And please fill out the following forms/petitions:
- Become a Library Advocate
- Protect Our Libraries – Increase State Funding Now! (APRIL 1ST DEADLINE)
- Defend IMLS Now!
The Honorable Kirsten Gillibrand
155 Pinelawn Road
Suite 250 North
Melville, NY 11747
Dear Senator Gillibrand,
On behalf of the Suffolk County Library Association, representing the dedicated library professionals serving over one million residents across Suffolk County, New York, I extend our deepest gratitude and appreciation for your continued leadership and advocacy on behalf of America’s libraries and museums.
We are especially appreciative of your recent letter, co-authored with Senators Jack Reed, Susan Collins, and Lisa Murkowski, to Acting Director Keith Sonderling of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Your dedication to the rule of law, your support for the full and timely implementation of the Museum and Library Services Act (MLSA) of 2018, and your recognition of the importance of the $294.8 million in appropriated funds, affirms what we know to be true: libraries are not luxuries – they are lifelines.
Federal funding provided through IMLS makes it possible for libraries to deliver critical services like but not limited to: early literacy, digital inclusion, workforce development, and civic engagement. As frontline community institutions, libraries across Suffolk County use these investments to serve the evolving needs of our residents.
We respectfully urge you to continue pressing your colleagues in Congress to support library funding and protect the role of IMLS in sustaining library infrastructure nationwide. Your voice carries weight, and your continued advocacy is paramount in ensuring that these vital services remain accessible to all.
Thank you once again for standing with us and with the communities we serve.
On behalf of the Suffolk County Library Association Board,
Anthony Giansante
President
Suffolk County Library Association