News and Updates

Our work as the only national political action committee for libraries reached several important milestones in 2019. You can read about all of our activities in 2019 in our annual report!

We help libraries win elections. Every one of them matters. Some, like the new library district we helped create in Potomac, IL. in 2018 really matter to the community. We can't do it without your donations.

One of the most egregious bills we’ve ever seen has just been introduced in Missouri. If HB 2044 passes, the government will be able to fine and send librarians to jail if a child accesses a book at a library that they deem to be “inappropriate”. 

The Pennsylvania School Librarians Association (PSLA) and EveryLibrary, a non-profit, national political action committee for libraries, will hold a demonstration on Friday, January 24 beginning at 12:30pm in front of the School District of Philadelphia (SDP) Administration Building, 440 N. Broad St., to call for the restoration of school librarian positions in Philadelphia city schools and in districts around the state.

We're excited to announce two great events supporting school libraries and in partnership with the Pennsylvania School Library Association. Come out to these events during the American Library Association Conference in Philadelphia and help us support school libraries in Pennsylvania and beyond.

EveryLibrary's work was featured across library publications and in the news across the country - and around the world - this year. We are proud to see several articles in academic journals and trade magazines as well as the publication of "Before the Ballot: Building Political Support for Library Funding" a new book by John Chrastka and Patrick "PC" Sweeney, through ALA / Neal Schuman in 2019. 

RIVERSIDE, IL (December  3, 2019) — EveryLibrary, an organization dedicated to building voter support for libraries and advocating in support of public funding for libraries, and the EveryLibrary Institute, a national non-profit focused on the future of library funding, announce a call for donations on December 3, Giving Tuesday. Donations made on this day will help EveryLibrary and the EveryLibrary Institute kick-off the Libraries 2020 campaign, a first of its kind nationwide voter engagement campaign for libraries.

At EveryLibrary, we know that over 90% of library funding comes from the will of the local voters and the will of the local politicians. That’s why we’re launching Libraries 2020 as the country’s first-ever full-scale national voter campaign for American libraries.

Last Tuesday was a great Election Day for the libraries we supported who were going to the voters this election day. Four out of four of these campaigns passed their ballot measures!

At least 50 libraries were on the ballot yesterday, Tuesday, November 5th, with levies, bonds, and other referendum to stabilize or increase their funding for collections, services, staffing, and facilities.