See the original statement here.

Dear library family:

This is a call to action for democracy and human rights for all! 

In times of uncertainty, division, and pain, we must turn to each other for strength. Today, our hearts ache for our communities as we witness severe federal budget cuts that threaten the very existence of our libraries, executive orders rooted in intolerance, the devastating effects of ICE raids and mass deportations, the undoing of basic human rights that challenge sexual and gender identity, and a woman’s right to have autonomy over her body. Families are being separated, fear is growing, and many are left searching for refuge.

We refuse to stand idly by. As members of the National Association of Librarians of Color (NALcos) and library community, we have long been advocates, warriors, and protectors of information, literacy, and community. Now, more than ever, we must rise to the occasion and be unwavering beacons of hope. We must use our voices to uplift, our resources to support, and our presence to stand in solidarity with those who are most vulnerable. 

Despite the challenges ahead, we remain unbreakable. Our strength lies in our unity, in our shared commitment to equity, and in our relentless pursuit of justice. We see you. We hear you. We are with you.

In this spirit, the NALcos aim to provide support, education, and refuge to those affected by the policies and actions of the current administration. The American Library Association’s Office of Intellectual Freedom has published a document on Libraries and Immigration Enforcement with useful information at oif.ala.org/libraries-and-immigration-enforcement/. An additional resource and information list is being compiled and will be distributed soon.

If you or someone you know is in search of guidance, assistance, or simply a community that cares, please reach out. We also welcome your contributions to this work. You are not alone and we are in this together.

Let us stand united, resilient and resolute. Let us continue to serve with compassion and conviction. And let us never forget that through knowledge, advocacy, and community, we will persevere.

With love and solidarity,

REFORMA, the National Association to Promote Library & Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking
ALA Office of Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services (ODLOS)
ALA Rainbow Round Table (RRT)
American Indian Library Association (AILA)
Asian Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA)
Black Caucus American Library Association (BCALA)

The Colorado Association of Libraries strongly opposes HB25-1158, as it would significantly hinder students' access to critical digital resources essential for developing their information literacy skills and conducting research. By imposing overly restrictive content limitations on curated digital research collections, this legislation threatens to deprive students of the essential tools they need to succeed academically and become informed, critical thinkers.

Impact on Information Literacy and Research Skills: Online databases and newspapers are fundamental to teaching students how to write research papers, analyze sources, and construct evidence-based arguments. Many high-quality academic and journalistic sources include embedded links, advertisements, and promotions as standard digital features that provide valuable context and further exploration of topics. Prohibiting these elements would force schools to remove essential educational resources, leaving students with fewer tools to develop critical literacy skills.

Unrealistic Compliance Requirements: The bill places an unreasonable burden on digital resource providers, requiring them to remove specified content within three days of notification or face contract termination. This demand disregards the technical and contractual realities of content management, where embedded links and promotions are often integral to digital platforms and cannot be selectively removed without compromising the integrity of the resource. The three-day response mandate is not a feasible time frame for vendors managing vast collections of content.

Reduction in Access to Quality Educational Resources: Requiring vendors to certify that collections are free of advertisements, promotions, or embedded links will likely result in fewer vendors willing to contract with public schools, effectively cutting students off from databases that contain reputable academic journals, historical archives, and primary sources. This restriction will disproportionately impact students in underfunded schools who rely on digital resources for access to high-quality research materials.

Impact on Public Library and Public School Partnerships: Public libraries frequently partner with school districts to provide access to digital education materials at no cost for schools, ensuring equitable access to valuable research tools. The bill’s requirement that public schools must report agreements with public libraries and provide annual notifications about these partnerships adds an unnecessary administrative burden that could discourage schools from collaborating with libraries. This would ultimately limit students' access to essential research materials and reduce the effectiveness of public libraries in supporting K-12 education.

The Colorado Association of Libraries urges lawmakers to reject this bill in its current form. Instead of restricting access to vital digital resources, efforts should focus on enhancing students' ability to navigate online information critically. Removing databases and newspapers from school collections due to embedded links or minor promotional content is an unnecessary and harmful limitation that ultimately deprives students of the educational opportunities they need to succeed in the digital age. We advocate for policies that promote, rather than hinder, access to reliable and comprehensive research materials in our public schools.

