Advocacy – Utah Library Association

ABOUT THE ADVOCACY COMMITTEE

Help ULA members effectively advocate for sustainable funding and support for library services.
Promote legislative and advocacy support for library related legislation.
Alert and advise ULA Leadership on opportunities to influence public policy that may directly impact library services.

Cultivate and Grow Let Utah Read, UT Library Advocate Coalitions
Build relationships with new coalition partners and leverage lobbying power of organizations that share common cause and common concern with ULA.
Work collaboratively with coalition partners on legislative funding and policy agendas and rapid response actions.
Leverage social media and coalition partners to identify Utahns who support libraries
Continue Building Relationships with Legislators
Activate ULA members in contacting legislators

Direct Utahns concerned about censorship to the Let Utah Read page and encourage them to join and/or sign petitions
Sign and share the I Love Utah Libraries Pledge
Email your legislators to oppose or support bills when you receive action alert or request from ULA leadership
Attend Utah Legislative hearing (in person or virtually) and offer comments for/against bills as needed.
Get to know your legislators personally
- Invite them to visit the Library.
- Take photos and put in newsletters and in your social media.
- Tag them, and thank them for visiting and supporting the library!

Advocacy Training and Update 2024
Book Ban / Censorship Messaging for Library Supporters
Deeper Dive into the AG Memo: What it says, what it doesn’t
Free EveryLibrary Webinar: Best Practices Fighting Book Banning in a Polarized World (also presented at ALA Core Forum)
FREE Ebook: Utah Library Advocates Guide Calling libraries “an investment in our future,” representatives from the Utah Library Association (ULA), Utah Education Association (UEA), Utah Educational Library Media Association (UELMA), and Utah Library Media Supervisors (ULMS) announced the release of an eBook titled Utah Libraries: Keystone of Healthy Democracy, Student Success, and Prosperous Communities. The eBook highlights the value of libraries and their role in defending the freedom to read by providing useful information and actions that Utahns can take to fight censorship, including a parents’ guide for talking to kids about difficult topics.

March 10, 2023: Legislative Wrap Up 2023
January 24, 2023: Library Day on the Hill Training Video
January 17, 2023: Read-In at the State Capitol sponsored by Let Utah Read: January 25, 3-6 pm.
January 12, 2023: Advocacy Training: Slides | Video (password protected – check slack advocacy channel or email Peter for password)
January 12 2023: New bills added to the “Bills We are Tracking” list
January 1, 2023″ The Far-Reaching Consequences of HB374: Sensitive Materials in Schools
October 6, 2022″ Support ULA Advocacy Efforts: Join Utah Cultural Alliance at a Special Library Rate
August 3, 2022″ ULA/UELMA Joint Statement on Alpine School District Book Removals
June 13, 2022″ Statement on Censorship of Pride Display at Orem Public Library
The Utah Library Association became aware of a censorship issue at Orem Public Library through a social media post by a former employee on May 29 which stated that the Orem City Council is forbidding the library from doing any displays in the children’s area related to Pride Month in Utah. ULA, along with Equality Utah, PFLAG, and Utah LGBTQ+ Chamber of Commerce has issued a Statement on Censorship of the Pride display along with a press release.
April 2022: 45 Days of Advocacy, Libraries are Vital: Rebekah Cummings, ULA Advocacy Committee Co-Chair recorded a video for the Utah Cultural Alliance promoting the value of libraries.

January 27, 2022: Advocacy Training: On January 27, 2022, the Advocacy Committee held an online advocacy training. If you missed the training or would like to review it, a recording of the training and the slides for the training are both available.