Has it crossed your radar yet that there’s been a big shift in how laws are getting made? Last year state legislatures around the country passed 45,564 bills, compared with just 352 passed in Congress. That works out to an average of 911 bills per state. This change in the way laws are getting made means that we need to change the way we advocate for teens and libraries. Spring is the time of year when many state legislatures are in session. What can you (or your teen patrons) do to call their attention to the importance of libraries? YALSA has the answer! We have everything you need to reach out to your state legislators and ask them if they will sponsor a resolution in support of libraries. A resolution is not legislation or a bill–just a feel good message about libraries. Both Congress and state legislatures pass these types of warm fuzzies all of the time in an effort to make nice with the voters. YALSA has a few sample documents compiled into one file that you can adapt and use, including a sample resolution, emails and a press release. Access the MS Word file today for an easy way to raise awareness about libraries with the elected officials in your state!
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ALA Council passed a resolution this morning in Support of Intellectual Freedom in Tucson Unified School District Mexican American Studies Program.
The full text of the WHEREAS clauses can be found on the Office of Intellectual Freedom site here.
The resolve clause reads:
1. Condemns the suppression of open inquiry and free expression caused by closure of ethnic and cultural studies programs on the basis of partisan or doctrinal disapproval.
2. Condemns the restriction of access to educational materials associated with ethnic and cultural studies programs.
3. Urges the Arizona legislature to pass HB 2654, “An Act Repealing Sections 15-111 and 15-112, Arizona Revised Statutes: Relating to School Curriculum.
This resolution was moved by the Intellectual Freedom Committee and supported in principle by YALSA, among other divisions, committees and round tables.
The IFC also recommended that the resolution be sent to the Tucson Unified School District, the State of Arizona Department of Education Superintendent of Public Instruction, each member of the State of Arizona Legislature, the Governor of Arizona, United States Congressman Grijalva, and the United States Secretary of Education.