Kelley Apodaca CAL Executive Director 303-920-0176 [email protected]

June 3, 2024

Colorado Association of Libraries Applauds the State Legislature and Governor Polis for Protecting Colorado Libraries

Governor Polis Signed SB24-216 Establishing Standards for Decisions Regarding Library Resources

Denver, CO - The Colorado Association of Libraries (CAL) applauds the state legislature and Governor Polis for protecting Colorado Libraries. Governor Polis signed SB24-216  Establishing Standards for Decisions Regarding Library Resources on Friday, May 31.

The CAL Legislative Committee, consisting of members representing various library systems throughout the state, served as subject matter experts for the bill’s primary sponsors - Senator Lisa Cutter, Senator Chris Kolker, Senator Dafna Michaelson Jenet, Representative Eliza Hamrick, and Representative Junie Joseph - to develop the bill. The bill protects Colorado public libraries from book bans and ensures library resources will not be removed unless in accordance with the library board’s policy, and it establishes safeguards for such policies.

“We are grateful to the state legislature and Governor Polis for taking these steps to ensure the public has access to diverse and varied materials in their public libraries,” said Jenn Cook, CAL President. “Public libraries are treasured spaces where people from all walks of life can learn and explore. The passage of this bill ensures we can maintain this access.” 

The Colorado Association of Libraries holds that the freedom to read is a fundamental and Constitutionally protected right. CAL supports all library users’ right to free inquiry as guaranteed by the First Amendment. By curating diverse and inclusive collections and providing equitable access to them, Colorado’s public libraries safeguard the freedom to read. Now SB 24-216 codifies these principles.

The primary provisions of this bill include:

• Protections for Colorado libraries from book bans;

• Assurances that resources cannot be removed from public libraries unless in accordance with a public library board’s policy, and establishes safeguards for such policies;

• Requirements that public libraries establish written policies for the acquisition, retention, and display of public library sources, as well as their removal upon the request of a patron;

• Safeguards so that resources cannot be removed from a public library based on the demographics of the author or based on partisan disapproval of the topic;

• Protections for librarians from retaliation, discrimination, or termination for refusal to remove any resource if such removal is not in accordance with the board’s policy; and

• Requirements that a person who requests that any material be removed must live within the service area of the public library, and their requests are public under the Colorado Open Records Act.

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About the Colorado Association of Libraries

The Colorado Association of Libraries (CAL) is a volunteer-run unified chapter of the American Library Association. CAL is the common bond, voice, and power for the library community in the state of Colorado. CAL members are united to advocate for quality library services, support access to information, and foster the professional development of our members. CAL members are librarians, library employees, institutions, and corporations drawn from public, school, academic, and special libraries; public library trustees; education administrators; library service providers; library vendors; volunteers; and library supporters.

Date: October 30, 2023

Colorado Association of Libraries 2023 Awards

Each year the Colorado Association of Libraries (CAL) receives many nominations for outstanding libraries, teams, and individuals in and around the library industry. These awards showcase the top talent across Colorado. Each nomination is evaluated, and after careful consideration by the CAL Awards Committee, winners are chosen and approved by the CAL Board. Thank you to everyone for all you do and the hard work you put in. We are thrilled to celebrate the accomplishments of our Colorado Library Community. 

Allow us to present the awards as follows:

Thank you once again to all our award recipients and a round of applause for our nominators. Without nominators, we wouldn’t have award winners.  You make a difference every day. This year’s winners were celebrated at the 2023 CALCON Awards Ceremonies. 

View information about the award selection process on CAL's Conference Awards' Committee page. 

From ALA President, Emily Drabinski Former President Barack Obama published an open letter on Monday morning, expressing his support for libraries and library workers amidst rising book challenges and subsequent attacks on those defending the right to read.  His positive affirmations of our work and our profession brought me so much joy. In these challenging times, this letter was a bright spot. Seeing acknowledgement of our hard work and our commitment was inspiring, and I hope it inspires you too.    Here's the full text of the letter.

