Legislators Want to Hear From Us on Library Issues!

This week, I had the opportunity to meet with the education and library specialists who work for the offices of Senator Schumer and Senator Gillibrand, two congressional leaders from my home state of New York. As a summer intern at the ALA Washington Office, it has been a joy to work at the very heart of the intersection of librarianship and government, to learn from dedicated and talented professionals, and to be in such close proximity to Capitol Hill.

I met with these specialists as both a concerned constituent and an Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) Legislative Advocate, a volunteer position unassociated with the ALA Washington Office. I advocated for support for open access policies, such as the Federal Research Public Access Act, President Obama’s FY2013 funding request for the Government Printing Office (GPO), flexibility for the crucially important Federal Depository Library Program under the umbrella of the GPO, and personal privacy in the context of the ongoing cyber security debate.

The specialists that I met with were incredibly kind and receptive to my message. I learned today that our elected officials want to hear from us. Legislators are very appreciative of dedicated constituents taking the time to reach out to them through phone calls, emails, and office visits. Learn how you can make a difference today.

Joseph DeLorenzo,
Intern, Office of Government Relations, ALA, Washington Office