[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 637 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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118th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 637

   Expressing support for the staff of public, school, academic, and 
special libraries in the United States and the essential services those 
  libraries provide to communities, recognizing the need for funding 
   commensurate with the broad scope of social service and community 
supports provided by libraries, preserving the right of all citizens of 
 the United States 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.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

               April 11 (legislative day, April 10), 2024

   Ms. Hirono (for herself, Mr. Reed, Ms. Butler, Mr. Wyden, Mr. Van 
Hollen, Mr. King, and Mr. Padilla) submitted the following resolution; 
 which was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and 
                                Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
   Expressing support for the staff of public, school, academic, and 
special libraries in the United States and the essential services those 
  libraries provide to communities, recognizing the need for funding 
   commensurate with the broad scope of social service and community 
supports provided by libraries, preserving the right of all citizens of 
 the United States 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 library staff are cornerstones of their communities in the United 
        States, providing visitors 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, library staff have been called on to address the 
        fallout from difficult public crises in the United States, taking on 
        roles that exceed the traditional role of providing a space for, 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 ongoing and tragic opioid epidemic 
        in the United States, including being called on 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 unhoused individuals and families;
Whereas libraries are often the only source of internet for underserved 
        communities;
Whereas library staff maintained public access to essential library services and 
        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 an 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 staff;
Whereas the health and survival of democracy in the United States 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, encounter, and debate all manner of ideas, including 
        controversial ones;
Whereas students have been shown to spend more time reading and exhibit higher 
        reading scores when given access to diverse titles, and library staff 
        play a crucial role in curating diverse book offerings for young 
        readers;
Whereas a fundamental responsibility of the job of library staff is making 
        decisions about the books and media in their collections and assisting 
        visitors in accessing those materials without fear of censorship or 
        reprisal for fulfilling the role of providing information and resources 
        to the public;
Whereas, from 2023 to 2024, there were deplorable incidents throughout the 
        United States that were 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 staff across the United States are mobilizing for a collective 
        union voice in their workplaces to elevate their profession, to ensure 
        safe and adequately resourced spaces that meet the needs of the 
        communities they serve, and to protect the essential role of libraries 
        in the democracy of the United States; and
Whereas the week of April 7 through April 13, 2024, would be an appropriate time 
        to celebrate ``National Library Week'': Now, therefore, be it
    Resolved, That the Senate--
            (1) commends the work of library staff in the United 
        States;
            (2) supports the goals and ideals of National Library Week;
            (3) recognizes that libraries and library staff provide 
        critical infrastructure for the United States and are essential 
        to the future of the United States;
            (4) supports the prioritization of full funding of library 
        services at the Federal, State, and local levels to ensure the 
        continuation and improvement of library services;
            (5) reaffirms--
                    (A) the fundamental right of the people of the 
                United States to access information, which is made real 
                through the efforts of library staff;
                    (B) the fundamental right of library workers to 
                organize and collectively bargain at work and to have a 
                protected voice in their workplace; and
                    (C) the civil rights of library workers to exercise 
                their responsibilities to the public without threats or 
                intimidation; and
            (6) recognizes the right of library staff--
                    (A) to speak out on matters of public concern;
                    (B) to address themselves to elected officials and 
                to the administration of the entities that employ 
                library staff; and
                    (C) to inform the people of the United States about 
                their right to free and unfettered access to 
                information, and about threats to that access.
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