S.Res. 688

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 688 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
S. RES. 688

Expressing support for the staff of public, school, academic, and 
special libraries in the United States and the essential services those 
libraries provide to communities, recognizing the need for funding 
commensurate with the broad scope of social service and community 
supports provided by libraries, preserving the right of all citizens of 
the United States to freely access information and resources in their 
communities, supporting a strong union voice for library workers, and 
defending the civil rights of library staff.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

April 27, 2026

Ms. Hirono (for herself, Mr. Reed, Mr. Durbin, Mr. Lujan, Mr. Markey, 
Mr. Padilla, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Wyden, and Ms. Blunt Rochester) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

RESOLUTION

Expressing support for the staff of public, school, academic, and 
special libraries in the United States and the essential services those 
libraries provide to communities, recognizing the need for funding 
commensurate with the broad scope of social service and community 
supports provided by libraries, preserving the right of all citizens of 
the United States to freely access information and resources in their 
communities, supporting a strong union voice for library workers, and 
defending the civil rights of library staff.

Whereas library staff are cornerstones of their communities in the United 
States, providing visitors with access to books and media, delivering 
high-quality programming to visitors of all ages, ensuring equitable 
internet access for all, and linking people to crucial information about 
accessing social services;
Whereas libraries are an economic powerhouse in their communities, providing 
resources to small business owners, job seekers, and individuals 
learning new skills;
Whereas, in recent years, library staff have been called on to address the 
fallout from difficult public crises in the United States, taking on 
roles that exceed the traditional role of providing a space for, and 
access to, educational and cultural enrichment;
Whereas library staff provide lifesaving care to members of their communities 
who are suffering the effects of the ongoing and tragic opioid epidemic 
in the United States, including being called on to administer medication 
to treat overdoses;
Whereas libraries are a safe haven for individuals and families who are 
unhoused, and library workers provide the supportive community 
environment and resources needed by unhoused individuals and families;
Whereas libraries are often the only source of internet for underserved 
communities;
Whereas library staff maintained public access to essential library services and 
were relied on to distribute personal protective equipment and provide 
testing to the public during the worst days of the COVID-19 pandemic;
Whereas libraries have met an expanded and intensified demand for community, 
public health, and safety net services, often while contending with 
severe funding cuts, creating unsustainable and frequently unsafe 
working conditions for library staff;
Whereas the EveryLibrary Institute recently found that Project 2025 encourages 
the mistreatment and misrepresentation of minority communities as well 
as the harassment of library staff;
Whereas, on March 14, 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order 14238 (90 
Fed. Reg. 13043, relating to continuing the reduction of the Federal 
bureaucracy) to eliminate the Institute of Museum and Library Services;
Whereas eliminating the Institute of Museum and Library Services would harm the 
ability of libraries to provide critical resources to millions of people 
in the United States, especially in rural, Tribal, and other underserved 
communities;
Whereas the health and survival of democracy in the United States requires that 
everyone be able to exercise rights to information and services, and it 
is especially important for young people to have the opportunity to 
learn, encounter, and debate all manner of ideas, including 
controversial ones;
Whereas students have been shown to spend more time reading and exhibit higher 
reading scores when given access to diverse titles, and library staff 
play a crucial role in curating diverse book offerings for young 
readers;
Whereas a fundamental responsibility of the job of library staff is making 
decisions about the books and media in their collections and assisting 
visitors in accessing those materials without fear of censorship or 
reprisal for fulfilling the role of providing information and resources 
to the public;
Whereas PEN America found 6,870 instances of book bans in school libraries and 
classrooms during the 2024 to 2025 school year;
Whereas libraries and library staff are more capable of providing their 
communities with access to a diverse, inclusive, and comprehensive 
selection of books and media when they operate free from threats of book 
bans and censorship;
Whereas library staff have faced termination and criminalization for refusing to 
remove banned books from their libraries;
Whereas, from 2024 to 2025, there were deplorable incidents throughout the 
United States that were orchestrated to intimidate library staff and 
prevent them from fulfilling their central work responsibility to 
provide the public with free and unfettered access to information;
Whereas library staff across the United States are mobilizing for a collective 
union voice in their workplaces to elevate their profession, to ensure 
safe and adequately resourced spaces that meet the needs of the 
communities they serve, and to protect the essential role of libraries 
in the democracy of the United States; and
Whereas the week of April 19 through April 25, 2026, would be an appropriate 
time to celebrate ``National Library Week'': Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the Senate--
(1) commends the work of library staff in the United 
States;
(2) supports the goals and ideals of National Library Week;
(3) recognizes that libraries and library staff provide 
critical infrastructure for the United States and are essential 
to the future of the United States;
(4) supports the prioritization of full funding of library 
services at the Federal, State, and local levels to ensure the 
continuation and improvement of library services;
(5) reaffirms--
(A) the fundamental right of the people of the 
United States to access information, which is made real 
through the efforts of library staff;
(B) the fundamental right of library workers to 
organize and collectively bargain at work and to have a 
protected voice in their workplace; and
(C) the civil rights of library workers to exercise 
their responsibilities to the public without threats or 
intimidation; and
(6) recognizes the right of library staff--
(A) to speak out on matters of public concern;
(B) to address themselves to elected officials and 
to the administration of the entities that employ 
library staff; and
(C) to inform the people of the United States about 
their right to free and unfettered access to 
information, and about threats to that access.
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