A resolution expressing support for the staff of public, school, academic, and special libraries in the United States and the essential services those libraries provide to communities, recognizing the need for funding commensurate with the broad scope of social service and community supports provided by libraries, preserving the right of all citizens of the United States to freely access information and resources in their communities, supporting a strong union voice for library workers, and defending the civil rights of library staff.
- Bill Number
- S.Res. 169
- Origin Chamber
- Senate
- Congress
- 119th Congress, Session 1
- Policy Area
- Arts, Culture, Religion
- Status
- Introduced
- Latest Action
- 2025-04-10: Referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text: CR S2568-2569)
- Last Updated
- 2026-06-16T15:06:35Z
AI-Generated Summary
Purpose
This Senate Resolution (S. Res. 169) expresses strong support for library staff across public, school, academic, and special libraries in the United States. It highlights their essential community services, calls for adequate funding, affirms citizens' rights to free access to information, endorses union rights for library workers, and defends their civil rights against threats like censorship and intimidation. The resolution also ties into celebrating National Library Week (April 6–12, 2025).
Key Provisions
The resolution is structured around a series of "Whereas" clauses providing context and a "Resolved" section outlining the Senate's positions:
- Commendation and Recognition: Praises library staff for roles beyond traditional services, such as providing internet access, supporting small businesses and job seekers, aiding during crises (e.g., opioid epidemic, COVID-19, homelessness), and serving underserved communities like rural, Tribal, and low-income areas.
- Concerns Raised: Notes challenges like funding cuts leading to unsafe conditions, opposition to book bans (citing 10,046 instances in 2023–2024 per PEN America), staff facing termination or harassment for resisting censorship, and critiques of policies like Project 2025 (alleged mistreatment of minorities and staff harassment) and Executive Order 14238 (March 14, 2025, eliminating the Institute of Museum and Library Services, or IMLS, which supports library resources).
- Senate Actions:
- Commends library staff's work.
- Supports the goals of National Library Week.
- Recognizes libraries as critical infrastructure for education, democracy, and community support.
- Calls for full funding of library services at federal, state, and local levels.
- Reaffirms rights to information access, workers' ability to unionize and bargain collectively, and protection from threats or intimidation.
- Recognizes library staff's rights to speak on public issues, engage with officials, and educate the public about access to information and threats to it.
Significant Changes to Existing Law
This is a non-binding resolution, meaning it does not create, amend, or repeal any laws. It expresses the Senate's sense and opinions without legal force, serving as a symbolic statement to guide policy discussions rather than enacting changes.
Potential Impacts
- On Government Agencies: Could pressure federal agencies (e.g., those involved in education and labor) to maintain or increase funding for libraries, particularly opposing cuts to IMLS. It may influence congressional debates on budgets and executive actions affecting cultural institutions.
- On Citizens: Reinforces public access to diverse information and resources, potentially benefiting underserved communities by highlighting libraries' roles in education, health, economic support, and crisis response. It promotes awareness of rights against censorship, which could encourage community advocacy.
- On International Relations: Minimal direct impact, though it underscores U.S. values of free information access and democracy, which could indirectly support soft diplomacy on human rights and education globally.
- Overall, the resolution has symbolic rather than enforceable effects, potentially inspiring state/local policies or public support for libraries amid funding challenges.
Main Stakeholders Affected
- Library Staff and Workers: Directly supported through recognition of their roles, union rights, and protections against harassment, termination, or censorship.
- Libraries and Institutions: Public, school, academic, and special libraries benefit from calls for funding and opposition to eliminations like IMLS, aiding their ability to serve communities.
- Communities and Citizens: Especially underserved groups (e.g., rural, Tribal, unhoused, low-income, job seekers, students) who rely on libraries for internet, social services, education, and diverse materials.
- Unions and Labor Groups: Encouraged by endorsements of collective bargaining and workplace voice.
- Government and Policymakers: Includes federal entities (e.g., Senate committees like Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions), state/local governments, and critics of policies like book bans or bureaucratic reductions.
Notable Legal, Constitutional, or Political Implications
- Legal/Constitutional: Emphasizes First Amendment protections (freedom of speech and access to information) by opposing censorship and book bans, framing libraries as vital to democracy and education. It defends workers' rights to organize (protected under the National Labor Relations Act) and speak on public concerns without reprisal.
- Political: Introduced by Senators Hirono, Reed, Durbin, Padilla, Wyden, and Van Hollen on April 10, 2025, and referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. It critiques recent political initiatives (e.g., Project 2025, Executive Order 14238 under President Trump), positioning libraries as non-partisan community assets amid partisan debates on funding, diversity, and bureaucracy. As a resolution, it could build bipartisan support for library funding but risks politicizing cultural institutions if tied to broader ideological conflicts.
This summary was generated by AI and may contain inaccuracies. Refer to the official source document for the authoritative text.
Sponsor
Cosponsors (6)
Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI], Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL], Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA], Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR], Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD], Sen. Blunt Rochester, Lisa [D-DE]
Recent Actions
- 2025-04-10: Referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (text: CR S2568-2569)
- 2025-04-10: Introduced in Senate
Bill Versions
- Expressing support for the staff of public, school, academic, and special libraries in the United States and the essential services those libraries provide to communities, recognizing the need for funding commensurate with the broad scope of social service and community supports provided by libraries, preserving the right of all citizens of the United States to freely access information and resources in their communities, supporting a strong union voice for library workers, and defending the civil rights of library staff. — issued 2025-04-10 — PDF (6 pages)