Advocacy Updates from Indiana Library Federation
February 23, 2018
View from Library Day at the Statehouse
On Tuesday, over 30 librarians from around the state met with their Senators and Representatives , Supreme Court Chief Justice Loretta Rush and Attorney General Curtis Hill . Staff from Haute Create of Vigo County Public Library and the Tinker Station at Indianapolis Public Library demonstrated green screen, 3-D printing, computer coding, STEM and various devices for e-books, music and more. View the photos here or on our website .

Why is it Library Day at the Statehouse so important? "It is always nice to be able to say to others that on Library Day my Library leadership took the time to come all the way up here to be a part of it and visit with me," said Rep. Ed Clere . Legislators sincerely appreciate seeing their local library leaders in person. Several stopped by our displays asking about their local library. Supreme Court Justice Rush, who is a passionate advocate for libraries, signed up for a PLAC and learned about downloading e-books on her devices.

Plan to visit with your legislators later this spring and to attend Library Day at the Statehouse in 2019!
Message to Congress: Fund Libraries!
It is time to advocate for continuation and funding of the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). Federal funding through LSTA provides over $3 million a year to Indiana libraries--supporting InfoExpress, Evergreen, summer reading, digitization grants, services for the blind and visually impaired and much more. Read ALA's District Dispatch post .

Members of Congress may be in-district in the coming weeks. Be sure to mention the importance of federal funding for libraries.
Updates from the Statehouse
The Indiana General Assembly has less than three weeks remaining in this short session. See Report from Bose Public Affairs for Feb. 23 . Note that you have to be signed in as an ILF member for access to these important updates. Contact the office if you forgot your login or password.

Here are some other quick links:
State Library bill moving forward
State Library - Historical Bureau Merger
HB1412 officially merges the Indiana State Library (ISL) with the Indiana Historical Bureau (IHB) and makes technical changes to clean up the petition process. The bill passed out of the House 90-0 and Senate Public Policy Committee 8-0 on Wednesday. ILF testified in support of the ISL-IHB merger in both committee hearings. HB1412 must pass out of the Senate by March 6.

The ILF Advocacy/Legislative Committee meets monthly to review bill language, possible impacts on libraries and patrons and then makes recommendations about actions. The committee is monitors bills related to tax policy, school issues and intellectual freedom.
Attend Third House and End-of-Session Wrap up
Legislators meet with constituents in " Third House " or " Meet your Legislator " events within districts. Most legislators will offer a legislative wrap-up of actions taken by the Indiana General Assembly in March. Let us know if you plan to attend one of the upcoming sessions, as is really important to have strong relationships with your legislators.
  • Bartholomew County - every Monday 7:30am
  • Evansville Cracker Barrel Town Hall - March 3
  • Goshen - March 2
  • Greater Lafayette - March 3 7:30am
  • Hendricks County - February 26
  • Madison County - February 26
Register for End-of-Session Wrap Up on March 16
ILF has hosted special virtual updates with public library directors. We invite all ILF members to a special end of session virtual update . The virtual meeting will be held Friday, March 16, at 11amET .
Indiana Library Federation 2018 Policy Priorities
The ILF 2018 Policy Priorities include a continued focus on broadband expansion initiatives, lifelong learning initiatives and support for effective school libraries and certified librarians in K12 education.

You might also review the Indiana Adult Literacy Study which is referenced in the policy priorities. Or check to see if your county is complete in the ILF School Library Census .
Legislative Updates from Bose Public Affairs
Matt Long serves as our primary account manager with Bose Public Affairs , our contracted firm for government affairs and lobbying. Through our contract, we have access to the entire team of government affairs experts.

See the latest report from Bose Public Affairs for a summary of news from the Statehouse. (Remember that Bose Reports require your ILF Member Login. Contact us if you forgot your login or password.)