[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 324 Introduced in House (IH)]
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118th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. RES. 324
Expressing support for the staff of this Nation's public, school,
academic, and special libraries and the essential services they provide
to our communities, recognizing the need for funding commensurate with
the broad scope of social services and community supports provided by
libraries, preserving the right of all citizens to freely access
information and resources in their communities, supporting a strong
union voice for library workers, and defending the civil rights of
library staff.
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IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 25, 2023
Ms. Jayapal (for herself, Ms. Barragan, Ms. Bonamici, Mr. Bowman, Mr.
Boyle of Pennsylvania, Mr. Casar, Ms. Craig, Mr. DeSaulnier, Mr.
Espaillat, Mr. Evans, Mr. Grijalva, Ms. Jackson Lee, Ms. Lee of
Pennsylvania, Mr. McGovern, Mrs. Napolitano, Mr. Norcross, Ms. Norton,
Mr. Pocan, Ms. Sanchez, Ms. Schakowsky, Ms. Scholten, Ms. Tokuda, Mr.
Tonko, Mrs. Watson Coleman, Ms. Wilson of Florida, and Mr. Higgins of
New York) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the
Committee on Education and the Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Expressing support for the staff of this Nation's public, school,
academic, and special libraries and the essential services they provide
to our communities, recognizing the need for funding commensurate with
the broad scope of social services and community supports provided by
libraries, preserving the right of all citizens to freely access
information and resources in their communities, supporting a strong
union voice for library workers, and defending the civil rights of
library staff.
Whereas the staff of the Nation's libraries are cornerstones of their
communities, providing patrons with access to books and media,
delivering high-quality programming to visitors of all ages, ensuring
equitable internet access for all, and linking people to crucial
information about accessing social services;
Whereas libraries are an economic powerhouse in their communities, providing
resources to small business owners, job seekers, and individuals
learning new skills;
Whereas, in recent years, the staff of the Nation's libraries have been called
on to address the fallout from our most difficult public crises on a
daily basis, taking on roles that exceed the traditional role of
providing a space and access to educational and cultural enrichment;
Whereas library staff provide lifesaving care to members of their communities
who are suffering the effects of the country's ongoing and tragic opioid
epidemic, including being called upon to administer medication to treat
overdoses;
Whereas libraries are a safe haven for individuals and families who are
unhoused, and library workers provide the supportive community
environment and resources needed by such individuals and families;
Whereas libraries are often the only source of internet for underserved
communities;
Whereas library workers not only maintained the public's access to essential
library services but also were relied on to distribute personal
protective equipment and provide testing to the public during the worst
days of the COVID-19 pandemic;
Whereas libraries have met this expanded and intensified demand for community,
public health, and safety net services often while contending with
severe funding cuts, creating unsustainable and frequently unsafe
working conditions for library workers;
Whereas the health of our country and survival of our democracy requires that
everyone be able to exercise rights to information and services, and it
is especially important for young people to have the opportunity to
learn and encounter and debate all manner of ideas, including
controversial ones;
Whereas library staff must make decisions about the books and media in their
collections and assist patrons in accessing those materials as a
fundamental responsibility of their job, without fearing censorship or
reprisal for fulfilling their role in providing information and
resources to the public;
Whereas, over the past year, there have been deplorable incidents throughout the
country that have been orchestrated to intimidate library staff and
prevent them from fulfilling their central work responsibility to
provide the public with free and unfettered access to information;
Whereas library workers across the country are mobilizing for a collective union
voice in their workplaces to elevate their profession, ensure safe and
adequately resourced spaces that meet the needs of the communities they
serve, and to protect the essential role of libraries in American
democracy; and
Whereas the week of April 23 through April 29, 2023, would be an appropriate
time to celebrate ``National Library Week'': Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives commends the work of
the people who staff the Nation's libraries, supports the goals and
ideals of National Library Week, and--
(1) recognizes that libraries and library workers provide
critical infrastructure for the United States and are essential
to the future of this country;
(2) supports the prioritization of full funding of library
services at the Federal, State, and local levels, to ensure the
continuation and improvement of their services;
(3) reaffirms the fundamental right of the people of the
United States to access information, which is made real through
the efforts of the individuals who staff the Nation's
libraries;
(4) reaffirms library workers' fundamental right to
organize and collectively bargain at work and to have a
protected voice in their workplace;
(5) reaffirms the civil rights of library workers to
exercise their responsibilities to the public without threats
or intimidation; and
(6) recognizes the right of library workers to speak out on
matters of public concern, to address themselves to elected
officials and to the administration of the entities that employ
such workers, and to inform the public at large about their
right to free and unfettered access to information, and about
threats to such access.
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