This year, National Library Legislative Day will be held in Washington, DC on May 4th and 5th. The ALA Washington Office has posted the following message detailing the reasons we should participate in this event:
I don't think I need to overemphasize for you the important roles that libraries play in our communities. The epicenter of progress and knowledge, libraries have evolved to meet the educational and technological needs of their patrons.
These institutions of learning and creation need to be protected and improved at all costs. And in the wake of the sweeping changes to both the House and the Senate in the 2014 Congressional elections, it is more important than ever that we speak up on behalf of libraries and the communities they serve.
Your firsthand library experience - from behind the reference desk or as a patron - is an invaluable part of helping legislators to understand the impact that libraries have in the day to day lives of their constituents. Without you, they may not realize what happens to a community when library budgets get cut and staff are let go, let alone how legislation on net neutrality, copyright, or privacy can involve libraries too. We need to urge Members of Congress to think about how the policy and legislation they are working on could harm or help libraries. To do that, we need boots on the ground here in Washington, D.C. - we need library advocates.