Social Responsibilities Round Table of the American Library Association
“New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and New York Public Library (NYPL) officials are making good on their promise to add affordable housing atop public libraries sited on city-owned land.”
LEAD Elementary School Librarian Shannon McGovern said, “The [kids] are so excited about getting all of the new books, they’ve been talking about it since the first day I told them.”
More than 40 volunteers from Team Teal and SAP joined nonprofit Access Books Bay Area to refurbish the library at LEAD Elementary school in San Mateo. Volunteers prepared 1,170 books by stamping, alphabetizing, applying bar codes, wrapping, and shelving them.
Cost of building affordable single-family homes would be subsidized, deadline to apply is Sept. 30.
State agencies broadened access, ensuring every foster child aged 0-5 receives a free book monthly, cultivating a love of reading and early success.
“While many homeless library patrons seek assistance, Montano said, others like 76-year-old Elizabeth Fresquez see the library as their last hope to keep their housing and find other services.”
“Menomonee Falls residents are concerned about the future of their public library after the village board voted late last month to move $300,000 from the library’s 2026 budget to the police department.”
“At some point in the school year, roughly 1.4 million students are homeless. Federal law provides extra help to make sure they get an education. That law is overseen by the U.S. Education Department, which the Trump administration wants to close.”
SLJ wants to share the stories of how the loss of funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services—including Laura Bush Foundation grants —will impact your library and community.
“The state of New Hampshire gets funding from the federal government, which is administered through the State Library. The most impact that we will see with a lack of funding is the elimination of the Talking Books Program, which is the way that sight impaired people are able to take in materials. It would also eliminate the interlibrary loan service and also the platform of Libby, by which our patrons throughout the state of New Hampshire are able to download electronic and digital information.”
The Community Planning and Development office at HUD disburses more than $3.6 billion in federal funding for rental assistance, mental health and substance use treatment, and outreach to try and get those living outside into shelter or housing.