ALA Members

Dear ALA Members,

We need your voice and those in our broader library community who support the right to read to act NOW and tell our representatives to vote NO on HR5. Please see the below message from Alan S. Inouye, Ph,D., Senior Director, Public Policy & Government Relations and Interim Associate Executive Director:

ALA has launched a new federal action on censorship - we need everyone's support in this important moment. The U.S. House of Representatives is currently considering H.R. 5, the so-called "Parents Bill of Rights Act," legislation that would open the door to more book banning in school libraries and communities nationwide. We're calling on ALA members, staff, and advocates to urge their Representatives to vote no on this legislation. 

This bill would require school libraries that receive federal funding to provide a list of available materials to parents upon request and develop a new system to allow parents to challenge materials. As we know, this is already the case in school libraries across the country – parents already can search a library's catalogue and communicate with staff about their concerns. And so this bill is an unnecessary and unfunded federal mandate. But if this bill became law, it would provide book banners another tool and leverage point to censor materials in libraries. We cannot allow supporters of censorship to pass and weaponize this legislation against libraries and library workers. 

Please take action and share this message with your own networks - we need every voice to protect the freedom to read. You can use our action center to call your Representative and urge them to vote no on H.R. 5. Link to share on social below, along with sample copy for social media.

Social share: Twitter
Graphic: attached
Sample social: The House of Representatives is voting on dangerous legislation this week that would give more tools to book banners. ALA and library advocates are taking action. Join us - call your Rep and urge them to vote NO on HR5: bit.ly/ProtectFreedom2Read

Thanks,

Alan

 Alan S. Inouye, Ph.D.

Senior Director, Public Policy & Government Relations and Interim Associate Executive Director

American Library Association

1615 New Hampshire Avenue, NW

Washington, DC  20009

Office 202-403-8218  Mobile 202-276-6738  ainouye@alawash.org

Follow Me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlanSInouye

Dear ALA Members,

We need your voice and those in our broader library community who support the right to read to act NOW and tell our representatives to vote NO on HR5. Please see the below message from Alan S. Inouye, Ph,D., Senior Director, Public Policy & Government Relations and Interim Associate Executive Director:

ALA has launched a new federal action on censorship - we need everyone's support in this important moment. The U.S. House of Representatives is currently considering H.R. 5, the so-called "Parents Bill of Rights Act," legislation that would open the door to more book banning in school libraries and communities nationwide. We're calling on ALA members, staff, and advocates to urge their Representatives to vote no on this legislation. 

This bill would require school libraries that receive federal funding to provide a list of available materials to parents upon request and develop a new system to allow parents to challenge materials. As we know, this is already the case in school libraries across the country – parents already can search a library's catalogue and communicate with staff about their concerns. And so this bill is an unnecessary and unfunded federal mandate. But if this bill became law, it would provide book banners another tool and leverage point to censor materials in libraries. We cannot allow supporters of censorship to pass and weaponize this legislation against libraries and library workers. 

Please take action and share this message with your own networks - we need every voice to protect the freedom to read. You can use our action center to call your Representative and urge them to vote no on H.R. 5. Link to share on social below, along with sample copy for social media.

Social share: Twitter
Graphic: attached
Sample social: The House of Representatives is voting on dangerous legislation this week that would give more tools to book banners. ALA and library advocates are taking action. Join us - call your Rep and urge them to vote NO on HR5: bit.ly/ProtectFreedom2Read

Thanks,

Alan

 Alan S. Inouye, Ph.D.

Senior Director, Public Policy & Government Relations and Interim Associate Executive Director

American Library Association

1615 New Hampshire Avenue, NW

Washington, DC  20009

Office 202-403-8218  Mobile 202-276-6738  ainouye@alawash.org

Follow Me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlanSInouye

Definitely help encourage your US colleagues, friends, and family to continue speaking up against such bills. Thank you for your support!

--

Lessa Kanani'opua Pelayo-Lozada

|2022-2023 President, American Library Association

|Adult Services Assistant Manager, Palos Verdes Library District

|My pronouns are she, hers, her

|Schedule a meeting with me

|Find out more about me

Dear ALA Members,

We need your voice and those in our broader library community who support the right to read to act NOW and tell our representatives to vote NO on HR5. Please see the below message from Alan S. Inouye, Ph,D., Senior Director, Public Policy & Government Relations and Interim Associate Executive Director:

ALA has launched a new federal action on censorship - we need everyone's support in this important moment. The U.S. House of Representatives is currently considering H.R. 5, the so-called "Parents Bill of Rights Act," legislation that would open the door to more book banning in school libraries and communities nationwide. We're calling on ALA members, staff, and advocates to urge their Representatives to vote no on this legislation. 

