MHLS would like to thank all library advocates who made the time to help with state-level advocacy efforts last week. From attending meetings with legislators, to increasing the profile of libraries advocacy goals through social media, to making phone calls to connect with advisors to legislators – the MHLS library community has been doing a great job!
Many MHLS area legislators have signed on to budget letters that endorse the library community’s budget goals:
- $123.1 million for library aid
- $45 million for State Aid for Library Construction
Legislators were happy to help with the Petition Bill (S4430/A5456) which has already passed the Assembly and will be voted on this week in Senate. This bill helps both libraries seeking to get on the ballot in November for municipal ballot votes (414 votes) and aspiring trustees of school district public libraries by lowering the number of signatures needed to 25 for 2021 considering the pandemic.
We also heard widespread support for the vaccination of public library workers but an acknowledgement that that decision is in the hands of the Governor.
Advocacy outreach will continue through the budget season, which wraps up on April 1st, and the legislative season, which wraps up mid-June. Stay tuned for specific calls of action that will be time sensitive. This is a unique year and the pace at which conversations and decisions are happening does not look like other years.