Virtual National Library Legislative Day(s)

This post is drawn from the National Library Legislative Day webpages of the Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends & Foundations (ALTAFF) "Citizens for Libraries:"

National Library Legislative Day began in 1976.

In 2003, Friends of Libraries U.S.A. began a virtual component to engage Friends of the Library groups, library advocates, and supporters around the country who could not travel to Washington, D.C. for the main event. Library advocates who cannot make it to Capitol Hill for the event can still be a part of the effort by calling and/or e-mailing their elected officials on May 10 – or any time the week of May 9-13.

ALTAFF Executive Director Sally Gardner Reed encourages all advocates to take part in this united effort to ensure America’s libraries can continue to serve the public. “If citizens who care for libraries remain silent, it’s the same as saying they are okay with low budgets and closed libraries,” Reed said. “The only way for us to make a difference is to make our voices heard.”

ALTAFF says:
By calling and/or e-mailing your elected officials in Washington and asking them to vote for libraries, you can make a difference. Just five minutes of your time will help support and strengthen the efforts of the library supporters in Washington rallying on May 10. If you cannot call or e-mail your elected official on May 10, please do so sometime between May 9-13.

If you choose to participate in "Virtual Library Legislative Day," you can find the contact information for Sen. DeMint, Sen. Graham, and Rep. Wilson under the "Community Resources" tab on the Library's homepage. Select "Local & Federal Government" from the drop-down box. Then go to "U.S. Senators Representing South Carolina" for DeMint and Graham.

To contact your Federal Representative, plug in your ZIP code for his/her contact information. This is particularly useful for our part-year residents and/or visitors. If you are registered to vote in another Congressional district, you can still quite easily find his/her contact information - and still advocate for libraries. This is a national library advocacy effort on the federal government level.