This bill would require school libraries that receive federal funding to provide a list of available materials to parents upon request and develop a new system to allow parents to challenge materials. As we know, this is already the case in school libraries across the country – parents already can search a library's catalogue and communicate with staff about their concerns. And so this bill is an unnecessary and unfunded federal mandate. But if this bill became law, it would provide book banners another tool and leverage point to censor materials in libraries. We cannot allow supporters of censorship to pass and weaponize this legislation against libraries and library workers. 

Please take action and share this message with your own networks - we need every voice to protect the freedom to read. You can use our action center to call your Representative and urge them to vote no on H.R. 5. Link to share on social below, along with sample copy for social media.

Social share: Twitter
Graphic: attached
Sample social: The House of Representatives is voting on dangerous legislation this week that would give more tools to book banners. ALA and library advocates are taking action. Join us - call your Rep and urge them to vote NO on HR5: bit.ly/ProtectFreedom2Read

Thanks,

Alan

 Alan S. Inouye, Ph.D.

Senior Director, Public Policy & Government Relations and Interim Associate Executive Director

American Library Association

1615 New Hampshire Avenue, NW

Washington, DC  20009

Office 202-403-8218  Mobile 202-276-6738  ainouye@alawash.org

Follow Me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlanSInouye

Dear ALA Members,

We need your voice and those in our broader library community who support the right to read to act NOW and tell our representatives to vote NO on HR5. Please see the below message from Alan S. Inouye, Ph,D., Senior Director, Public Policy & Government Relations and Interim Associate Executive Director:

ALA has launched a new federal action on censorship - we need everyone's support in this important moment. The U.S. House of Representatives is currently considering H.R. 5, the so-called "Parents Bill of Rights Act," legislation that would open the door to more book banning in school libraries and communities nationwide. We're calling on ALA members, staff, and advocates to urge their Representatives to vote no on this legislation. 

This bill would require school libraries that receive federal funding to provide a list of available materials to parents upon request and develop a new system to allow parents to challenge materials. As we know, this is already the case in school libraries across the country – parents already can search a library's catalogue and communicate with staff about their concerns. And so this bill is an unnecessary and unfunded federal mandate. But if this bill became law, it would provide book banners another tool and leverage point to censor materials in libraries. We cannot allow supporters of censorship to pass and weaponize this legislation against libraries and library workers. 

Please take action and share this message with your own networks - we need every voice to protect the freedom to read. You can use our action center to call your Representative and urge them to vote no on H.R. 5. Link to share on social below, along with sample copy for social media.

Social share: Twitter
Graphic: attached
Sample social: The House of Representatives is voting on dangerous legislation this week that would give more tools to book banners. ALA and library advocates are taking action. Join us - call your Rep and urge them to vote NO on HR5: bit.ly/ProtectFreedom2Read

Thanks,

Alan

 Alan S. Inouye, Ph.D.

Senior Director, Public Policy & Government Relations and Interim Associate Executive Director

American Library Association

1615 New Hampshire Avenue, NW

Washington, DC  20009

Office 202-403-8218  Mobile 202-276-6738  ainouye@alawash.org

Follow Me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlanSInouye

It seems like librarians are always playing defense on legislation. Why doesn't ALA seize the initiative and draft a "Parents and Students Freedom to Read" Act specifying that no parent (or group) has the right to determine what materials others' children shall have access to?

Dear ALA Members,

We need your voice and those in our broader library community who support the right to read to act NOW and tell our representatives to vote NO on HR5. Please see the below message from Alan S. Inouye, Ph,D., Senior Director, Public Policy & Government Relations and Interim Associate Executive Director:

ALA has launched a new federal action on censorship - we need everyone's support in this important moment. The U.S. House of Representatives is currently considering H.R. 5, the so-called "Parents Bill of Rights Act," legislation that would open the door to more book banning in school libraries and communities nationwide. We're calling on ALA members, staff, and advocates to urge their Representatives to vote no on this legislation. 

