<div dir="ltr">Today is <b>#TakeActionForLibrariesDay,</b>  a part of the National Library Week Celebration.<br>ALA is asking all advocates to take action by asking your US Legislators to endorse the Right to Read Act and support equity of access to effective school libraries staffed by certified school librarians.  It is easy to take action at this link:<br><a href="https://t.co/Oa2kTyeJpe">https://t.co/Oa2kTyeJpe</a><br><br>Here is one Twitter post about this:<br><a href="https://twitter.com/ALALibrary/status/1651613954177728514">https://twitter.com/ALALibrary/status/1651613954177728514</a><br><br>Please take action and spread the word!<br><br>Below is some information about the US Right to Read Act 2023.<div><br></div><div>Thank you so much!</div><div>--Kathy Lester</div><div><br><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px;color:rgb(8,46,79);font-family:Lato,lato,sans-serif;font-size:14px;background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0.02)"><span style="box-sizing:border-box">As AASL President, I'm so excited to announce that Senator Reed and Representative Grijalva reintroduced the Right to Read Act yesterday with endorsement from ALA, AASL, NEA, AFT, NCTE, and PEN America.<br style="box-sizing:border-box"><br style="box-sizing:border-box">AASL has worked diligently and collaboratively with the ALA Public Policy and Advocacy Office and Senator Reed's and Representative Grijalva's Offices on this bill which</span><span style="box-sizing:border-box"> </span><span style="box-sizing:border-box">is intended to increase equity of access for all students to effective school libraries staffed by state-certified school librarians.  It supports </span><span style="box-sizing:border-box">recruitment, retention, and professional development for state-certified school librarians.</span><span style="box-sizing:border-box"> The legislation also protects the Constitutional rights of students to access information and school libraries and would extend liability protection to all education staff including school librarians.  Finally, the Right to Read Act improves federal collection of statistics about school libraries.</span></p><p style="box-sizing:border-box;margin:0px 0px 10px;color:rgb(8,46,79);font-family:Lato,lato,sans-serif;font-size:14px;background-color:rgba(0,0,0,0.02)">Here are:<br style="box-sizing:border-box"><span style="box-sizing:border-box">Senator Reed's Tweet: </span><a href="https://twitter.com/SenJackReed/status/1651320178364252160" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:transparent;color:rgb(0,87,161)">https://twitter.com/SenJackReed/status/1651320178364252160</a><br style="box-sizing:border-box"><span style="box-sizing:border-box">Senator Reed's Press Release: </span><a href="https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/as-some-states-seek-to-ban-library-books-reed-and-grijalva-reintroduce-the-right-to-read-act" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:transparent;color:rgb(0,87,161)">https://www.reed.senate.gov/news/releases/as-some-states-seek-to-ban-library-books-reed-and-grijalva-reintroduce-the-right-to-read-act</a><br style="box-sizing:border-box"><span style="box-sizing:border-box">ALA's Press Release: </span><a href="https://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2023/04/ala-aasl-praise-library-legislation-expand-access-students-nationwide" target="_blank" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing:border-box;background:transparent;color:rgb(0,87,161)">https://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2023/04/ala-aasl-praise-library-legislation-expand-access-students-nationwide</a><br style="box-sizing:border-box"></p><div><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr">Kathy Lester, MLIS, MA<br><span style="font-size:12.8px"><i>Advocacy Co-Chair, Past-President 2014, </i></span></div><div dir="ltr"><span style="font-size:12.8px">Michigan Association of School Librarians (MASL)</span></div><div><span style="font-size:12.8px"><i>President, 2022-2023</i></span></div><div>American Association of School Librarians (AASL)</div><div><i>Councilor At Large</i></div><div>American Library Association (ALA)</div><div><i style="font-size:12.8px"><b>School Library Media Specialist / Technology Coach, </b></i></div><div><b>East Middle School, Plymouth-Canton Schools</b></div><div><i style="font-size:12.8px">SL21 Model Library, 2017-2018</i></div><div dir="ltr"><i style="font-size:12.8px">SL21 Exemplary Ranking - Michigan School Libraries for the 21st Century 2019-2022</i><div><i>ISTE Making IT Happen Award Winner</i></div><div><i>2017 MAME Michigan School Library Program of the Year</i></div><div><i style="font-size:12.8px">2012 </i><i style="font-size:12.8px">State Librarian's Excellence Award Winner</i><br></div><div><a href="mailto:kathyL@mimasl.org" target="_blank">kathyL@mimasl.org</a></div><div>twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/LibraryL" target="_blank">@LibraryL</a></div><div><br></div><div><div><div style="color:rgb(34,34,34)"><span style="color:rgb(32,33,36);font-size:x-small">"Every school librarian is a leader; every learner has a school librarian"</span><br></div></div><div><div><font size="1">--<a href="http://www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/advocacy/tools/docs/AASL_Position_Statement_Effective_SLP_2018.pdf" target="_blank">American Association of School Librarians</a> (AASL)</font></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>