<div dir="auto">From the ALA Public Policy & Advocacy Office.</div><div dir="auto">For your information and action</div><div dir="auto"><br></div><div dir="auto">Lou Ann Jacobs</div><div dir="auto">AISLE Legislation Function Representative<br><div class="gmail_quote"><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_attr">---------- Forwarded message ---------<br>From: <strong class="gmail_sendername" dir="auto">ALA Public Policy & Advocacy Office</strong> <span dir="auto"><<a href="mailto:imanager@alawash.org">imanager@alawash.org</a>></span><br>Date: Thu, Feb 9, 2023 at 1:56 PM<br>Subject: Tell Congress to defend the freedom to read<br>><br></div><br><br><u></u>
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<p style="Margin-top:0;Margin-bottom:0">We must speak up against censorship</p><div style="height:0;max-height:0;overflow:hidden;font-size:0"> </div><p></p>
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<p style="Margin-top:0;Margin-bottom:0;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><span style="text-decoration:inherit">Hello Lou!</span></p><p style="Margin-top:20px;Margin-bottom:20px">Like you, ALA is outraged at the extreme censorship efforts targeting local libraries around the country. <strong>And we’re fighting back.</strong></p>
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<a style="border-radius:4px;display:inline-block;font-size:14px;font-weight:bold;line-height:24px;padding:12px 24px;text-align:center;text-decoration:none!important;color:#ffffff!important;border:1px solid rgba(0,0,0,0.25);background-color:#ef3e36;font-family:Arial,sans-serif" href="https://americanlibraryassociation.cmail19.com/t/i-l-qhidrc-tdzxjkir-y/" target="_blank">TELL CONGRESS: DEFEND FREEDOM TO READ</a>
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<p style="Margin-top:0;Margin-bottom:0">We know that the Constitution and our values are on our side – and <a style="text-decoration:underline;color:#57a607" href="https://americanlibraryassociation.cmail19.com/t/i-l-qhidrc-tdzxjkir-j/" target="_blank">our polling</a> shows that voters agree. But the small minority of censorship proponents are loud. <strong>We need to get loud, too.</strong></p><p style="Margin-top:20px;Margin-bottom:0">In many cases, local leaders have successfully pushed back by using our greatest strength – <em>the overwhelming support of our communities</em>. Librarians, trustees, students, and parents have <strong>come together to reject censorship.</strong></p><p style="Margin-top:20px;Margin-bottom:0">A new Congress is just getting started, and we’re hearing more and more about
censorship. On one hand, some of the dangerous ideas we’ve seen recently at the state and local level now are being proposed in Congress. On the other hand, some principled leaders are starting to speak out against censorship and in defense of the freedom to read.</p><p style="Margin-top:20px;Margin-bottom:20px"><strong>We must</strong> <strong>speak up NOW</strong> so that Congress understands exactly how important the freedom to read is to libraries and those who depend on them.</p>
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<a style="border-radius:4px;display:inline-block;font-size:14px;font-weight:bold;line-height:24px;padding:12px 24px;text-align:center;text-decoration:none!important;color:#ffffff!important;border:1px solid rgba(0,0,0,0.25);background-color:#ef3e36;font-family:Arial,sans-serif" href="https://americanlibraryassociation.cmail19.com/t/i-l-qhidrc-tdzxjkir-t/" target="_blank">TELL CONGRESS: HANDS OFF OUR BOOKS</a>
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<p style="Margin-top:0;Margin-bottom:0">We've seen some very troubling censorship attempts in a number of states and localities, and we stand with the libraries fighting against those. We <em>all </em>must stand together to prevent these ideas from gaining traction at the federal level – today, and in the months ahead.</p><p style="Margin-top:20px;Margin-bottom:0">Thank you for all you do for libraries! </p><p style="Margin-top:20px;Margin-bottom:0;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><span style="text-decoration:inherit">ALA Public Policy & Advocacy Team </span></p><p style="Margin-top:20px;Margin-bottom:20px">P.S. Follow <a style="text-decoration:underline;color:#57a607" href="https://americanlibraryassociation.cmail19.com/t/i-l-qhidrc-tdzxjkir-i/" target="_blank">@LibraryPolicy</a>
and <a style="text-decoration:underline;color:#57a607" href="https://americanlibraryassociation.cmail19.com/t/i-l-qhidrc-tdzxjkir-d/" target="_blank">@UABookBans</a> for further updates.</p>
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