Advocacy Amidst Uncertainty

A Letter from Isaac Gilman, Executive Director

As anticipated, a flurry of executive orders from the new presidential administration has created significant uncertainty and fear within our communities and institutions. Legal challenges to many of the orders may temporarily (or permanently) stem their impact, but in some cases, related legislation in Congress and in state legislatures is also seeking similar ends. All of this can make it challenging to know where to direct our efforts in advocating for our shared values and priorities that are at risk.

While responsive action is important (as seen in the National Council of Nonprofits’ legal challenge to the freeze of all federal aid), proactive, sustained advocacy will be critical to efforts to maintain support for our schools, libraries, and communities. Recognizing this need—and an opportunity for the Alliance to help meet it—the Board of Directors has been working since last spring to create a new framework for Alliance advocacy activities. Following endorsement by the Alliance Council, the Board has approved the framework this week. For the first time we have a focus and process for using our collective voice to advance issues core to our shared mission and to the strength of education, library, and cultural heritage communities in the Pacific Northwest. And starting in FY2026, the Board, in consultation with the Alliance Council of library deans and directors, will define annually a set of priorities for our advocacy efforts.

Implementing a planned advocacy agenda will not preclude us from responding to needs of the moment, however—and at times, planned priorities and the moment will converge. This will be the case in March, when I will join a delegation from Oregon and travel to Washington, DC to participate in Voices for Libraries 2025, a legislative advocacy program of the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies. Our meetings with representatives and senators will highlight the importance of federal funding for libraries, including the need to reauthorize the Museum and Library Services Act in 2025, as well as the importance of literacy programs and broadband access.

Whether it is working consistently over time, or responding to emergent crises (and opportunities), the Alliance—as an organization and as a collective—remains committed to advancing our mission and meeting the needs of our communities of students, staff, faculty, and library and cultural heritage workers. Our renewed focus on intentional advocacy will help us meet this moment, and the moments to come—even in the midst of chaos, our focus and our strong community will help us orient our efforts to where they are needed, whether within our states, region, or nation. 

ADA Title II Updates: Documentation for Libraries

In June 2024, the Department of Justice (DOJ) finalized an update to the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title II regulations, which requires public entities to ensure that any web content and mobile apps they provide or make available are accessible to specific technical standards. The Alliance developed a pair of documents to support academic libraries’ activities in response to these updates. Because these activities are happening at many different levels (library workers, managers, and administrators), the documents have a combined audience in mind.

The summary document includes the final rule’s background and core premise, requirements, definitions, exceptions, additional compliance guidelines, and library-specific responses from the DOJ’s section-by-section analysis and response to public comments. The considerations document lists questions to help explore some of the more complex or situational aspects of digital accessibility and how libraries’ local contexts align with the updated regulations. This document also includes a list of selected resources for planning and support. Both documents are posted to the ADA Title II: Accessibility of Web Content & Mobile Apps page, and we’ll continue updating them as new information and resources become available.

In early 2025, the Alliance is launching new working groups focused on professional development, licensing processes, and program evaluation.

The Alliance Training Project Group will develop curated lists of training resources to support the learning needs of library workers who are new to Alliance work and activities. These curated resource lists will be organized to guide both point-of-need and sequential learning. The group may also determine potential gaps between available Alliance training resources and identified learning needs.

The Alliance Connections Program Committee provides member leadership for Alliance Connections, formerly Summer Meeting. Committee members will contribute to program development, engage in conversations, and share perspectives and recommendations.

The Licensing Action Working Group (LAWG) will build on the foundational work of the E-Content Group (ECG) and focus on license-specific projects through the end of its initial term, June 30, 2026. The group’s projects aim to further improve consistency and transparency in Alliance central licensing documentation and processes.

The SILS Program Review Committee will evaluate the Alliance’s Shared ILS program. Rather than evaluating Alma, Primo, or Ex Libris, the group will focus on central work that supports our members’ investment in our SILS. The program review will define and validate the strengths of central services, as well as identify gaps and opportunities.

Finally, watch for more information this spring on a new group focused on student employee supervision!

In August 2021, the Alliance developed and posted our Personal Information Change Guidelines to support updates for using chosen names and pronouns. It’s been a few years, and we wanted to share a friendly reminder so that all Alliance library and archives workers are aware of this resource.