Lawmakers on Capitol Hill defied the White House in 2018 and recommended reauthorizing – or in some cases increasing – the funding levels for many library-related programs
Catching up with PW's Andrew Albanese
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Stitcher | Email | Download
American libraries came out ahead in 2018, though it took work to get there, reports Andrew Albanese, Publishers Weekly senior writer. In a PW review of the year’s top stories from the library community, he found public support for libraries made the difference in holding back attempts to cut federal funding
“In February of 2018, for the second year in a row, the Trump Administration called to permanently eliminate all federal library and arts funding. At the time ALA president Jim Neal blasted the proposal as ‘out of touch with the real needs of Americans,’ and he vowed that library supporters would make their voices heard. And that’s exactly what happened,” Albanese explains.
>Indeed, lawmakers on Capitol Hill defied the White House and recommended reauthorizing – or in some cases increasing – the funding levels for many library-related programs, including a $2 million bump for the Institute of Museum and Library Services. In a separate “minibus” that passed in September, the Library of Congress also received a $26 million increase to its budget.
“ALA officials are urging library supporters to stay engaged with their local lawmakers. As of this writing, a final FY2019 budget has not yet been passed,” Albanese tells CCC’s Chris Kenneally. “One of things that helps libraries is that the money spent on library programs is some of the best, most effective money spent by the government—it directly helps people in their communities.”
Every Friday, CCC’s “Beyond the Book” speaks with the editors and reporters of “Publishers Weekly” for an early look at the news that publishers, editors, authors, agents and librarians will be talking about when they return to work on Monday.
