Library Advocacy 2024

Advocacy Day - February 7, 2023

List of appointments coming soon.

NYLA Initiatives

Fund - Protect - Empower

As 2023 winds to a close, it is time for New York's library community to turn our attention to the forthcoming 2024 New York State Legislative Session.

Since the close of the 2023 Legislative Session in June, NYLA staff and members have collaborated with library advocates and legislators from across the state to position our collective cause for success in the year to come.

When session begins in January, NYLA will urge lawmakers to fund New York's libraries, protect them from threats to their ability to effectively serve all members of their communities, and empower them through legislation that enables the effective use of existing resources and the innovation of new ways to serve their patrons.

As such, we will be advocating for robust increases to Library Operating Aid, Library Construction Aid, and Library Materials Aid, as well as a set of diverse legislative initiatives that reflect the wide range of issues currently impacting libraries and librarianship.

Funding Initiatives

• NYS Library Operating Aid: $147.1M
  • NYLA's Library Operating Aid One-Pager
• NYS Library Construction Aid: $69.4M
  • NYLA's Construction Aid One-Pager

NYLA Policy Initiatives

NYLA's Policy Initiatives One-Pager

Protection of Patron Access to Library Materials and Services

Libraries across our state face rapidly expanding efforts to censor materials and programming they deem objectionable based on subjective personal sensibilities and partisan ideologies. We require legislation that empowers library professionals to exercise their expertise and ensure public access to materials, services, and programs that represent their interests.

Freedom to Read Act

S6350B/A6873B - S6350B_-_A6873B).pdf">NYLA Memo of Support

If enacted, this bill would require the commissioner of education to develop policies to ensure that school libraries and library staff are empowered to curate and develop collections that provide students with access to the widest array of developmentally appropriate materials available.

Protection in Public Libraries

S7677 (May) / A7843A (Kelles)

Multiple pieces of legislation intended to curb threats to patron access to materials and services in the public library setting have been introduced in the State Assembly and Senate. NYLA has helped craft the above legislation that would include in the state's Standards of Library Service a requirement that libraries adopt policies and procedures that ensure library materials, services, and programming shall not be proscribed or removed due to partisan or doctrinal disapproval. Conversations on this issue are ongoing and responsive to new information from ongoing efforts around the country.

Elimination of Library Construction Cap

S7093 (Chu) - NYLA Support Memo

Libraries serving economically distressed communities may be eligible for Library Construction Aid awards beyond 75.00%. However, the law currently only allows public library systems to award 50% of their total allocation to such projects.

This proposal would eliminate the 50% cap to ensure that libraries serving economically distressed communities and libraries in rural regions will be able to make use of the library construction aid intended to benefit these communities.

Association Library Retirement Opt-In Option

S4245 (Palumbo) / A4885 (Thiele) - NYLA Support Memo

This bill would allow association libraries that meet certain criteria the ability to join the New York State Retirement System upon approval of their board.

Check Out New York

S5956A (Chu) / A4112A (Jensen) - NYLA Support Memo

This bill would provide one-pass per public library to every state park, historic site, and recreational facility operated by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation.