Together, We Stopped a Dangerous Bill in Arkansas

We are relieved and proud to share that Senate Bill 536, which would have abolished the Arkansas State Library and eliminated the State Library Board, was defeated in a House committee last week. It is a tremendous win for libraries, library workers, and readers across the state.

This victory was made possible by the incredible work of the grassroots advocates behind the Arkansas Right to Read campaign and the Arkansas Library Association advocacy team.

They led the fight to save the state library with powerful committee testimony, mobilizing hundreds of constituents to contact their legislators to make sure the real stakes for Arkansas communities were heard loud and clear.

EveryLibrary was proud to stand with them to help shape the campaign, support their digital outreach, and provide backup when things got tough. As we talked through how to stop the bill in committee last Friday, we decided to do a quick voter-facing poll on Saturday to get current, hard-hitting data about voter attitudes to help shape the final hours of the campaign. The insights helped shape the closing arguments, and the media coverage elevated library voices across the state.

As Adam Webb, President-Elect of the Arkansas Library Association, said:

"Library advocates across Arkansas can breathe a big sigh of relief thanks in large part to the hard-working folks at EveryLibrary. They gave us the tools, resources, and data that we needed to fight this fight and inform our legislature about the dangers of these bills. The snap poll that EveryLibrary Institute put together regarding the bill that would abolish our state library was instrumental in showing our legislators that Arkansans did NOT want this bill." 

In his testimony, Webb reminded lawmakers that legislative intent must be clear—and that laws attempting to censor libraries often fail in the courts. Judy Calhoun, a retired library director, powerfully defended the longstanding role of libraries in respecting parental choice while ensuring broad access to books, including those some may find controversial.The final vote in committee was 8–7 against SB536. 

With the legislative session adjournment imminent, the bill is dead. This was a win not only for libraries in Arkansas but for the right to read everywhere. This win shows what's possible when we act quickly, strategically, and together. If you'd like to help fund future rapid-response efforts like this one, please become a monthly donor today at everylibrary.org/rapid.