Public Policy and Advocacy (PPA)

WASHINGTON, D.C. — With the enrollment for the Affordable Care Act beginning on Oct. 1, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the American Library Association (ALA) announce new resources available to libraries.

An IMLS cooperative agreement with OCLC’s WebJunction will result in online educational webinars, tip sheets and other resources to help library staff members respond to increased patron information needs related to the Health Insurance Marketplace. These resources include:

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Maine State Librarian Linda Lord will serve as the voice of libraries to the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation on July 17, when it holds a hearing on strengthening the E-Rate program and expanding access to the latest digital technology and learning tools in our libraries and schools.

ALA Launches Privacy Tools for Libraries

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Coming off the heels of Independence Day, the American Library Association (ALA) launched “ALA Liberty,” a new website that contains tools libraries can use to host educational sessions and public forums that help Americans understand their First and Fourth Amendment rights.

WASHINGTON, D.C.— Today, the American Library Association joined 38 other companies and civil liberties organizations to urge the Senate (PDF) to protect Americans’ privacy when drafting new cybersecurity legislation. The coalition letter submitted to Congress asks that new cybersecurity information sharing legislation maintains the privacy protections from the Cybersecurity Act of 2012 (S. 3414).