voraciously reading books to collect points. It's part of an enormously popular game that's been a triumph for the public library that runs it. www.npr.org/2025/08/04/n...

Fund Libraries: Tell Congress to invest in libraries. ALA American Library Association, #FundLibraries

Advocating for libraries - & our communities - is a group activity, not a solo challenge.

Library advocates across the Midwest are coming together to #FundLibraries. Read more from the Midwest Collaborative for Library Services: www.mcls.org/news/2025/08...

Take action now: ala.org/fundlibraries

Public libraries on the line Funding cuts aren’t the only thing libraries are up against.

On @marketplace.org's Make Me Smart, ALA President @samhelmick.bsky.social explains how attacks on federal funding, book bans, and the shift to digital are threatening the future of public libraries and why it matters to every community.
www.marketplace.org/episode/2025...
#UniteAgainstBookBans

SDSU loses $86M in federal research funding South Dakota State University in Brookings lost an $86 million livestock research grant as part of recent federal spending cuts, making South Dakota the state with the highest per student loss of rese...

Across South Dakota, libraries of all types are reeling after federal funding cuts. Federal grants to academic libraries are among the losses felt by South Dakotans: www.dakotanewsnow.com/2025/08/02/s...

Tell Congress to #FundLibraries: ala.org/fundlibraries #ForOurLibraries

School Librarians Share Concerns, Hopes In the New School Year Censorship, AI, and federal funding top the list of concerns for school librarians heading into the 2025-26 school year.

In countless communities, school librarians are ready for the new school year but concerned about the impacts of federal cuts.

Read more, including from @aaslala.bsky.social Pres. Amanda Kordeliski: www.schoollibraryjournal.com/story/School...

Tell Congres to #FundLibraries: ala.org/fundlibraries

Braille libraries offer community. What happens when funding cuts close them? Braille and talking book libraries are a lifeline for people who are blind. But budget cuts mean these services face an uncertain future. How are staff working to help patrons stay connected to readin...

Braille libraries and library services for the blind and print-disabled are vital sources of community across the country.

Cuts to federal funding could curtail their work: www.csmonitor.com/USA/Society/...

Tell Congress to #FundLibraries: ala.org/fundlibraries #ForOurLibraries

Raising Our Voices for Change: The New Everyday Advocacy Playbook The new Everyday Advocacy Playbook is a hands-on guide designed for educators and others who are ready to help change the public narrative surrounding schools and books.

Check out the NEW Everyday Advocacy Playbook: a guide for educators on changing the narrative surrounding the world of teaching & books.

You'll find:
An intro to Everyday Advocacy
Reflection prompts
A pathway to develop advocacy plans
A section on opposing book bans
And more! #UniteAgainstBookBans

As federal funding cuts squeeze library budgets, patrons still want and need access to information and resources through the library. In Berkshire Co., MA, libraries are feeling the strain.

Tell Congress to #FundLibraries: ala.org/fundlibraries #ForOurLibraries

Read more about the impacts in MA ⤵️

SHHH! NO MORE Public libraries have widespread public support. It’s time to shout it from the top of the shelves.

Public libraries have overwhelming public support, so why are they under attack?
Thank you to @itpi.bsky.social for highlighting how the fight for libraries is part of a broader assault on public knowledge and democracy.
Read SHHH! NO MORE → inthepublicinterest.org/shhh-no-more/
#ForOurLibraries

E-books are on the line as Congress considers future of library funding Like checking out library e-books? Trump, Congress could make it harder by cutting federal funding for libraries.

Patrons depend on libraries for access to information, whether they're looking for skills to get a new job or just a new book!

With federal funding cuts, access to ebooks for many library patrons is at risk: www.usatoday.com/story/news/p...

Tell Congress to #FundLibraries ala.org/fundlibraries

U.S. Book Challenges Update: July 2025. Book bans are escalating across the U.S. but so is the resistance. From New Hampshire to Alabama, librarians, parents, students, and even psychologists are taking a stand to protect access to diverse stories. Illustration of U.S. map with markers of books on fire.

From closed-door school board votes to statewide directives, censorship efforts are growing bolder. But so is the pushback.
This month’s roundup tracks the latest book challenges and the people fighting to stop them.
ilovelibraries.org/article/u-s-...
📚💙
#FreePeopleReadFreely

Letter to the editor: Federal funding cuts will devastate local libraries - Evanston RoundTable My family makes regular use of the Chicago Public Library, and I write with deep concern over the federal government’s decision to eliminate funding for

As Nick Christensen explains, libraries in Illinois provide vital services using federal funds. But those services are at risk if funding goes away: evanstonroundtable.com/2025/07/27/l...

Tell Congress to #FundLibraries in Illinois and nationwide: ala.org/fundlibraries #ForOurLibraries

My heart is filled with hope and my course more determined after an uplifting night listening and learning from Dr. Carla Hayden and Stacey Abrams with @amlibraryassoc.bsky.social Public Policy and Advocacy Office Associate Executive Director, Lisa Varga.

Eight Libraries Selected for “Libraries as Literacy Centers” Initiative, A Major Milestone for Library-Driven Literacy Communities ALA in collaboration with World Education, a division of JSI, announces the selection of eight libraries to participate in the transformative “Libraries as Literacy Centers: Strengthening Libraries’ C...

ALA and World Education have selected 8 libraries for the Libraries as Literacy Centers initiative. Participants will pilot scalable models for community-based literacy, digital skills, and workforce development to strengthen how all libraries meet local needs.
www.ala.org/news/2025/07...

