Sound the bells! Light the lanterns! The Politicians are coming!

by Jennifer Rike, Timberview High School Librarian, Mansfield ISD, TASL Legislative & Advocacy Chair

Every two years our state Legislators meet. On January 19, 2019, the Texas State Legislature will reconvene. Each year there always seems to be legislation that affects libraries. Our own Texas State Library and Archives just went through the Sunset Review Process as required by the legislature every 12 years.

So what does that actually mean to us? Well, we need to keep informed. Wendy Woodland does an awesome job doing that for us. She keeps up with proposed legislation that affects libraries. From broadband to funding and everything in-between, Wendy follows the proposed bills.

Wendy can follow the legislation but she cannot protect our libraries without our support. When the legislature comes into session in January, we will begin receiving email updates. There will be times you will be asked to contact your representative and ask them to support or veto certain bills. Most of the time this will need to be done quickly. Please heed the call.

So how can you be prepared to respond quickly?

• Identify your representative

• Add them to your contacts list in your phone 

• If you are not a member of the Texas Library Connection distribution list, please join (this is how Wendy keeps us informed). 

• When you read the request to contact your legislator, if at all possible do so immediately. I have all too often thought “I’ll get to that……” There are many roads paved with my good intentions. 

We can also be proactive.

• Invite your representative to visit your campus. If you have the opportunity meet them and start building a relationship. It is harder to say no to someone you know. 

• TWEET on the 17th of every month. We are trying to build a positive perception of school libraries. Brooke King created a wonderful infographic with the monthly tweet topics. I will work to remind you a few days before the 17th. Include photos (keeping in mind student privacy), if you can.

• Share your library story with your stakeholders. We cannot advocate in a bubble talking only to ourselves. 

I hope that this will be an uneventful year in the legislature for libraries. However, we are dealing with politicians, and as we know all too well anything can happen. So let’s be prepared to support libraries in Texas. Together we are a powerful voice.