Letter to the Secretary of Education Applauding the Inclusion of Funding for School Librarians in the American Rescue Plan Act

Abstract

The American Library Association was thrilled with the inclusion of $122 billion in the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) for PreK-12 funding. We acknowledge and support the Department’s priorities of safely reopening school buildings, mitigating learning loss, and promoting access, equity, and inclusion. School libraries and school librarians have been responsive to these essential needs as district and school leaders and will continue to be instrumental in shaping the pandemic recovery and addressing learning loss at this critical time and in the years to come. For this reason, we ask for your support in funding and investing in school library programs and school librarians across the country, as you have previously done in Connecticut. In addition, we urge the Department to include the school library and school librarians in all guidance related to implementing the ARPA funding.