When I first profiled the organization in 2014, founder John Chrastka told me, “One of the core parts of our democracy is that people can get together and campaign for a candidate or for an issue. The library ballot initiative, the measures before the voters on Election Day, is certainly one of those things that the public can rally around.” This approach to advocacy now enables EveryLibrary to help libraries rally voters to their cause throughout the year. EveryLibrary’s Political Activity page sums up its approach: 

• Defending Libraries on the Ballot—When and Where It Matters Most
• Standing Up for School Librarians Online and On the Ground (visit saveschoollibrarians.org)
• Empowering Americans to Fight for Their Libraries (visit fightforthefirst.org)
• Rapid-Response Action When Libraries Are Under Attack
• Changing Public Perception Through National Storytelling
• Building Political Literacy for the Library Community

Let’s take a look at what else the organization has been up to.

The EveryLibrary Institute

A companion organization, The EveryLibrary Institute, launched in 2018 to encompass “research, writing, publishing and related activities concerning public, academic, and school libraries in the United States for the purpose of public education, strengthening the civic life of communities, bridging social and societal gaps, and for the future of the profession of librarianship.” Its research output includes the interactive Library Funding Map, the Interactive Map of School Librarian Requirements Across the United States, the “Demographics of Book Bans” report, and the “Literacy and Health Outcomes Report: A Policy Roadmap for Library Leaders.” 

The EveryLibrary Institute’s journal, The Political Librarian, is in its eighth volume. The EveryLibrary Institute also provides training on “the ‘hard skills’ required to influence public policy, secure sustainable funding, and vigorously combat de-professionalization.” Keep up with the EveryLibrary Institute’s initiatives via its News page.

Pushing Back Against an Anti-Library Administration

In 2025, EveryLibrary faced one of its biggest challenges when the Trump administration issued an executive order (EO) minimizing the importance and questioning the functions of several agencies, including IMLS. “We are extremely concerned that the wording of this E.O. could result in cuts to the core functions of IMLS. The Administration and Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have used similar E.O.s to dismantle the other federal agencies,” EveryLibrary shared on March 15. The organization jumped into action by creating saveimls.org.

The hits kept coming. In May, EveryLibrary issued a statement on the administration’s budget proposal: “On page 39, it boldly calls for completely eliminating the budget for [IMLS], the only federal agency dedicated solely to supporting America’s libraries and museums.” In addition, EveryLibrary protested the May firings of Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden and Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter. In August, EveryLibrary issued statements condemning the administration’s attempt to control the Smithsonian.

EveryLibrary’s advocacy work was rewarded when multiple court decisions came down in libraries’ favor. On April 4, EveryLibrary shared, “EveryLibrary supports the coalition of 20 state Attorneys General who have filed suit to stop the dismantling of [IMLS]. The lawsuit correctly argues that the [EO] unconstitutionally overrides Congress’s power of the purse by directing IMLS to eliminate programs that Congress has explicitly authorized and appropriated funds for.”

In June, Book Riot reported, “the Government Accountability Office concluded that the Trump administration violated the 1974 Impound Control Act (ICA) by gutting [IMLS]. … The ICA is a tool of federal checks and balances, ensuring that the legislation passed by Congress is executed by the President as signed. Violations of the ICA are subject to legal ramifications by the US Comptroller General.” 

In November, ALA issued a press release saying that “the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island struck down the Trump Administration’s attempts to dismantle [IMLS]. The decision was issued in response to a lawsuit filed by the Attorneys General of 21 states. … [The] court ruling found that those actions were arbitrary and capricious and contrary to federal law that established IMLS. … The ruling nullifies the Administration’s actions to dismantle IMLS and permanently prohibits the Administration from taking such actions in the future. The ruling has immediate nationwide effect.”

As for the federal budget, in February 2026, the associations for both large and small libraries posted to celebrate “the signing of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education Appropriations Bill, which preserves funding for libraries through [IMLS], despite an initial request to zero out the institute’s budget,” according to the Association for Rural & Small Libraries.

EveryLibrary thanked its supporters: “None of this happened by accident. EveryLibrary is honored to have helped nearly 250,000 people contact Congress to defend IMLS, the Library of Congress, and the National Archives. They came from every congressional district and from all walks of life. These advocates and activists are library users, educators, parents, librarians, veterans, small-business owners, students, researchers, and community leaders.” 

