Fund Libraries Campaign

It's time to take action to #FundLibraries in Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25)! With the release of the President's proposed FY25 budget and the launch of Dear Appropriator letters in Congress, the annual funding process has begun. Learn more about the campaign and spread the word with our tools and resources below! 

Each year, as the kick-off of #FundLibraries, ALA’s Public Policy and Advocacy Office works with congressional staff to produce and circulate "Dear Appropriator" letters in Congress, addressed to members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees, requesting funding amounts for federal programs that support libraries. The Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funding supports libraries of all kinds through the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and its grant programs, including direct-to-state grants. The Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL) funding supports school libraries through the Department of Education. The circulation of these letters marks the first and most influential nationwide advocacy action on the federal budget in any given year. This year, the letters are being led by Senator Jack Reed (RI), Rep. Don Bacon (NE-2), Rep. Raul Grijalva (AZ-7), and Rep. Jim McGovern (MA-2).

We need your support: Take action and urge your members of Congress to sign on in support of library funding requests. In every community, in every state, in every part of this country, patrons rely on library services supported by this critical funding. Take action and help preserve and expand this funding and the services it supports!

Congressional Signature History

Did your Senators sign on to support library funding for FY25?

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Check below to see if your Senators signed the LSTA and IAL letters.

 

Did your Representative sign on in support of library funding for FY25?

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Check below to see if your Representative signed the LSTA and IAL letters.

 

Which members of Congress have led our Dear Appropriator letters in the past?

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In 2023 (FY2024), the letters for the Library Services & Technology Act (LSTA) were led by Rep. Raúl Grijalva (AZ-3) and Rep. Don Bacon (NE-2) in the House, and Sen. Jack Reed (RI) in the Senate. The letters for the Innovative Approaches to Literacy Act (IAL) were led by Rep. Jim McGovern (MA-2) and Rep. Don Bacon (NE-2) in the House and Sen. Jack Reed (RI) and Sen. Debbie Stabenow (MI) in the Senate. ALA is requesting funding totals of $232 million for LSTA and $50 million for IAL.

Appropriations Fact Sheets & Resources

 

 

Download a handy one-pager of your state's IMLS funding history and library facts. Need more specific examples? Check out the full IMLS grant database!

 

 

 

 

 

Download our Appropriations pathway for advocates to learn more about how the Appropriations process works

 

 

 

 

 

 

Invite members of Congress to visit your library. Check out these tips for organizing a virtual or in-person visit, and download this one-page introduction to Federal funding to share with them on the visit.

State library factsheet preview
 

Federal appropriations pathway onepager preview

 

Federal funding for libraries onepager preview

 

Share the Campaign - Share Your Story!

Spread the word about #FundLibraries on social media and share the impact of IMLS funding in your library or state. You can use our sample graphics, and remember to tag your story with #FundLibraries.

Download all of our Fund Libraries graphics here.
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Fund Libraries


 

Past "Dear Appropriator" Letters

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