The Colorado Association of Libraries (CAL), in alignment with the American Library Association (ALA), holds that the freedom to read is a fundamental and Constitutionally-protected right. CAL supports all library users’ right to free inquiry–to read, listen to, and access the ideas of others–as guaranteed by the First Amendment. By curating diverse and inclusive collections and providing equitable access to them, our libraries safeguard the freedom to read. 

Therefore, CAL opposes any efforts that obstruct the freedom to read through banning, removing, or restricting access to books, materials, or e-resources. We stand with the ALA in condemning any acts of censorship.  

From 2021 to 2022, the ALA Office of Intellectual Freedom (OIF) has reported a dramatic increase in book challenges and outright removal of books from libraries. Library materials about race, gender and LGBTQIA+ issues are being targeted, and certain partisan groups are demanding their removal. These groups have claimed that these works are subversive and inappropriate, and have sought to circumvent law and established reconsideration processes to keep these books out of the hands of readers. One technique is to take passages out of context, ignoring the larger themes of a work. Another is to pressure libraries to remove items while under review, allowing a series of challenges to effectively block access to them. CAL opposes any efforts to censor, remove, or exclude the voices of BIPOC, queer, transgender, and other marginalized individuals, and we regard this as a flagrant violation of intellectual freedom.

While a group or individual may find a book or library resource objectionable, they do not have the lawful authority to decide who may or may not read it. Likewise, a parent may determine which materials are appropriate for their own child to read, but not make that decision for other people’s children. As library materials are used for voluntary inquiry, individuals have the choice to check them out or not.

In libraries, the freedom to read is ensured when collection decisions are made without the influence of politicians, board members, parents, or other external biases. Librarians are extensively trained and deeply invested in curating quality collections that reflect a diversity of ideas, information, stories, and experiences. There is a professional and ethical responsibility to be proactively inclusive in collection development. Collection decisions are guided by formal policy and not made based on personal beliefs; they are made to meet the information needs of the entire community of users. 

CAL is committed to supporting our librarians and the communities we serve. We believe that reading is among our greatest freedoms, and libraries have an obligation to provide equitable access to varying expressions of ideas across all accessible formats. We recognize that intellectual freedom is vital to our democracy and, therefore, will vehemently continue to defend the freedom to read. 

Resources used to create this Statement:

American Library Association: The Freedom to Read Statement
American Library Association:  Library Bill of Rights
American Library Association: Diverse Collections: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights

Additional Resources for Libraries facing resource challenges:

• Colorado Association of Libraries Intellectual Freedom Committee Page
• Colorado Library Consortium: Understanding Strident Claims about Electronic Resources (CLIC)
• Colorado Library Consortium: Libraries Under Attack (CLIC)
• How to Respond to Challenges and Concerns about Library Resources (ALA)
• Guidelines for Library Policies (ALA)
• Guidelines for the Development of Policies and Procedures Regarding User Behavior and Library Usage (ALA)
• Library Privacy Guidelines (ALA)
• User-Initiated Exhibits, Displays, and Bulletin Boards: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights (ALA)
• Meeting Rooms: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights (see also Religion in American Libraries: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights) (ALA)
• #FReadom Fighters 

January 26, 2022

Dear Esteemed Senate Education Committee, 

I write to you today as a proud citizen of Colorado and as the President of the Colorado Association of Libraries. Our organization advocates for quality library service, supports access to information, and fosters the professional development of our members. This letter is written on behalf of our Colorado public libraries.  

Below are the concerns about including public libraries in SB22-004, Evidence-based Training in Science of Reading.

While librarians of Colorado greatly appreciate your efforts to ensure that school and library staff receive the appropriate training to teach reading literacy skills, this work is outside of the role of the public library.

