MLA Advocacy News

New campaign urges Michiganders to protect their right to read and oppose book banning efforts

LANSING, Mich. – With the rise of book banning and censorship efforts in libraries around the country, the Michigan Library Association (MLA) is launching a six-month MI Right to Read campaign, encouraging residents to oppose censorship and book banning efforts and protect their First Amendment right to read whatever they choose to at public libraries.

Public libraries are being targeted at an alarming rate by individuals and extremist groups to remove books that discuss topics such as racism, sexuality, gender, and history – censoring different perspectives.

Michigan’s FY24 State Budget

On June 28, Michigan’s Fiscal Year 2024 state budget was approved. Even with hard work and many communications with state legislators from our members, MLA staff, Board, and lobbyist, State Aid to Libraries has remained flat. At the request of the Michigan Department of Education (MDE), the library pilot program was cut even though we requested that the boilerplate language be changed to include all counties. We were happy to see that there was a special appropriation of $100,000 for new learning pods in the Hazel Park District Library. We must all keep working and communicating the needs of our public libraries, now even more than ever.