Dear ALA Member,

We are living in extraordinary times.

It’s hard to believe that it has only been 11 days since the inauguration. Remarks and directives continue to be released, creating seriously adverse conditions in Washington, D.C., and beyond.

ALA is engaging with our allies to push back on the chaos and uncertainty threatening libraries and library workers.

Amid the flurry of multiple assaults on the public interest, ALA and the library community must focus on those attacks with direct consequences for us because we cannot expect others to do so without our leadership. And we must prepare for a long campaign over the next few years. We must be deliberate with our resources—and not burn out.

Central to this mobilization is bolstering ALA’s ability to showcase how libraries contribute to America’s communities—no matter one’s political party or philosophy.

On Tuesday, we asked library advocates to provide ALA with their stories of how federal funding strengthens their communities. More than 150 advocates across 40 states responded within 48 hours to this call! We are receiving the concrete and specific details ALA needs to amplify the value and essential roles of libraries and library workers in schools, universities, small, medium, and large cities and communities, including Tribal Nations and military bases. These stories demonstrate the importance of libraries and will be used for state and local advocacy, as well as for engagement with federal officials. If you haven’t already done so, please share your library’s story.

ALA continues its work beyond the recent Trump Administration interventions, such as in the U.S. Supreme Court. The Federal Communications Commission’s Universal Service Fund (USF) will be reviewed by the high court as some have questioned its constitutionality. The E-rate program, which provides funds for broadband services to public libraries and K-12 schools, is part of the USF, thus its great importance to ALA and its members. Earlier in January, ALA submitted an amicus brief to the U.S. Supreme Court and additionally joined a brief (PDF) led by the National Education Association, American Federation of Teachers, and other education associations. Oral arguments are expected in March.

Engaging with ALA members is an essential component of our policy work. ALA recently hosted two member-exclusive webinars pertaining to the post-election policy environment and its impact on and implications for libraries. The third webinar in this series is scheduled for the latter part of February (look for it!).

At the recent LLX Conference in Phoenix, we continued our public policy updates and advocacy training. We hosted a program entitled “Libraries on the Line: Charting a Path Beyond the 2024 Elections,” offered advocacy and communication sessions at the Governance Institute, and convened the ALA Policy Corps.

Thanks for your involvement in these efforts! It’s your support that enables ALA to engage in wide-ranging public policy and advocacy initiatives.

The months ahead are likely to be ever more challenging, and we will need even more of your help to ensure a successful advocacy partnership. We need you to provide information, take action, contribute financially, engage your networks, and lean on us and each other for spiritual and emotional support.

We can protect and support library interests, but it won’t be easy! We may need to pursue strategies that we have not used previously. Only when we work together in the same direction and with increasing force can we achieve success.