Public library staff focus on providing access to the variety of materials that support developing a love of reading and the joy of learning. As such, formal teaching and instruction of reading skills is not their role. Rather than providing direct education on a specific skill, public library staff focus on identifying the interests of children and adults and then directing them to the best possible resources – be it through materials or knowledgeable people. For the public library, literacy can pertain to the ability to read, the ability to complete online forms, the ability to manage finances, complete job applications, and more.

Finally, it should be noted that the Board of Trustees for public libraries are usually filled by people who are passionate about public libraries providing services to the community but who are not necessarily qualified to identify the materials and activities for reading skill improvement.

We greatly appreciate your passion for helping our youth succeed through having well-prepared educators. While SB22-004 might be a powerful support for our schools, it is not appropriate for public libraries, and we ask that you remove public libraries from this bill. 

I welcome your questions and am happy to provide additional information about how Colorado school library staff are currently educated in the science of reading and why this is not a bill that should include public libraries.

Sincerely,

Tiah Frankish

Colorado Association of Libraries President 2022

Date: July 28, 2021

Colorado Association of Libraries 2021 Awards

Each year, the Colorado Association of Libraries (CAL) receives many nominations for outstanding libraries, teams, and individuals in and around the library industry.  These awards showcase the top talent across Colorado.  Each nomination is evaluated, and after careful consideration by the CAL Awards Committee, winners are chosen and approved by the CAL Board.  Thank you to everyone for all you do and the hard work you put in. This year 2020 was an unusual year for us all, and we were more excited than ever to celebrate the accomplishments of our Colorado Library Community. 

The 2021 awards were as follows:

Thank you once again to all our award recipients and a round of applause for our nominators. Without nominators, we wouldn’t have award winners.  You make a difference every day. The winners were celebrated at the 2021 CALCON Awards Ceremony.

The Colorado Association of Libraries (CAL) is the common bond, voice, and power for the library community. We are united to advocate for quality library services, support access to information, and foster the professional development of our members. CAL and its Intellectual Freedom Committee (IFC) work to honor the efforts of individuals and groups who safeguard access to information. Both Boucher Awards this year represented excellent examples of communities advocating for access to information. 

However, during the Julie Boucher Award at this year’s CALCON, statements were made that painted Douglas County Libraries in a negative light over a library policy, and concerns were brought forward that the policy was misrepresented. The CAL Board would like to note that Douglas County Libraries asked that the award remain in place, and we will honor that request with the understanding that the following actions need to be taken.

Ultimately, the CAL Board has a responsibility to ensure that statements coming from CAL and CAL Committees or Interest Groups are in line with our mission as an association. As an organization, we need to be cognizant of the language we use to communicate the position of Colorado libraries and the impact it will have on our statewide community. In this instance, the CAL Board’s lack of due diligence negated the opportunity to partner with CAL IFC to help guide the award in a more collaborative direction.  We acknowledge that our oversight resulted in this incident, and we apologize for that.

The CAL board has long had a passive approval process within the awards given by CAL. Awards are often considered together as an entire slate, without an in-depth analysis of why the award was being given. The board has not reviewed what would be said on behalf of the Association for an award. As a result, the CAL Board will develop a new policy that will treat all CAL Awards as a formal statement from the CAL Board. This will change how we approve awards. It will also require that the board formally vote on and approve all statements included on behalf of the association in awards. This will ensure a greater commitment to due diligence and an assurance that the comments and statements align with CAL’s mission as an organization.

There were two issues of concern that were brought forward.

In working through this issue with both the ALA Intellectual Freedom Committee and the ALA Office of Intellectual Freedom, they both expressed concern with CAL IFC naming the library publicly in this case. They have recommended how CAL can handle similar situations in the future to support library employees while still working collaboratively with organizations. We will evaluate those recommendations as a board and determine the best steps when handling potential conflicts between parties in the future.

The second issue relates to a claim in the award statement by CAL IFC regarding perceived explicit threats relating to staff livelihoods. The CAL Board takes this issue very seriously. While intent and impact can differ in communication between those who say something and those who are listening, there is a responsibility to ensure that our statements are accurate and can withstand scrutiny. The reality is that CAL is unable to be a fact-finding body. We do not have the resources, nor the expertise, to serve in this type of role in our state. 

