Fall 2025 Advocacy Campaign

Follow these steps to support libraries at the state level.  Use your voice to uplift libraries across the state!

Tell Governor Newsome you support CLA’s Legislative Priorities

Virtually:

1. Visit the Governor’s Portal at https://www.gov.ca.gov/contact/

2. Where it asks: “What is your comment about?” select “Education issues/concerns.”  Click “Next.”

3. Edit the suggested text of the letter below, and paste it into the box (or craft your own message).  Click “Next.”

4. Enter your information and click “Submit.”

By Mail:

1. Edit the suggested text of the letter below

2. Mail it to the Governor’s address

Governor Gavin Newsom

1021 O Street, Suite 9000

Sacramento, CA 95814

Tell Your State Legislators you support CLA’s Legislative Priorities

• Edit the text of the letter below, and submit it to your state representatives

• Schedule an in-person meeting this fall, while your legislators are in district.  Use CLA’s helpful advocacy resources to prepare

SAMPLE ADVOCACY LETTER

DATE

The Honorable Gavin Newsom

Governor, State of California

1021 O Street, Suite 9000

Sacramento, CA  95814

RE:  January 2026-27 State Budget Request:  Public Library Program Funding

Dear Governor Newsom,

My name is __________ and I am a [insert examples:  library director, library supporter, library staff, library trustee, literacy coach] from [insert:  city].  I am writing to respectfully request that you include critically important funding for public libraries in your January 2026-27 State Budget.  

I appreciate the support that you have provided to public libraries during your two terms in office.  You and First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom have enthusiastically championed public libraries as the social and educational backbones of our communities.   

While public libraries are often lauded for their ability to “do more with less,” our city, county, and special district libraries are at somewhat of a breaking point relative to several of the popular services that our patrons rely on.  The lack of grant support from the federal government for public libraries has only exacerbated the budgetary problems.   As such, I am requesting your support for the following considerations in your January 2026-27 Budget:

• A $3.2 million ongoing augmentation to the California Library Services Act, which is the state’s loaning and lending program.  This program, which creates resource-sharing among libraries to maximize resources, was cut in recent years in order to balance the Budget and the cuts are being deeply felt.   A $3.2 million augmentation would bring the program to $5 million.   

• A $2.5 million ongoing augmentation to the Lunch at the Library program, which provides more than 300,000 free lunches to needy children and teens, plus wrap-around library enrichment programs.  Similarly, this program was cut recently to balance the Budget, and a $2.5 million augmentation would bring the program to $5.5 million – allowing libraries to serve more children and teens in need.

• Since public libraries provide free access to computers and digital learning, I respectfully request that the state provide $4 million in one-time funding to allow library staff to be trained in artificial intelligence-based digital readiness and workforce competitiveness.

• I also support the California Library Association’s platform to identify funding to continue the public library-based ESL program that was previously funded through a state appropriation to the State Library.  That funding is set to expire this year.

• Finally, as the state continues to face increasing climate disasters, I hope that you and the legislature will recognize the vital role public libraries play as community resilience centers, and prioritize funding them as such.  

Thank you for your consideration.  

Sincerely,

[Name] 

[City/County – don’t need to provide the address]