On Thursday, March 27, 2025, the CALL Government Relations Committee welcomed public librarians from around Illinois and the AALL Government Relations Committee Chair for a virtual panel. The panel focused on challenges public libraries face and the advocacy efforts at state and national levels to counter them. Amanda McKay from the Effingham Public Library, David McFadden from Southwestern Law School, Elizabeth Lynch from Addison Public Library, and Laura Long from Fremont Public Library shared their experiences and discussed concrete ways to advocate for libraries on a local, state, and national level.

The panelists shared their own personal accounts of attacks that librarians have faced in recent years, from a surge in attempts to ban books, threats of violence and intimidation of library staff and patrons, and attacks on funding and resources. The panelists looked at these events specifically in the context of Illinois law. In 2023, Governor Pritzker signed Illinois HB 2789, which took effect on January 1^st, 2024, and bans censorship by removing books on political grounds. The panel emphasized that a key provision of the bill, is that it requires public libraries in Illinois to implement the ALA Library Bill of Rights to receive state funding.

Illinois libraries are 90-95% funded through local taxes; however the panel emphasized that the loss of state funding would be devastating, particularly to public libraries in rural counties. The Illinois law is meant to ensure that publicly funded libraries are adhering to best practices in collection management decision making and provides a financial incentive to do so, said the panelists.

The question was also posed to the panelists, considering recent attacks on libraries, has it been reflected in the interest of the profession. The panelists all shared anecdotes on the topic of a seeming resurgence of interest and no shortage of applicants to open library positions.

The panel then discussed the Illinois Library Associations Advocacy plans at a state and national level. First, the panel discussed the state of Illinois’ initiative to make libraries a more centralized community fixture similar to schools, and to use libraries as a foundation for expanding broadband internet access across the state. On a national level, advocating for the reinstatement of funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) which recently was gutted by an Executive Order, increased access to PACER, the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP), and responsible use of Artificial Intelligence (AI).

Certainly, now more than ever it is important that we as librarians advocate for the profession and encourage others to advocate as well. Public libraries have long been a cornerstone of our public lives, and some of the panelists shared their own personal story of what public libraries meant to them. The panel concluded with recommendations and resources for those who want to get involved or monitor legislation. These Resources are listed at the bottom.

CALL would like to thank Eugene Giudice for putting the panel together and is incredibly grateful to Amanda McKay, David McFadden, Elizabeth Lynch, and Laura Long for taking the time out of their day to share their experience and educate us on what public libraries are facing.

1. Illinois Library Association
   1. https://www.ila.org/advocacy/ready-set-advocate
   2. https://www.ila.org/advocacy/illinois-legislative-issues/legislative-issues/bill-monitoring
   3. https://www.ila.org/advocacy/unite-against-book-bans-in-Illinois
2. EveryLibrary–News and Updates
   1. [https://www.everylibrary.org/news_and_updates](https://www.everylibrary.org/news_and_updates)
3. American Library Association
4. United for Libraries ([https://www.ala.org/united](https://www.ala.org/united))
5. Intellectual Freedom, American Library Association ([https://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom](https://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom))