A lot has changed since late 2024 when we surveyed our community about their vision and priorities for library policy. Rather than trying to limit our collective vision to what is believed to be possible, we asked about “blue sky” ideas and futures.
Thank you to everyone who responded. We believe that, despite repeated and ongoing attacks on our mission, our funding, and our very existence, libraries are and still can be a positive force for democracy and society. We hope this document inspires libraries and library workers to recommit to our values: to remember the strengths of our profession and to use them against all forces which would seek to decimate libraries and the people we serve.
We write now not from defeatism but from hope, not from resignation but from inspiration, not from the belief that we are powerless but from the knowledge that, together, we can build a better future.
As a community we oppose censorship and believe that diversity, equity, and inclusion in our collections and our workforce are our greatest strengths as a profession. We believe libraries can and should combat mis- and disinformation. Libraries have a long history of preserving and fighting for patron privacy, and they can and will continue to do so in a time where data and personal privacy are more important than ever.
We support policies that increase library funding, preserve individual privacy rights in the digital age, protect and expand the right to organize, and promote and respect the diversity of our community as we work to build a more equitable future for all. Library workers are stronger together, and library unions make stronger libraries and, in turn, stronger communities.
We hope you will join us as active participants in building and sustaining a free and democratic society. We offer The Blue Skies Statement as framework of values and policy and hope that you will edit or remix for your specific community needs.
Content licensed under CC BY 4.0