Latest News

On Jan. 14, EveryLibrary issued the “2025 EveryLibrary Impact Report.” Its summary states, “In 2025, EveryLibrary stood at the forefront of the national movement to protect libraries, readers, and free expression. … We faced unprecedented levels of censorship, safeguarded vital funding sources, and mobilized hundreds of thousands of advocates nationwide. This year highlighted not only the urgency of our mission but also the strength and effectiveness of our model.” Highlights of EveryLibrary’s activities in 2025 include:

• Leading “the national response to the Trump Administration’s Project 2025 agenda. … Through rapid-response organizing, public education, and congressional engagement, more than 250,000 Americans took action through the EveryLibrary network to oppose executive overreach and defend these cornerstone institutions.”
• Leading or supporting “campaigns in dozens of states to defeat book bans, prevent the criminalization of librarianship, and advance new Right to Read protections. We helped stop some of the most harmful legislation of this generation while promoting positive policy reforms in states such as Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, and Rhode Island.”
• Delivering “strategy, digital infrastructure, campaign coaching, and rapid-response support through FightForTheFirst.org to numerous grassroots right-to-read groups nationwide.”

EveryLibrary says of 2026: “With the approach of the nation’s 250th anniversary and impending Midterm Elections, the battles over culture, education, and free expression will intensify. EveryLibrary will remain on the front lines defending institutional independence, advancing new protections for readers, and expanding the movement that supports libraries.”

Also in January, EveryLibrary provided an update on the National Library Alliance of more than 150 library alliances and education coalitions run by citizen volunteers, noting, “In 2025, EveryLibrary deepened and expanded our coalition approach, strengthening statewide advocacy networks through the National Library Alliance as a coordinating force in the library ecosystem. These partnerships united parents, educators, librarians, civil rights groups, authors, publishers, and community leaders around shared goals. By building enduring alliances instead of one-off campaigns, EveryLibrary has increased the sector’s long-term capacity to defend libraries, influence policy, and shape elections. This collaborative infrastructure is now one of the strongest assets in the fight for the future of libraries.”

On Feb. 5, EveryLibrary helped spread the word about The Librarians, “a new documentary about censorship, libraries, and the fight for the right to read, premiering … on Independent Lens on PBS. … We hope you watch this film not just because it is an interesting story about censorship and discrimination in libraries and schools, but also because it is a powerful reminder of the importance of libraries and schools.”

On Feb. 10, EveryLibrary shared a wrap-up of the 15th annual Take Your Child to the Library Day, which “took place nationwide on Saturday, February 7, 2026, with families celebrating at more than 1,087 libraries across 49 states and Canada.” The organization continued, “The annual event invites families to explore their local libraries through special programs, hands-on activities, and welcoming experiences that highlight the essential role libraries play in literacy, learning, and community connection. … Across the country, libraries hosted storytimes, crafts, scavenger hunts, LEGO builds, STEM activities, and family drop-in programs. Many welcomed local children’s book authors, therapy dogs,” and more.

State Updates

EveryLibrary has been sharing both positive and negative state-level updates so libraries are aware of what is going on across the country. On Jan. 6, EveryLibrary reported, “The Utah State Board of Education has banned three additional books from every public school in the state. This brings Utah’s total number of banned titles to 22 under the controversial law known as HB29. This systematic approach to censorship is breaking the foundations of education in the state.” On Jan. 7, the organization noted that “the New Hampshire House of Representatives voted 181-157 in support of SB 33 as amended, a chilling bill that goes beyond banning books to also censor web pages, videos, artwork, performances, and other school materials.” On Jan. 28, EveryLibrary posted that it “is proud to support the Parents for the Freedom to Read Minnesota and their efforts to fight for the right to read across the state” as the organization launched a new website. On Feb. 4, EveryLibrary shared that “Missouri lawmakers have introduced HB3178, a bill that offers an opportunity to correct course after several years of policies that have pushed public libraries toward censorship and restricted access. HB3178 is designed to reestablish constitutional guardrails around public libraries and to refocus them on serving their communities.” And on Feb. 16, New Hampshire was again the focus, with SB 434, a bill similar to SB 33. This new bill “would radically expand what parents can formally challenge. It would not just be school library books, but virtually anything in a school: books, websites, artwork, plays, dances, statues, pamphlets, recordings, and even visiting speakers.”

Resources to Keep Tabs On

There are a few important EveryLibrary sites to bookmark because they are continually updated. Its News and Updates page shares its latest announcements. Pro-Library Legislation in 2026 lists state (and federal when applicable) bills to support, while Legislation of Concern in 2026 lists bills “that would limit Americans’ freedom to read and think for themselves and potentially diminish or harm library services.”