Public Policy and Advocacy
The American Library Association's Public Policy and Advocacy office was established in 1945 to represent libraries on Capitol Hill. Read more about our nearly 75 years of history here.
ALA's advocacy and public policy staff work to secure information technology policies that support and encourage efforts of libraries to ensure access to electronic information resources as a means of upholding the public’s right to a free and open information society. Staff work to ensure a library voice in information policy debates and to promote full and equitable intellectual participation by the public by:
- Conducting research and analysis aimed at understanding the implications of information technology and information policy for libraries and library users,
- Facilitating robust discussion within the ALA community about the implications of information policy, law, and regulation for libraries and library users,
- Advancing ALA’s information policy interests in non-legislative government policy forums, and
- Engaging in strategic forecastingto anticipate technological change, particularly as it presents policy challenges to libraries and library users.
The Public Policy and Advocacy team is charged with following and influencing legislation, policy, and regulatory issues of importance to the library field and its public and works to ensure that libraries are consistently involved in the legislative and policy decision-making processes by:
- Informing government of the needs and concerns of the library community;
- Providing library supporters with up-to-date information on government actions or proposals;
- Building coalitions with Washington-based representatives of other groups with similar concerns; and
- Developing grassroots networks to lobby legislators and further library interests.