Inspiring library Stories in the Washington Post

What if every member of congress read the same book?

What if that book was about libraries?

Let’s teach our political leaders how important libraries are to people like you by sending the book, “Inspiring Library Stories,” to every member of Congress. Every $20 we raise will help us send one copy of the book to congress 

The $1.9 trillion economic stimulus bill recently signed by President Biden contains $200 million for the Institute of Museum and Library Services, which supports libraries and museums across the country. This allocation marks the largest single increase in the agency’s 25-year history. And that support aligns closely with the country’s heart. At the start of 2020, Gallup reported that “visiting the library remains the most common cultural activity Americans engage in” — far more than going to movies, sporting events, concerts, national parks, museums, casinos, and zoos.

EveryLibrary, a nonprofit political action committee, wants to make sure our representatives appreciate just how important federal support is. The group is raising money to send a copy of “Inspiring Library Stories” to every member of Congress (donate). The book, edited by Oleg Kagan, offers dozens of true stories and essays about the crucial role that these literary temples play in American life. (If you order your own copy of the book here, 30 percent will go toward EveryLibrary.)

The stories — short poignant moments — describe kids captivated by story time, a retired gentleman learning to read, a prison inmate finding hope, a woman trying to write an obituary, a new immigrant filling out a job application, and a little boy who finished making a tambourine in craft time and told the librarian, “Thank you. This will be my first toy since the fire.” I could go on, but I seem to have something in my eye.