III
119THCONGRESS
1
STSESSION S. RES. 169
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, sup-
porting a strong union voice for library workers, and defending the
civil rights of library staff.
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
APRIL10, 2025
Ms. H
IRONO(for herself, Mr. REED, Mr. DURBIN, Mr. PADILLA, Mr. WYDEN,
and Mr. V
ANHOLLEN) submitted the following resolution; which was re-
ferred 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 essen-
tial services those libraries provide to communities, recog-
nizing 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.
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•SRES 169 IS
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 ac-
cessing social services;
Whereas libraries are an economic powerhouse in their com-
munities, 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 on-
going and tragic opioid epidemic in the United States, in-
cluding being called on to administer medication to treat
overdoses;
Whereas libraries are a safe haven for individuals and fami-
lies 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 un-
derserved communities;
Whereas library staff maintained public access to essential li-
brary 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 de-
mand for community, public health, and safety net serv-
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•SRES 169 IS
ices, often while contending with severe funding cuts, cre-
ating unsustainable and frequently unsafe working condi-
tions for library staff;
Whereas the EveryLibrary Institute recently found that
Project 2025 encourages the mistreatment and misrepre-
sentation of minority communities as well as the harass-
ment of library staff;
Whereas, on March 14, 2025, President Trump signed Exec-
utive Order 14238 (90 Fed. Reg. 13043; relating to con-
tinuing the reduction of the Federal bureaucracy) to
eliminate the Institute of Museum and Library Services;
Whereas eliminating the Institute of Museum and Library
Services would harm the ability of libraries to provide
critical resources to millions of people in the United
States, especially in rural, Tribal, and other underserved
communities;
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, en-
counter, and debate all manner of ideas, including con-
troversial ones;
Whereas students have been shown to spend more time read-
ing 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 ful-
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filling the role of providing information and resources to
the public;
Whereas PEN America found 10,046 instances of book bans
in school libraries and classrooms during the 2023 to
2024 school year;
Whereas libraries and library staff are more capable of pro-
viding their communities with access to a diverse, inclu-
sive, and comprehensive selection of books and media
when they operate free from threats of book bans and
censorship;
Whereas library staff have faced termination and criminaliza-
tion for refusing to remove banned books from their li-
braries;
Whereas, from 2024 to 2025, 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 6 through April 12, 2025, would
be an appropriate time to celebrate ‘‘National Library
Week’’: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate— 1
(1) commends the work of library staff in the 2
United States; 3
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(2) supports the goals and ideals of National 1
Library Week; 2
(3) recognizes that libraries and library staff 3
provide critical infrastructure for the United States 4
and are essential to the future of the United States; 5
(4) supports the prioritization of full funding of 6
library services at the Federal, State, and local levels 7
to ensure the continuation and improvement of li-8
brary services; 9
(5) reaffirms— 10
(A) the fundamental right of the people of 11
the United States to access information, which 12
is made real through the efforts of library staff; 13
(B) the fundamental right of library work-14
ers to organize and collectively bargain at work 15
and to have a protected voice in their work-16
place; and 17
(C) the civil rights of library workers to ex-18
ercise their responsibilities to the public without 19
threats or intimidation; and 20
(6) recognizes the right of library staff— 21
(A) to speak out on matters of public con-22
cern; 23
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(B) to address themselves to elected offi-1
cials and to the administration of the entities 2
that employ library staff; and 3
(C) to inform the people of the United 4
States about their right to free and unfettered 5
access to information, and about threats to that 6
access. 7
Æ
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