The average public library building dates back to 1970—before the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990), the World Wide Web (1991), and the “maker” movement (2005). Our communities need modern libraries to meet today’s needs. We need the Build America’s Libraries Act.
Join ALA Public Policy & Advocacy office staff to prepare for the next big library campaign, which already is underway. The Build America’s Libraries Act would provide $5 billion to repair, modernize, and construct library facilities. Public libraries, tribal libraries and state libraries that serve the public would be eligible for funding, with priority for libraries serving marginalized communities.
This is an audacious campaign that would transform our libraries for decades—but key decisions about the fate of the effort will be made in just the coming weeks. We must mobilize library supporters now in an urgent, all-hands push to communicate the crucial impact of libraries on learning, our communities, and the recovery ahead.
Gavin Baker, Deputy Director, Public Policy & Government Relations, and Larra Clark, Deputy Director, Public Policy & Advocacy, will share context, strategy, messaging, and action items to make the case for why libraries must be included in the anticipated infrastructure and economic recovery package.
