Libraries play a vital role in our community’s cultural, educational, and economic future and provide essential resources for the enrichment and empowerment of all residents. The Atlanta-Fulton Public Library Foundation works to secure the future of this indispensable community resource through advocacy, raising public awareness, and generating private funding.
The Georgia Senate has recently introduced SB390, which forbids state, county, city, or private funding to be spent with American Library Association (ALA) or its affiliates. It dissolves the state board for the certification of librarians and eliminates the requirement for public library directors to be certified librarians (O.C.G.A. 20-5-45).
As an organization that advocates for libraries, we find the outcomes of this bill to be problematic. Negative impacts would include the loss of accreditation for Valdosta State University’s MLIS program, resulting in dramatically reduced enrollment and staff retention in one of our state’s only professional pipelines for talent. The bill would also disconnect our librarians from ongoing professional learning and certification. To learn more, read this joint statement from Georgia Library Association, the Georgia Library Media Association and the Society of Georgia Archivists.
What can you do?
Use your voice to support our libraries! Contact your Senator or ask the Democrats on the Government Oversight Committee to reject SB390 using these easy forms from the Georgia Library Association’s Advocacy Division.
