Category: Advocacy

A Message from SCLA President, Bob Johnson, on Advocacy Day 2026:

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Dear Colleagues,
On behalf of the Suffolk County Library Association, I would like to extend our sincere thanks for the incredible outpouring of support and participation at this year’s Library Advocacy Day in Albany.
Your presence made a powerful statement. When we put action behind our words and show up together, our voices carry farther and are heard more clearly. Because of your commitment, our legislators saw firsthand the strength, unity, and dedication of the library community in Suffolk County. Your advocacy truly makes a difference for the future of our libraries and the communities we serve.
We are especially grateful for the extra time and effort it took to travel by bus and spend a full day advocating. Your willingness to go the extra mile speaks volumes about your passion and professionalism.
A heartfelt thank you as well to the entire SCLA Board, The Suffolk Cooperative Library System, the Public Library Directors’ Association, NYLA, our bus captains, and, most especially, Samantha Alberts for her outstanding coordination of the bus schedules and the day’s logistics. Her organization and support helped make the entire experience seamless and successful.
Thank you again for standing together, speaking up, and representing our libraries so proudly. We are stronger because of each of you.
All the best,
Bob
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SCLA Advocacy Update: IMLS Grants to States Program Withdrawn

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Colleagues and Friends, 
 
Last night, we received word that the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Grants to States Program has been cancelled. This action withdraws 85% of the federally appropriated aid to the New York State Library and Division of Library Development (DLD). The consequences of this decision will be profound, including a significant impact on all of Suffolk’s libraries and by extension, our professions, patrons, communities.

As we learn more about the local implications, we will share updates. But right now, we must respond.

The SCLA Executive Board has issued an official statement on behalf of The Association. The statement is attached to this email and will be on our website shortly. We urge you to read it – and more importantly, to take action.

Contact Your Representatives Today
We strongly encourage you to reach out to the following individuals, especially if you are a constituent. Tell them what libraries mean to you, and why this funding must be restored. 

 
Call, write, and email

Andrew Garbarino

31 Oak Street Suite 20

Patchogue, NY  11772

Phone: (631) 541-4225

https://garbarino.house.gov/contact

Nicholas LaLota

515 Hauppauge Road Suite 3B

Hauppauge, NY  11788

Phone: (631) 289-1097

https://lalota.house.gov/contact

What Should You Say?

  • Share your name and contact information.
  • Say that you are a constituent and that you care deeply about libraries.
  • Be brief, direct, and authentic.
  • Add a personal story if you have one.
  • If calling, prepare your message ahead of time.


Why This Matters
Here’s what is now possibly at risk with the loss of this funding:

  • NOVEL NY Databases: Resources like Opposing Viewpoints, Academic OneFile, and Britannica – used by students, educators, and job seekers.
  • Library Construction Aid: Critical funding for libraries to make buildings ADA-compliant and meet the needs of growing communities could disappear.
  • Training and Consulting: Staff at the NYS Library provide expert support in areas like records management, and library staff can request training or consult with staff to understand their obligations.
  • Library Systems and Resource Councils: 23 Library Systems and 9 Resource Councils in the State rely on aid from the NYS and DLD to keep their doors open. These entities provide programs and support to the 756 public libraries in the state in areas like eBook and electronic resources purchases, delivery of materials that libraries borrowed from other libraries, and professional resources.


Our Message Is Simple
“Libraries are essential to me, my family, and my community – we vote, and we want this funding restored. Do what you must to reverse these cuts.”

We know that these are uncertain times, but these times require action. Raise your voice and tell everyone that our libraries are worth fighting for.

 
Thank you for your time and attention. 
On behalf of the Suffolk County Library Association Board,
Anthony Giansante
SCLA President

SCLA Advocacy Update: Thank Senator Gillibrand

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The SCLA Executive Board voted to send a letter to our Senator Gillibrand thanking her for her support in standing up for IMLS and the rule of law. As library workers and/or  library supporters, we know that the work we do increases the quality of life for communities we serve and that we work to promote the greater good and it is wonderful to see our NYS senator is amplifying those sentiments by defending funding that was lawfully allocated to the IMLS.
Below is a copy of a letter expressing our gratitude to her.  We are incredibly grateful and proud of our senator but to continue to reinforce that libraries aren’t luxuries, they are lifelines, we must defend them. Please continue to contact your federal, state, and local representative and remind them of the importance of our work and that we, as a collective and individuals, work to make the lives of our communities better, and encourage your friends and family to do the same!; click here to find your state and federal representative.

And please fill out the following forms/petitions:

Attached to this email is a PDF of the SCLA letter and the letter she and 3 other senators sent to the Acting Director of the IMLS.
On behalf of the Suffolk County Library Association Board, I thank you for your time and attention.
We sink and swim together,
Anthony Giansante
President of the Suffolk County Library Association

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

The Honorable Kirsten Gillibrand

SCLA Advocacy Update

Letter the Acting Director of the IMLS

Suffolk County Library Association’s (SCLA) Statement on President Trump’s Executive Order Eliminating IMLS Funding

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Suffolk County Library Association’s (SCLA) Statement on President Trump’s Executive Order Eliminating IMLS Funding

The Suffolk County Library Association (SCLA) strongly opposes the Executive Order issued on March 14, 2025, which advances the elimination of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) which is the only federal agency solely dedicated to supporting libraries and museums across the United States.

The IMLS plays a vital role in ensuring equitable access to information, education, technology, and community services for all Americans. Through programs like the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), IMLS funding aids local libraries in offering essential services, including early literacy initiatives, workforce development programs, technology access, services for veterans, and resources for lifelong learning. In New York State alone, IMLS provided nearly $20 million in FY2024 to sustain these critical services.

Libraries throughout Suffolk County use IMLS-administered funding to help meet the needs of our diverse communities. From homework help and job search support to digital literacy training and language learning programs, the resources provided through IMLS are foundational to the work our community libraries do every day. Eliminating IMLS would not only devastate these programs but also widen the digital divide, reduce community access to knowledge, and undermine the infrastructure that supports lifelong learning in every corner of Suffolk County.

In solidarity with the New York Library Association, SCLA urges President Trump to reverse his decision and we call on our federal, state, and local elected officials to do what they must to reject this harmful proposal and to stand in support of libraries, their workers, and the millions of individuals and families they serve. We urge residents across Suffolk County to speak out in defense of the IMLS and advocate for continued investment in library services that strengthen communities and change lives.

If you have not done so, please consider becoming a library advocate and signing NYLA’s petitions: Protect Our Libraries – Increase State Funding Now! & Defend IMLS Now!

Libraries are not a luxury, they are a lifeline. Now more than ever, we must fight to preserve and protect them.