Minnesotans have cherished and relied on public, school, tribal, and academic libraries for generations. By eliminating the only federal agency dedicated to funding library services, the executive order issued by the Trump administration on March 14th targets one of the most beloved and trusted institutions in America, along with the expert staff and services they provide, including:

• Resource sharing across the state - access to over 10 million library items via MNLINK interlibrary loan

• Preparing children for school and learning, through programs such as toddler and preschool storytime

• Reading programs such as author visits, book clubs, summer reading programs, and supporting students in their reading skills

• High-speed internet access, public computers, and technology assistance

• Employment assistance for job seekers

• Braille and talking books for people with visual impairments and print disabilities

• Homework and research resources for students and faculty

• Veterans’ telehealth spaces equipped with technology and staff support

• STEM programs, simulation equipment, and training for workforce development

• Small business support for entrepreneurs

As centers of literacy and innovation, Minnesota's 359 public, 1,800 school, 90 academic, 140 special, and 5 tribal libraries- deserve more, not less, support. Nationally, libraries of all types utilize a mere 0.003% of the federal budget, stretching this funding into programs and services utilized in over 1.2 billion in-person visits annually, with many more virtual visits.

In 2023, Minnesota public libraries saw 15.46 million visitors. There were just 4 million attendees to all Minnesota professional sports teams' home games.

The Minnesota Library Association implores the administration to reconsider this short-sighted decision. We encourage U.S. Congress members, Senators, and decision-makers at every level of government to visit the libraries that serve their constituents and urge the White House to preserve federal support for America’s libraries. We call on all Minnesotans who value reading, learning, enrichment, and community connections to reach out to their elected leaders and advocate for our libraries at community meetings, town halls, and other decision-making forums.

In recent years we have become accustomed to a massive flurry of last-minute legislative activity on the final weekend of a session, including a scramble on the last day to get budget work done. In most years we’ve seen the legislature stumble into June special sessions to finish budget bills ahead of the June 30 fiscal year deadline.

This year was different and a ‘global agreement’ on budget targets on March 21^st certainly helped bring the budget debate to a close. About two weeks ago we saw the first slate of budget bills start to wrap up. Just over a week ago, the Education deal was announced. Last week the remaining budget bills made their way to closure.

On the last day of session, the Health & Human Services bill was the last major budget bill to pass. However, the last day also featured another bill that would pump $300 million into nursing homes as part of a deal with the GOP to secure the votes to pass two infrastructure bills.

The first infrastructure bill (HF 669) appropriated $1.5 billion in general obligation bonds, including $4 million for library construction and renovation grants. The second infrastructure bill includes $1 billion in cash for many other projects. And with that, your legislature has adjourned until they reconvene on February 12, 2024.

Mark your calendars for June 7

Be sure to join the MLA Legislative call at 10am on Wednesday, June 7 as MLA Legislative Chair Liz Lynch and the lobbying team from Capitol Hill Associates will provide a debriefing on this monumental legislative session.

(You will need to log into the MLA website to view and register for this event)

Legislative Updates from MLA Lobbyist, Sam Walseth and ALA Chapter Councilor, Hannah Buckland

May 3, 2023

Update from Sam Walseth, CHA

• View Sam’s May 3rd legislative update, which includes the following messages:
  • ○Contact Education Finance Conferees to urge them to support the Senate's position on library funding.
  • ○Contact the Legacy Conferees to thank them for their support of Arts and Cultural Heritage funding in public libraries.
  • ○Contact Higher Education Finance and Policy Conferees to support funding for Minitex.
  • ○Session ends on Monday, May 22, 2023
  • ○Click Here to View Update
• Complete the 2023 Legislators Contacted Survey by the end of the month.
• Mark your calendar for the online Legislative Forum, scheduled for August 8, 2023!
• Attend the June 7th Legislative Update by registering on the MLA Event Calendar page.

