Close up of Education Muse painted on the interior of the Capitol dome in Lansing, Mi

MLA Advocacy News

ALA Advocacy Alert: #FundLibraries in FY25

It's time to take action to #FundLibraries in Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25)! With the release of the President's proposed FY25 budget and the launch of Dear Appropriator letters in Congress, the annual funding process has begun.

February Election Results

Check out our roundup of the February 27, 2024 election results for millage issues on ballots around the state. We are proud of the library boards, staff, and supporters for their work on these campaigns and their dedication to supporting their libraries. The Library of Michigan provides a listing of Public Library Millage Election Results from 2010 to the present. View the Michigan Public Library Millage Results 2010 to February 2024 (pdf).

ALA Releases 2023 Censorship Data, Reports Record Number of Unique Book Titles Challenged in 2023

The surge in book censorship and the number of titles targeted for censorship during 2023 reached unprecedented levels. According to the American Library Association (ALA), there was a 65 percent increase in the number of titles targeted for censorship compared to the previous year. In 2023, 4,240 unique book titles were subject to censorship efforts, surpassing the previous high of 2,571 titles in 2022.

More Ways to Support Libraries and the Freedom to Read

We need your help to spread the message for Michigan Library Advocacy Day! Order shirts to wear on April 16th and/or record a 30-second clip asking your legislator to support intellectual freedom and First Amendment rights by supporting the Freedom to Read Legislation.

Governor Whitmer Proposes No Increase to State Aid to Libraries in FY25 Budget

As we have experienced for 8 years of the Snyder Administration and the 6th year of Governor Whitmer’s administration, the FY25 State Aid to Libraries budget remains flat. We also saw no increases for Library of Michigan programs/staff. (Link to the full GF budget below – Library of Michigan budget is on page 76.)

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