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* 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.

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* 2. What best describes your primary affiliation with the Michigan Library Association?

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* 3. What best describes your primary role/title with the library?

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* 4. What best describes your membership status with the Michigan Library Association?

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* 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?
Protect Penal Fines in the State Constitution for Public Libraries
Support Penal Fine Transparency from Courts and County Treasurers
Increase State Aid for Libraries
Reform Headlee Amendment to Allow Millage Rates to "Roll Up" During an Economic Recession
Monitor Property Tax and Local Income Tax Funding Structure for Libraries
Expand Broadband/Wifi Access for Libraries
Secure Funding for Broadband/Wifi Access for Libraries
Produce a Statewide Marketing Campaign to Amplify the Value and Importance of Libraries Post COVID
Monitor and Address Nonprofit Status and Tax Exemptions for Health/Medical Providers (which affects property taxes)
Monitor New Legislation for any Decrease in Personal Property Taxes (PPT) and Ensure Transparency
Encourage Continued Support for Michigan E-Library - MeL and MeLCat
Encourage equitable fee structure to provide RIDES throughout Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsula
Maintain Ability to Hold Millage Elections in Key Months of August and November
Monitor Tax Tribunal Issues, ie. Open and Abandoned Big Box Stores (increase big box stores obligations to pay taxes)
Monitor Legislation to Ensure Elimination of Automatic Tax Capture for Tax Increment Financing Authorities/Brownfields
Require Mandatory Training for Public Library Board Members
Support Open Education Resource (OER) Initiatives
Support Certified School Librarians in K-12 Education
3rd Grade Reading/Literacy Challenges
Secure Funding for Libraries Participation in Early Childhood Literacy
Promote Digital Literacy and Digital Citizenship Laws
E-Book Purchasing Challenges (publishers trying to stifle library access to new releases)
3rd Party Vendor Privacy Challenges
Net Neutrality Issues (keep the internet unencumbered and not allow internet providers to influence content and speeds)
Comfort Animals in Libraries (promote regulations and a certification structure)
Reform State Law to Enable Libraries to Prohibit the Open Carry of Firearms in their Buildings
Protect Intellectual Freedom (where every individual has the right to both seek and receive information from all points of view without restriction)

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* 6. Please feel free to comment on any of the policy priorities above.

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* 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

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* 8. What best describes your comfort level with legislative advocacy

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* 9. I know how to reach my elected officials

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* 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?

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* 11. Learnings from other states. Are there any advocacy priorities from another state that we should model or avoid? Be specific.

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* 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.

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