As Adopted by senate, October 2, 2019

senate resolution no.79

Senator Stamas, Bullock, Horn, MacDonald, Polehanki and Santana offered the following resolution:

A resolution to recognize the month of October 2019 as Michigan Library Appreciation Month.

Whereas, The Michigan Library Association (MLA) annually designates the month of October as a statewide observance to celebrate the contributions of Michigan's libraries, librarians, and library professionals to their communities and to promote library use and support; and

Whereas, Our state's libraries, including school, public, academic, and special libraries are vital institutions and dynamic centers of lifelong learning that play a unique role in ensuring the public's right to know, while empowering people from all walks of life to make informed decisions about the world around them; and

Whereas, Libraries play an integral role as community, educational, and cultural centers that bring together diverse populations and serve as important cornerstones in healthy communities; and

Whereas, The most recent ideas and information on a wide array of subjects are available in libraries, a cost-effective means for providing education, training, and the opportunity for self-improvement to all individuals without regard to age, race, income, or socioeconomic background; and

Whereas, Libraries serve as a vital connection to the people, places, and ideas of the world through books, magazines, videos, and the internet and are also the primary point of online access for people without computers at home, school, or work; and

Whereas, Indispensable educational resources for children and teenagers are found in libraries, and are often on the front lines in the battle against illiteracy offering plenty of free activities, while providing safe, enriching entertainment for the whole family; and

Whereas, Librarians and library workers play key roles in helping people explore, imagine, and discover new horizons in the vast world of information, knowledge, and entertainment; and

Whereas, Two-thirds of adult Americans visit their local public libraries annually, with more than a billion visits made each year by adults, and likewise by students to their school libraries; and

Whereas, Michigan's libraries play a key role in the statewide and national discourse on intellectual freedom, equity of access, and narrowing the digital divide and are the very cornerstone of our democracy; and

Whereas, Thousands of libraries and library supporters across Michigan are celebrating Michigan Library Appreciation Month this year; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the Michigan Senate, That the members of this legislative body recognize the month of October 2019 as Michigan Library Appreciation Month and encourage all citizens of Michigan to visit their local library and explore the wide variety of cultural and educational riches that libraries hold; and be it further

Resolved, That we recognize Michigan’s librarians, library professionals, and supporters for their contributions to enrich their communities.