Advocacy/Legislative Priorities Survey 2021-2022

1.Contact Information:  While you may remain anonymous, we appreciate your contact information as it allows us to confirm that our input is statewide and allows us to follow up concerning specific policy recommendations. Please use your HOME ADDRESS and contact information for these questions.
2.What best describes your primary affiliation with the Michigan Library Association?
3.What best describes your primary role/title with the library?
4.What best describes your membership status with the Michigan Library Association?
5.Do you support the priorities below and at what level?  You may answer all or skip those that are not applicable.
Do you Support?
What Priority?
Protection of Penal Fines in the State Constitution for Public Libraries
Certified School Librarians in K-12 Education
Increased State Aid for Libraries
Penal Fine Transparency from Courts and County Treasurers
Require Mandatory Training for Public Library Board Members
Expand Broadband/Wifi Access for Libraries
Net Neutrality Issues
Secure Funding for Libraries Participation in Early Childhood Literacy
Monitor and Address Nonprofit Status and Tax Exemptions for Health/Medical Providers
Encourage Continued Support for Michigan E-Library
Maintain Ability to Hold Millage Election in Key Months of August and November
Tax Tribunal - Reduce Tax Obligations on Open and Abandoned Big Box Stores
Tax Increment Financing Authorities/Brownfields: Monitor Legislation to Ensure Elimination of Automatic Tax Captures
3rd Grade Reading/Literacy Challenges
Open Education Resource (OER) Initiatives
Maintain Property Tax and Local Income Tax Funding Structure for Libraries
Inclusion of Tribal Libraries in State Aid Formula
E-Book Challenges
3rd Party Vendor Privacy Challenges
Service Animals/Comfort Animals in Libraries
6.Please feel free to comment on any of the policy priorities above.
7.Developing the policy priorities is only the first step.  Then we must implement our advocacy strategy.  Please help us understand your comfort level and experience in each of the areas
Comfortable/Experienced
Not Comfortable/Yet Interested
Not Comfortable/Not Interested
Talk with legislators in my district
Talk with legislators in Lansing
Write letters to the editor/columns
Ask key leaders or influencers in my community to contact legislators
Participate in a common MLA messaging campaign
Ask board members/faculty to talk with legislators
Ask my friends, foundations, vendors to talk to legislators
Organize a library tour for legislators
Post Library information or an advocacy piece in my library
Communicate with patrons about library advocacy
Invite my legislators to hold coffee hour/town hall at my library
Invite my legislators to summer reading kickoff programs
Visit with Legislators during Michigan Library Advocacy Day
8.What best describes your comfort level with legislative advocacy
9.I know how to reach my elected officials
10.If you have made contact with your legislators in the past year, please indicate how you have made contact (phone, letter, in person, etc.) and with whom you have had contact (legislators name or staff name), and for what issue/concern/engagement?
11.Learnings from other states. Are there any advocacy priorities from another state that we should model or avoid? Be specific.
12.What else should the MLA Advocacy & Legislative Committee know about needs, trends, or policy issues as we plan for MLA policy priorities and strategies? Be specific.