Congratulations to the incoming class of Spectrum Scholars!

60-year-old Black history archive faces uncertain future after federal cuts The Amistad Research Center, one of largest repositories of Black history, cut half its staff after the Trump administration ended four federal grants.

Libraries and archives like the Amistad Research Center in New Orleans are at risk because of cuts to federal library funding. Communities NEED access to their history: www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2025/...

Take action now, tell Congress to #FundLibraries: ala.org/fundlibraries #ForOurLibraries

Local libraries grappling with cuts to federal funding “We’re just trying to keep what we have."

In Greene County, Ohio, the public library director wants to retain the services and programs that patrons depend on. But cuts to federal funding put those programs at risk: www.whio.com/news/local/l...

Take action, tell Congress to #FundLibraries: ala.org/fundlibraries #ForOurLibraries

Dr. Carla Hayden on stage at ALA Annual Conference.

The #ALAAC25 session everyone’s been talking about is coming to C-SPAN!
Tune in this Sunday, July 27 at 4:35 PM EDT to see Carla Hayden, former Librarian of Congress, talk with Kwame Alexander about her remarkable career & the unexpected firing that rocked the library world.
www.c-span.org/bookTv/

CT State Library discuss plans ahead of federal budget review The Connecticut State Library will discuss how it plans to address potential federal funding cuts in the future.

State Library agencies need to plan for the year ahead, but federal funding cuts are putting grants in limbo. More on the impacts in Connecticut: www.wshu.org/connecticut-...

Tell Congress to support federal funding for libraries: ala.org/fundlibraries #ForOurLibraries #FundLibraries

Today at 6:00 PM ET! Attend in person or online.
"Imperatives for Growth: Libraries as Catalysts for Inclusive Employment, Skills and Prosperity" presented by the ALA International Relations Committee United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Subcommittee.
www.nypl.org/events/progr...

Beyond Words: Callie Crossley Covers the Resistance to Book Bans Since 2020, the United States has seen a precipitous rise in book bans, often specifically targeting the works of LGBTQ+ and BIPOC authors. In response, Under the Radar with Callie Crossley launched t...

“This is the slipperiest of slopes. In any society throughout history, book banning has a very direct correlation to authoritarianism. It’s a straight line, a harbinger.” — @aasuaje.bsky.social @wgbh.org #UniteAgainstBookBans

DeKalb County libraries get hundreds of thousands in state grants Eleven DeKalb County area libraries have been awarded more than $295,000 in state grant funding, about half of which is expected to be used to improve library technologies and at least one constructio...

More libraries in Illinois are helping their communities thrive thanks to federal funding through the IL State Library: www.shawlocal.com/daily-chroni...

These library programs - & others like them in states across the country - need support. Tell Congress to #FundLibraries: ala.org/fundlibraries

Graphic with quote from ALA President Sam Helmick “As the library profession evolves, we are excited to launch a strategic vision that reflects both the challenges and the enormous opportunities ahead.”

We’re proud to share ALA’s new Strategic Plan. Together, we’re building a stronger ALA—and a stronger future for libraries everywhere. Your voice, your time, and your support can help turn this vision into action. Be part of what’s next.
www.ala.org/Strategic-Pl...

McHenry County libraries awarded state grants amid looming federal cuts Amid threats to federal funding for libraries, McHenry County libraries were awarded nearly $383,000 in annual state grants provided by the Illinois Secretary of State’s office to fund books, staffing...

Federal funding in Illinois is making an impact in communities across the state - but that's all at risk if federal funding is cut.

Read more about what could be lost in Illinois & nationwide: www.shawlocal.com/northwest-he... #ForOurLibraries

Tell Congress to #FundLibraries: ala.org/fundlibraries

Libraries warn federal funding cuts threaten ‘bridge across the digital divide' Summer reading programs, English language classes, online research databases used in public schools, e-book access, and GRE and career prep resources are all at risk.

In Massachusetts, cuts to federal library funding are already impacting community access to information & resources through their library, as ALA President-Elect Maria McCauley explains: www.nbcboston.com/news/local/l... #ForOurLibraries

Tell Congress to #FundLibraries: ala.org/fundlibraries

Libraries Pay More for E-Books. Some States Want to Change That.

NEW in NYT: Costs for digital content at libraries are spiraling, placing huge burdens on libraries providing access for patrons.

Read more about solutions offered by state legislatures - with analysis from ALA Fellow Alan Inouye & CT library leader Ellen Paul: www.nytimes.com/2025/07/16/b...

Thank you to @pocan.house.gov's office for meeting with Kevin and other CEF advocates!

ALA is proud to work alongside partners across CEF - and across education - to advocate for libraries and education institutions of all types. #ForOurLibraries

Picture of ALA staff member Kevin Maher posing in front of Representative Mark Pocan's office on Capitol Hill with other education funding advocates.

ALA was proud to be represented today by Kevin Maher at the Committee for Educ. Funding's annual advocacy day on Capitol Hill!

Kevin & CEF advocates urged Congress to invest in libraries, K-12 schools, colleges & universities, as well as the people who power them. #CEFHillDay

Checking In on Federal Library Funding | American Libraries Magazine Now is the time to take stock of progress on library priorities, particularly federal funding and the upcoming budget showdown.

New in @amlibraries.bsky.social: What's the current state of play for federal library funding?

ALA's Kevin Maher breaks down the latest news and developments, including the appropriations process, IMLS authorization, and more: americanlibrariesmagazine.org/blogs/the-sc... #ForOurLibraries