Love Your Library? Tell Your Legislators Why!

This is your chance to reach out to your Florida House and Senate members and remind them to "Love Your Library!" PLEASE take time to contact their offices and let them know how critical this funding is to all the libraries in Florida (and in their districts too!).We need your help to spread the word and to garner people of action to reach out to their legislators February 14-16, 2022.

✔ 5 Minutes — Share our "Libraries are Critical to Florida" Advocacy video with your Florida House and Senate members.

✔ 10-15 Minutes — Use FLA's Engage site to make it a quick and painless way to email your representatives on February 15th.

1. Refresh yourself with the 2022 FLA Platform 
2. Click on the link to FLA's Engage site FLA Engage 
3. Scroll down and click on the Take Action button
4. Fill out the form with your name and address and click submit
5. Compose your message or use the one that is provided for you.
6. Check the recipients
7. Click submit
8. Check this off your list of things to do today

✔ 15 Minutes — Light up the Lines: We are encouraging AS MANY ADVOCATES AS POSSIBLE to CALL your Legislators' offices and remind them to support all funding amounts listed in the FLA Legislative Platform! Find the phone number for your Legislators HERE or using the Map below.

• Online resources like eBooks, audiobooks, digital magazines and educational databases can be accessed anywhere with a library card. Hillsborough County Public Library Cooperative customers collectively borrowed over 2 million eBooks, audiobooks and digital magazines in 2021.
• Libraries find ways to connect with their communities and bridge the digital divide. For example, Alachua County library system has over 200 Wi-Fi hot spots available for patrons to check out. Lake Park Library and Boynton Beach in Palm Beach County have self-serve laptop checkout kiosks for their patrons that can be used in the libraries. And many libraries across the state have free Wi-Fi access inside and outside their buildings along with public internet stations inside. State Library recent data reports that more than 1.5 million users received technology instruction from a Florida public library. All these resources help students, families, job seekers and small businesses.
• In response to the growing demand for COVID-19 testing, Miami-Dade Public Library System distributed 152,000 take home rapid test kits in 2 days to help their residents stay safe.
• U.S. Department of State Passport services have been available at Flagler County Public Libraries since 2008. In fact, libraries across the state of Florida offer this service for citizens along with notary services, adult literacy, job skills, Career Online High School and voter registration.
• A core service of libraries has always been youth literacy. Libraries came up with creative and inspiring ways to continue to reach youth in spite of social distancing constraints. Virtual story times, story times in the park, grab and go literacy bags, free online access to literacy programs, summer break time meals, snack bags to go and online programming for kids and teens. Most recent yearly reports to the State Library show that the total check out of youth materials in the state of Florida was 22 million items.

Advocacy Tools and Resources

FLA 2022 Legislative Platform:  Florida Libraries Are Critical to Recovery.

State Aid to Public Libraries Grant Program - Restore Funding to $23,000,000 (F.S. 257.17)

Public Libraries that receive State Aid to Public Libraries funding invest approximately $559 million annually in delivering library services to the public. This grant funding goes directly towards day to day operating expenses to ensure libraries doors remain open to the public. FLA seeks to restore recurring State Aid funding levels to at least $23,000,000, which would begin to restore the State’s support for library services back to prior recent years.

State Aid Comparisons and Estimates - Comparison of Grant Funding at various Appropriations levels from last fiscal year

History of Florida State Aid to Public Libraries Funding - 2022.pdf

Appropriate funding of $14,600,000 to Public Library Construction Grants (F.S. 257.191)

Thirty-one applications have been reviewed and deemed eligible for Public Library Construction Grant funding in 2022-2023. This locally matched funding helps generate economic development, while demonstrating local investment in our libraries by providing for new construction, renovations, and critical infrastructure improvements. This grant ensures the ongoing vitality of libraries in our communities.

• Construction Ranked List 2022-23
• No Construction grants funded 2020-21 and 2021-22
• History of Construction grants

Appropriate $750,000 for Career Online High School

FLA supports recurring funding for this program that allows 19-and-older out of school adults to complete a private, accredited high school diploma and career certificate through participating public library systems. Since 2016, more than 914 students have graduated and an additional 120 students are actively working on their coursework. This program makes a private high school diploma more accessible to Floridians and prepares them for success in the workforce.

Career Online High School Infographic & Testimonials
Why offer Career Online High School?

Support recurring $20,900,000 to FLVC/FPALN for State University and College Libraries

Academic libraries are essential for student success, faculty research, and accreditation. The Florida Virtual Campus (FLVC/FPALN) provides essential online library and distance learning resources and services to all State University System (SUS) and Florida College System (FCS) institutions. This funding provides the online library catalog and resource sharing platform used by all SUS and FCS students, essential academic e- resources, the statewide distance learning catalog, the transient student application platform, and other essential services for student success.

The Value of Public Libraries

• 2022 Op Ed Piece- Funding Florida Public Libraries by FLA President Phyllis Gorshe

Florida  Libraries Delivering Great Value for Floridians Everyday

• Floridians love their libraries – Over 57 percent of Floridians have library cards. That’s more than 12.3 million people.  2018-19 - Florida Department of State
• Floridians really enjoy reading - Florida libraries circulated over 99 million items – books, cds, dvds, etc., in 2018-19.
• Books, music and movies - There are over 41 million items in Florida public libraries.  Of these, over 10.4 million are e-books, 1.6 million are audio and 3.4 million are video.
• Floridians vote for libraries with their feet – Florida residents visited public libraries about 62.6 million times in 2018-19 for an average of over 2.9 visits per person.
• Libraries help children learn and prepare them for school – Libraries help young children learn to read and help parents and caregivers learn to support that learning.  Florida libraries conducted over 116,240 programs for children in 2018-19 with over 3.3 million children attending – and children checked out over 31 million items!
• Floridians come to libraries for technology and job search - There are over 17,290 public access computers available in Florida libraries. Floridians used these computers 13.2 million times in 2018-19 and over 2.9 million Floridians received technology instruction in libraries. Frequently use is for job seeking!  Many libraries offer free wireless access! 
• Many Floridians use libraries from their home, school or office - Floridians visited library websites over 74.8 million times in 2018-19, using services like the Florida Electronic Library that offer electronic information and online help.
• Librarians help you find what you’re looking for - Library staff answered over 18.4 million reference questions in 2018-19 and 427,000 of those questions were answered using online reference services.
• For many, the library is their lifeline to essential government services – Library staff help the public transact their E-Government business using library computers for services including Unemployment Compensation, Medicare, Fla. Dept. of Children and Families, immigration, and the IRS.  Library staff are important members of disaster management teams and following disasters, library computers help survivors locate family members and apply for insurance and assistance.
• 91% of Americans say public libraries are important to their communities – “Library Services in the Digital Age,” Pew Internet &American Life Project, January 2013
• Florida libraries are efficient - Florida libraries served the public at an average cost of $28.89 per person in 2018-19 compared with a national average of $44.89 2019. IMLS
• Good return on investment - Florida’s public libraries return at least $10.18 for every $1 invested. 2013 - Florida Department of State
• Thank you for supporting Florida libraries!

• Why Floridians Value Their Public Libraries

• 2021 Op Ed Piece - Libraries are Critical to Recovery

• 2016-2017 LSTA Funding Infographic

• Keeping Libraries Public

• Florida's Multitype Library Cooperatives

Webinars

• Advocacy webinars.  

2022 Legislation & Bills we're following