Update from Hannah Buckland, ALA Chapter Councilor

On Tuesday, Reps. Emanuel Cleaver, II, Sheila Jackson Lee, and Shontel Brown introduced the Prison Libraries Act of 2023. This legislation would establish a new program to provide grants to state prisons to create or develop libraries.

https://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2023/04/ala-welcomes-prison-libraries-act-2023

Sen. Reed and Rep. Grijalva introduced the Right to Read Act of 2023 on Wednesday. This bill would highlight the importance of certified school librarians in schools and increase the authorization for funding beneficial to school libraries. Additionally, the legislation also protects the Constitutional rights of students to access information in school libraries, extend liability protections to teachers and school librarians, and improve federal statistics on school libraries. The legislation also supports recruitment, retention and professional development for state-certified school librarians. Additionally, the Right to Read Act would improve federal collection of statistics about school libraries to provide better data about how schools are advancing students' learning and literacy skills.

https://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2023/04/ala-aasl-praise-library-legislation-expand-access-students-nationwide

More Social Workers (MSWs) in Public Libraries Act

On Friday, the More Social Workers (MSWs) in Libraries Act was introduced by Rep. Sylvia Garcia with Reps. Barbara Lee and Hillary Scholten. It would create a grant program that places social work interns and qualified social workers in public libraries.

Resolution in the U.S. House of Representatives introduced by Rep. Pramila Jayapal

Expressing support for the staff of this Nation's public, school, academic, and special libraries and the essential services they provide to our communities, recognizing the need for funding commensurate with the broad scope of social services and community supports provided by libraries, preserving the right of all citizens to freely access information and resources in their communities, supporting a strong union voice for library workers, and defending the civil rights of library staff.

Join us on Wednesday, May 3, 2023 at 10:00 a.m. for a brief legislative update from MLA Lobbyist Sam Walseth as we approach the end of the legislative session. Register for the meeting by visiting https://www.mnlibraryassociation.org/events/

Legislative Survey

We are interested in learning how many legislators were contacted by library advocates this session. Please fill this survey out at your convenience. Thanks!

Time is running out to tell Congress to #FundLibraries!

Join ALA’s annual advocacy campaign to secure federal funding for libraries through the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) and the Innovative Approaches to Literacy Act (IAL).

Simply complete this online form to send the message to your Congress Members or to receive a script you can use over the phone with their staffers.

These actions take only a moment of your time and can make a world of difference for libraries nationwide. So far, neither Sen. Klobuchar or Sen. Smith have signed on to support either LSTA or IAL. On the House side, Rep. Craig is alone in her joint support for LSTA and IAL while Rep. Omar has only signed on to support LSTA. We know many Minnesota Congressmembers support libraries in word; now is the time to ask them to take action.

For more information about this campaign, please visit ALA’s #FundLibraries website.

Hannah Buckland, ALA Chapter Councilor

Legislative Surveys

Tell us about your library legislative day experience at the Capitol on February 28th. Please take a moment to fill out this brief survey.

We are also interested in learning how many legislators were contacted by library advocates this session. Please fill this survey out by the end of the legislative session.

Thank you for advocating for Minnesota libraries!

Liz Lynch & Sarah Hawkins, MLA Legislative Co Chairs

Library Legislative Day at the Capitol was a huge success! Thank you to the over 40 library advocates who attended the library fair, attended the hearings, and visited their local legislators.  Join us for the Library Legislative Day Debriefing on Wednesday, March 8th at 10:00 a.m. to hear a brief update from Sam Walseth, MLA Lobbyist and share experiences from the day.

To register for the meeting, visit https://www.mnlibraryassociation.org/events

Legislative Action Items:

• We have a bill number for Legacy!!! HF2386 Contact your local Representatives and ask them to support and sign on to HF2386.
• Ask your local representatives to sign on to HF1917 in support of Minnesota Library Systems, which includes support for Regional Public Library Systems, MultiCounty/MultiTypes (MCMT), and School Media Centers!
• Please note: a previous version of the Invest in Minnesota Library Systems included incorrect information.  The chief authors for School Library Aid SF1911 & HF1974 are Senator Mary Kunesh and Representative Mary Fances Clardy.

We would also like to remind you of the following:

• Visit the MLA Advocacy’s 2023 Legislative Session dropdown for access to the latest handouts for educating advocates about MLA initiatives.
• Register for the monthly Legislative Update on MONDAY, APRIL 3rd at 10:00 a.m. NOTE: We will be meeting on Monday rather than Wednesday, during the month of April only (calendar event change coming soon!).
• Send a follow-up thank you email to your local legislators. Feel free to attach documents supporting MLA bills.