This bill would require school libraries that receive federal funding to provide a list of available materials to parents upon request and develop a new system to allow parents to challenge materials. As we know, this is already the case in school libraries across the country – parents already can search a library's catalogue and communicate with staff about their concerns. And so this bill is an unnecessary and unfunded federal mandate. But if this bill became law, it would provide book banners another tool and leverage point to censor materials in libraries. We cannot allow supporters of censorship to pass and weaponize this legislation against libraries and library workers. 

Please take action and share this message with your own networks - we need every voice to protect the freedom to read. You can use our action center to call your Representative and urge them to vote no on H.R. 5. Link to share on social below, along with sample copy for social media.

Social share: Twitter
Graphic: attached
Sample social: The House of Representatives is voting on dangerous legislation this week that would give more tools to book banners. ALA and library advocates are taking action. Join us - call your Rep and urge them to vote NO on HR5: bit.ly/ProtectFreedom2Read

Thanks,

Alan

 Alan S. Inouye, Ph.D.

Senior Director, Public Policy & Government Relations and Interim Associate Executive Director

American Library Association

1615 New Hampshire Avenue, NW

Washington, DC  20009

Office 202-403-8218  Mobile 202-276-6738  ainouye@alawash.org

Follow Me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlanSInouye

It seems like librarians are always playing defense on legislation. Why doesn't ALA seize the initiative and draft a "Parents and Students Freedom to Read" Act specifying that no parent (or group) has the right to determine what materials others' children shall have access to?

Dear ALA Members,

We need your voice and those in our broader library community who support the right to read to act NOW and tell our representatives to vote NO on HR5. Please see the below message from Alan S. Inouye, Ph,D., Senior Director, Public Policy & Government Relations and Interim Associate Executive Director:

ALA has launched a new federal action on censorship - we need everyone's support in this important moment. The U.S. House of Representatives is currently considering H.R. 5, the so-called "Parents Bill of Rights Act," legislation that would open the door to more book banning in school libraries and communities nationwide. We're calling on ALA members, staff, and advocates to urge their Representatives to vote no on this legislation. 

This bill would require school libraries that receive federal funding to provide a list of available materials to parents upon request and develop a new system to allow parents to challenge materials. As we know, this is already the case in school libraries across the country – parents already can search a library's catalogue and communicate with staff about their concerns. And so this bill is an unnecessary and unfunded federal mandate. But if this bill became law, it would provide book banners another tool and leverage point to censor materials in libraries. We cannot allow supporters of censorship to pass and weaponize this legislation against libraries and library workers. 

Please take action and share this message with your own networks - we need every voice to protect the freedom to read. You can use our action center to call your Representative and urge them to vote no on H.R. 5. Link to share on social below, along with sample copy for social media.

Social share: Twitter
Graphic: attached
Sample social: The House of Representatives is voting on dangerous legislation this week that would give more tools to book banners. ALA and library advocates are taking action. Join us - call your Rep and urge them to vote NO on HR5: bit.ly/ProtectFreedom2Read

Thanks,

Alan

 Alan S. Inouye, Ph.D.

Senior Director, Public Policy & Government Relations and Interim Associate Executive Director

American Library Association

1615 New Hampshire Avenue, NW

Washington, DC  20009

Office 202-403-8218  Mobile 202-276-6738  ainouye@alawash.org

Follow Me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlanSInouye

We need help wherever we can get it, including being proactive on the local, state, and federal levels.

Some of the legal experts feel that we already have such a law that David suggested: the First Amendment. And indeed we are seeing a number of the restrictive policies being struck down when they are subjected to constitutional scrutiny in court.

 

However, there have been some discussions about if it would be possible to develop other legislative approaches that bolster these protections. ALA helped developed one such approach, which was introduced in Congress last year as the Right to Read Act. ALA has also supported a resolution, called the Bill of Rights for Students and Parents, which was introduced in Congress this year.

 

Regardless of any proactive approaches we might support, there is no silver bullet to stop people from proposing bad ideas, so unfortunately we expect it will be necessary to continue playing defense for the foreseeable future. Which is also why we have the Unite Against Book Bans campaign that includes proactive and reactive approaches to book challenges that library workers, allies, and the public can take.

