Support Libraries in 2025 by Taking Action

This post about how to support libraries is part of my humble effort to make sure science fiction remains fiction. You can blame the fact that I’ve been rereading Octavia E. Butler’s Parable of the Sower—published in 1993—in which protagonist Lauren Oya Olamina navigates an apocalyptic 2025 without libraries.

Thankfully, two days after the inauguration, the American Library Association (ALA) launched its Show Up for Our Libraries campaign. Alongside ALA’s I Love Libraries initiative for library users, Show Up for Our Libraries provides advocacy materials and ways you can take action to support libraries. Although intended for library personnel, most #ForOurLibraries actions are for anyone and everyone who loves libraries. Hence I wrote this post so it can be shared outside of the field.

How Everyone Can Support Libraries

• Get a library card for everyone in your household. I already had one, so I took my partner to sign up for a library card of his own.
• Use library resources. (I saved 100% when I used my library instead of Amazon/Kindle, Audible, and Prime Video!)
• Be vocal about your library use. Are you listening to an audiobook via Libby during your commute? Watching a show or movie via hoopla on your TV? Borrowing a Wi-Fi hotspot or wattmeter? Share about it to help others understand the value of libraries.
• Contact your legislators. The link provided here allows you to customize ALA’s message template. If you’re calling, you can use the message as your script.
• Share your story with ALA. ALA is collecting first-hand stories about libraries. For those of us used to reading stories—not writing them—they have a tip-sheet for effective storytelling. 
• Contact the library and ask how you can help. Volunteering in a public school library system has been one of the most rewarding things I have done. But I wouldn’t have known how to help without library personnel telling me what they need.

Library Personnel

• Continue to build relationships. Previous ALSC blog posts offer tips on everything from language use to leveraging TikTok as a platform for advocacy.
• Host government officials for an in-person or virtual library tour. The two-page ALA resources linked here will tell you how.

Finally, you can sign up here to receive advocacy alerts and updates on how to support libraries from ALA’s Public Policy and Advocacy Office.

How do you support libraries? How might others support libraries? Drop a line in the comments or at ktaksier@ufl.edu.

This blog post relates to ALSC Core Competency V: Outreach and Advocacy.

The post Support Libraries in 2025 by Taking Action appeared first on ALSC Blog.

 This post about how to support libraries is part of my humble effort to make sure science fiction remains fiction. You can blame the fact that I’ve been rereading Octavia E. Butler’s Parable of the Sower—published in 1993—in which protagonist Lauren Oya Olamina navigates an apocalyptic 2025 without libraries. Thankfully, two days after the inauguration, the American Library Association (ALA) launched its Show Up for Our Libraries campaign. Alongside ALA’s I Love Libraries initiative for library users, Show Up for Our Libraries provides advocacy materials and ways you can take action to support libraries. Although intended for library personnel, most #ForOurLibraries actions are for anyone and everyone who loves libraries. Hence I wrote this post so it can be shared outside of the field. How Everyone Can Support Libraries Library Personnel Finally, you can sign up here to receive advocacy alerts and updates on how to support libraries from ALA’s Public Policy and…
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