Moving forward, the CAL Board will need to find an appropriate medium of supporting libraries and library staff, without serving in a fact-finding capacity. It is important for employees and patrons to have a voice in issues that may be contentious. In alignment with our mission as an organization, CAL can support employers and employees to seek out resources to help in instances such as this.

The CAL Board would like to thank everyone who brought forward their concerns on the award, offered feedback to the association, and who work to educate our state on issues around intellectual freedom. We are committed to repairing the relationships between the Colorado Association of Libraries and the involved parties and together, improving libraries and library services for all the citizens of Colorado.  

-CAL Board

April 27, 2020

In this time of uncertainty, reliable information and community support are among our most trusted and valuable resources, and the Colorado Association of Libraries' members, as do all librarians and library workers in the State, provide both of these services every day. The Colorado Association of Libraries (CAL) encourages and champions the numerous important contributions that library workers make to their communities in the form of trusted information resources, entertainment, companionship, early childhood education, job seeking, information literacy, skill building and more.

CAL recognizes that the dangers posed by the COVID-19 virus outweigh the benefits of operating public-facing libraries and information organizations for in-person services during this public health crisis. Accordingly, CAL supports decisions to close such facilities until public health and medical experts determine that it is safe to reopen them. At the same time, CAL encourages government, business, and academic leaders to take a long-term view and begin preparing for the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. A critical step in this process is retaining and fully compensating library workers regardless of their paid position in their organization. 

There is significant work that library workers can accomplish remotely, including digital and phone outreach and information literacy programs to help communities better connect and navigate their online services and environment.  Layoffs and furloughs undermine libraries’ important work in preparing communities to learn, connect, evaluate information and thrive during any and all extenuating circumstances.  CAL recognizes that many libraries and government institutions are facing difficult financial times that may necessitate the need to consider extreme actions such as layoffs and furloughs.  CAL asks that libraries consider the long and short-term impacts of such decision making and retain library staff as much as possible to meet the changing needs of our communities as we work through COVID-19 together.

Libraries are among the only institutions advocating and supplying services such as education, outreach, and internet access to marginalized populations--seniors, people with disabilities, lower and middle class workers, people experiencing homelessness, survivors of domestic violence, new immigrants, English language learners, and far more. The work of libraries may be more crucial than ever right now as they strive to offer ongoing virtual programming, information literacy instruction, free media access, personalized outreach, and technology support to their communities.  Because libraries are trusted and respected sources in their communities, they reliably and efficiently spread much needed health information and learning resources during these unprecedented times of social displacement. It is for these reasons that CAL strongly urges the retention of library staff who are actively connecting with their communities and providing reliable, trustworthy services and support to their communities and partners online.

Furthermore, CAL believes that library workers are especially vital in the aftermath of a catastrophe. Libraries have been and will continue to be the place where people go to complete their unemployment applications, apply to new jobs, or work on new resumes. Libraries are major outlets for official municipal information. We expect an increase in materials circulation because of information and educational needs and new hobbies developed in quarantine.

CAL calls on every employer in the State to support all library workers by recognizing their value, retaining them as employees regardless of position type as much as possible, and including them in post-pandemic plans. 

Signed,

CAL Board

The Colorado Association of Libraries commends the steps being taken around the state to prevent the additional spread of the COVID-19 virus.  

Libraries act as social hubs within our communities, bringing together large and diverse groups of people.  While we all share a commitment to our communities, we must balance that commitment with the safety of our patrons and staff.  While a number of libraries in our state have closed in order to protect their communities, many libraries remain open. The Colorado Association of Libraries recommends that all libraries in the state of Colorado suspend operations, including closing for a period of time.  This recommendation coincides with the CDC’s recommendation that all gatherings with 50 people or more be cancelled.

Additional information on COVID-19 may be found at the CDC website: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

Colorado’s COVID-19 website: https://www.colorado.gov/pacific/cdphe/2019-novel-coronavirus

Ryan Buller
Colorado Association of Libraries President