Us Congress Senate Bill SR169

Us Congress 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 4/10/25
• Refer: 4/10/25

Caption

A 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.

Impact

By advocating for sustained funding and essential resources, SR169 aims to improve library services that are vital to local communities, particularly during difficult times. The resolution highlights the role of libraries in addressing public health crises and social service needs, citing their contribution in times of emergency such as the COVID-19 pandemic. It aims to bolster the infrastructure of libraries to ensure they can continue to serve as safe havens and information access points, especially for underserved populations.

Summary

Senate Resolution 169 expresses strong support for library staff across public, school, academic, and special libraries in the United States. This resolution acknowledges the essential services provided by libraries and emphasizes the need for adequate funding that corresponds with the diverse social services libraries offer to their communities. The resolution seeks to protect the rights of all US citizens to freely access information and resources available in public libraries, reinforcing the importance of libraries in a functioning democracy.

Contention

While SR169 aims to protect the rights of library workers and promote librarian unionization, it also implicitly confronts ongoing issues like book bans and censorship threatening the work of library staff. These challenges have intensified recently, leading to calls for library staff to mobilize for their rights and to maintain a robust voice in their workplace. The resolution addresses the broader implications of censorship and the importance of libraries serving as unimpeded sources of diverse information in educational settings.