In an effort to strengthen library and museum services across the nation, Senator Jack Reed introduced the Museum and Library Services Act of 2017 (MSLA) along with Senators Collins, Cochran, Gillibrand and Murkowski. This legislation, introduced on Dec. 22nd, would reauthorize the Institute of Museum and Library Services. For this legislation to succeed, there needs to be a grassroots effort from citizens to encourage their Senators to support it. Please take a minute to email or call your Senators and ask them to cosponsor S. 2271, and encourage your friends, family, colleagues, and library’s advocates to do the same. Ready to use talking points and email templates available on the ALA site.
If you have the time, enhance the ready-to-use messages with your own brief story, or link to a photo or video clip that illustrates how federal funds for libraries help the teens in your community succeed in school and prepare for college, careers, and life. And, if you really want to go all out, drop by your Senators’ local office now through Jan. 2nd while they’re home for the holiday break, and make the request in person (and bring some teens!). To learn more about MSLA, visit the ALA blog, District Dispatch.
-Beth Yoke
P.S. Don’t forget that YALSA has advocacy tips and resources on the YALSA site!
