With only days to go before the May 1 deadline for signatures on House appropriation letters, the American Library Association (ALA) is urging all library supporters to act immediately, using the #FundLibraries campaign tool, to ask their members of Congress to cosign Dear Appropriator letters supporting the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) and the Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL) program for FY25. ALA’s #FundLibraries page lets users fill out a request to their elected officials, as well as check to see whether their members of Congress have signed on.

“Vibrant libraries make vibrant communities,” said ALA President Emily Drabinski in a statement, “and that takes funding. Now is the time to invest in institutions that help communities get ahead.”

The FY24 budget signed into law by President Biden on March 23 contains level funding for the two dedicated federal funding programs for libraries: LSTA, administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and IAL, administered by the U.S. Department of Education. LSTA is the main source of grants for public, school, academic, and special libraries; IAL supports school library literacy initiatives nationwide, particularly in high-need areas. Funding for both programs has remained flat, at $211.5 million and $30 million respectively, since FY23.

“For four years straight, libraries overcame threats to eliminate IMLS. Our combined advocacy not only preserved the agency but increased funding for LSTA with bipartisan support,” said Drabinski.

However, a combination of partisan gridlock, election year politics, and proposed cuts to LSTA from the White House could translate to decreased funding for in FY25.

The LSTA letter, circulated by U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) in the Senate and by Representatives Raul Grijalva (D-AZ-07) and Don Bacon (R-NE-02) in the House, calls on appropriators to provide $232 million in funding—the maximum funding allowed under the program’s current authorization. The IAL letter, circulated by Representatives Jim McGovern (D-MA-02) and Don Bacon (R-NE-02) in the House and U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) in the Senate, calls for $50 million.

An increase in LSTA funding would restore the program to the levels it was authorized for as far back as 2013, as well as adjusting for inflation. In FY10, Congressional appropriation for LSTA hit a high of $213 million—and while funding has been inching back up toward that number, given the current rate of inflation, even FY24’s $211 million still comes out to $77 million less than in FY10. Not to mention, noted Kevin Maher, the rising costs of technology and other critical resources in the libraries LSTA serves.

And while proposed IAL funding in FY25 would stay flat, the additional $20 million requested by ALA would allow students in many other states to receive better literacy support and services. Currently only 19 states receive IAL grants, but student literacy support needs have increased since school shutdowns during the pandemic. “We’d love to get that program to a level that every state could benefit from the funding,” said Maher, and while a $20 million increase might not achieve that goal right away, it would allow the program to reach far more students.

“We know that there are a lot of demands for funding—a lot of very good programs that we’re competing against,” Maher told LJ. Asking elected officials to sign on to the letters sends a message to the Appropriations Committee that libraries are a national priority. And, noted Shawnda Hines, that message needs to come from the library community—libraries don’t have dedicated lobbyists on the Hill. “We’re the only ones going out there for LSTA and IAL,” she said. “That’s what’s urgent.”

“The importance of sending letters is that they, members of Congress recognize the value of libraries in their community,” said Maher. “The old DC saying is that if you’re not at the table you’e on the menu, and we need to be at the table making that pitch.”

The good news, he added, is that ALA’s campaign continues to grow, and as of press time more than 3,000 library advocates have taken action and dozens of Senators and Representatives have signed on. But the May 1 deadline, announced on April 25, has upped the importance of immediate action.

In addition to signing Dear Appropriator letters today, supporters can visit ALA’s Advocacy and Public Policy webpage to learn more about actions they can take and how to get started—including encouraging their members of Congress to pay a visit to their local library and see the important work happening at all levels—“Whether it's story time for kids, or helping people fill out tax forms, or helping someone who’s unemployed or underemployed create a resume and apply for jobs,” said Maher. “The multiplier effect…benefits the economy, and the nation, in a lot of different ways.”

And for those eligible to go to the polls in November, ALA’s Reader. Voter. Ready. webpage offers resources to register to vote, check voter registration status, and sign up their library for National Voter Registration Day on September 17.

“Our communities know what libraries mean to them and how damaging it would be to cut funding,” said Drabinski. “Now we need to remind elected leaders of what libraries have achieved for their constituents.”