Us Congress Senate Bill SR637

Us Congress 2023-2024 Regular Session

• Introduced: 4/11/24
• Refer: 4/11/24

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

This resolution highlights the significance of libraries and their staff as vital infrastructure in the United States. It advocates for full funding of library services at federal, state, and local levels to ensure continuity and enhancement of access to essential library resources. The resolution also reinforces the rights of library workers regarding their ability to organize, collectively bargain, and operate without intimidation while fulfilling their public service responsibilities.

Summary

Senate Resolution 637 expresses strong support for the staff of public, school, academic, and special libraries across the United States. The resolution acknowledges the essential services libraries provide to communities, including educational programming, equitable internet access, and the provision of crucial information related to social services. It emphasizes the evolving role of library staff in response to public crises and their importance as cornerstones of community support, especially during times of need such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the opioid epidemic.

Contention

One of the notable points of contention surrounding SR637 is the ongoing struggle against efforts to intimidate library staff and censor access to diverse media. The resolution addresses incidents that occurred in the years leading up to 2024, which aimed to undermine library staff's ability to freely provide information. By bolstering the union's voice among library staff and emphasizing civil rights, it seeks to confront the challenges faced by library workers in a contentious atmosphere for public discourse and access to information.