Together can get through this and I appreciate our members' continued support of the freedom to read and protecting our shared value of intellectual freedom.

--

Lessa Kanani'opua Pelayo-Lozada

|2022-2023 President, American Library Association

|Adult Services Assistant Manager, Palos Verdes Library District

|My pronouns are she, hers, her

|Schedule a meeting with me

|Find out more about me

It seems like librarians are always playing defense on legislation. Why doesn't ALA seize the initiative and draft a "Parents and Students Freedom to Read" Act specifying that no parent (or group) has the right to determine what materials others' children shall have access to?

Dear ALA Members,

We need your voice and those in our broader library community who support the right to read to act NOW and tell our representatives to vote NO on HR5. Please see the below message from Alan S. Inouye, Ph,D., Senior Director, Public Policy & Government Relations and Interim Associate Executive Director:

ALA has launched a new federal action on censorship - we need everyone's support in this important moment. The U.S. House of Representatives is currently considering H.R. 5, the so-called "Parents Bill of Rights Act," legislation that would open the door to more book banning in school libraries and communities nationwide. We're calling on ALA members, staff, and advocates to urge their Representatives to vote no on this legislation. 

This bill would require school libraries that receive federal funding to provide a list of available materials to parents upon request and develop a new system to allow parents to challenge materials. As we know, this is already the case in school libraries across the country – parents already can search a library's catalogue and communicate with staff about their concerns. And so this bill is an unnecessary and unfunded federal mandate. But if this bill became law, it would provide book banners another tool and leverage point to censor materials in libraries. We cannot allow supporters of censorship to pass and weaponize this legislation against libraries and library workers. 

Please take action and share this message with your own networks - we need every voice to protect the freedom to read. You can use our action center to call your Representative and urge them to vote no on H.R. 5. Link to share on social below, along with sample copy for social media.

Social share: Twitter
Graphic: attached
Sample social: The House of Representatives is voting on dangerous legislation this week that would give more tools to book banners. ALA and library advocates are taking action. Join us - call your Rep and urge them to vote NO on HR5: bit.ly/ProtectFreedom2Read

Thanks,

Alan

 Alan S. Inouye, Ph.D.

Senior Director, Public Policy & Government Relations and Interim Associate Executive Director

American Library Association

1615 New Hampshire Avenue, NW

Washington, DC  20009

Office 202-403-8218  Mobile 202-276-6738  ainouye@alawash.org

Follow Me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlanSInouye

Dear ALA Members,

We need your voice and those in our broader library community who support the right to read to act NOW and tell our representatives to vote NO on HR5. Please see the below message from Alan S. Inouye, Ph,D., Senior Director, Public Policy & Government Relations and Interim Associate Executive Director:

ALA has launched a new federal action on censorship - we need everyone's support in this important moment. The U.S. House of Representatives is currently considering H.R. 5, the so-called "Parents Bill of Rights Act," legislation that would open the door to more book banning in school libraries and communities nationwide. We're calling on ALA members, staff, and advocates to urge their Representatives to vote no on this legislation. 

This bill would require school libraries that receive federal funding to provide a list of available materials to parents upon request and develop a new system to allow parents to challenge materials. As we know, this is already the case in school libraries across the country – parents already can search a library's catalogue and communicate with staff about their concerns. And so this bill is an unnecessary and unfunded federal mandate. But if this bill became law, it would provide book banners another tool and leverage point to censor materials in libraries. We cannot allow supporters of censorship to pass and weaponize this legislation against libraries and library workers. 

Please take action and share this message with your own networks - we need every voice to protect the freedom to read. You can use our action center to call your Representative and urge them to vote no on H.R. 5. Link to share on social below, along with sample copy for social media.

Social share: Twitter
Graphic: attached
Sample social: The House of Representatives is voting on dangerous legislation this week that would give more tools to book banners. ALA and library advocates are taking action. Join us - call your Rep and urge them to vote NO on HR5: bit.ly/ProtectFreedom2Read

Thanks,

Alan

 Alan S. Inouye, Ph.D.

Senior Director, Public Policy & Government Relations and Interim Associate Executive Director

American Library Association

1615 New Hampshire Avenue, NW

Washington, DC  20009

Office 202-403-8218  Mobile 202-276-6738  ainouye@alawash.org

Follow Me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AlanSInouye