Fund Libraries Campaign

It's time to take action - it's time to #FundLibraries! With the release of the President's proposed budget, Congress has begun the process of building next year's federal budget. Library advocates have the opportunity to remind their members of Congress why library funding is nonnegotiable. From early literacy programs to workforce skills trainings, from stable internet access to tool libraries, libraries rely on robust federal funding to provide vital services to their communities - Congress must support our nation's communities by supporting our nation's libraries. Learn more about the campaign, take action, and spread the word with our tools and resources below! 

Each year, ALA’s Public Policy and Advocacy Office works with congressional staff to produce and circulate "Dear Appropriator" letters in Congress, addressed to members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees. The circulation of these letters marks the first and most influential nationwide advocacy action on the federal budget in any given year. As library advocates, we ask Congress to sign these letters and support federal funding for libraries. In 2023 (FY2024), the letters for the Library Services & Technology Act (LSTA) are led by Rep. Raúl Grijalva (AZ-3) and Rep. Don Bacon (NE-2) in the House, and Sen. Jack Reed (RI) in the Senate. The letters for the Innovative Approaches to Literacy Act (IAL) are led by Rep. Jim McGovern (MA-2) and Rep. Don Bacon (NE-2) in the House and Sen. Jack Reed (RI) and Sen. Debbie Stabenow (MI) in the Senate. ALA is requesting funding totals of $232 million for LSTA and $50 million for IAL.


Congressional Signature History

Have your Senators signed on to support library funding for FY24?

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Check below to see if your Senators signed the LSTA and IAL letters.

 

Has your Representative signed on in support of library funding for FY24?

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Check below to see if your Representative signed the LSTA and IAL letters.

 


Appropriations Fact Sheets & Resources

 

 

Download a handy one-pager of your state's IMLS funding history and library facts. Need more specific examples? Check out the full IMLS grant database!

 

 

 

 

 

Download our Appropriations pathway for advocates to learn more about how the Appropriations process works

 

 

 

 

 

 

Invite members of Congress to visit your library. Check out these tips for organizing a virtual or in-person visit, and download this one-page introduction to Federal funding to share with them on the visit.

State library factsheet preview
 

Federal appropriations pathway onepager preview

 

Federal funding for libraries onepager preview

 


Share the Campaign - Share Your Story!

Spread the word about #FundLibraries on social media and share the impact of IMLS funding in your library or state. You can use our sample posts, and remember to tag your story with #FundLibraries.

Download all of our Fund Libraries graphics here.
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Tell your story. Write a letter to the editor or share your story with the ALA advocacy team; we will hand-deliver it to your member of Congress.

Fund Libraries


How to write a letter to the editor onepager preview


Past "Dear Appropriator" Letters

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