(via David Free–Editor-in-Chief, C&RL News)
Each year, the ACRL Government Relations Committee, in consultation with the ACRL Board of Directors and staff, formulates an ACRL Legislative Agenda. Drafted with input from key ACRL committees, ACRL leaders, and the ALA Public Policy and Advocacy Office, the ACRL Legislative Agenda is prioritized and focuses on issues at the national level affecting the welfare of academic and research libraries. The ACRL Board of Directors recently approved the 2023 ACRL Legislative Agenda.
The 2023 ACRL Legislative Agenda focuses on five issues that will be the focus of ACRL’s advocacy efforts in 2023-2024, listed in priority order:
- Upholding Intellectual Freedom
- Federal Funding for Libraries
- Net Neutrality
- Open Access and Federally Funded Research
- Affordable College Textbook Act
The agenda also includes a watch list of policy issues of great concern to academic librarians that have no currently pending legislation. Issues on the watch list are:
- Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA)/Immigration Issues
- Environmental Impact of Data Centers
- Consumer Data Privacy
- Accessible Instructional Materials
- Court Cases to Watch
The full 2023 Legislative Agenda is available on the ACRL website.