Legislators

Legislators make policy and pass laws that appropriate funds based on their constituents’ priorities. Congress makes  federal policy and laws such as reauthorizing the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).  However, the majority of educational law and funding comes from the state government, in our case, the Pennsylvania General Assembly.

All Pennsylvania residents are represented in Washington, D.C., by two Senators and one Representative. Pennsylvania has 18 Representatives in the US House of Representatives.

In Harrisburg, there are 50 state senators and 203 representatives, making it the second-largest state legislature in the nation (behind New Hampshire) and the largest full-time legislature. Be sure you know who represents you!

Most legislators do not inherently know what certified school librarians teach and how school library programs help students succeed. It is every school librarian’s responsibility to educate legislators at the local, state, and federal level, as well as advocating for the resources necessary to build strong school library programs.

Therefore, communicate with your legislators. Educate them by visiting their local office or inviting your legislators to your library to show them how students learn through library programs. And taking the lead from PSLA, be prepared with handouts and talking points to ask for the library resources K-12 students and their schools need to help students become career and college ready!

For more information on bills that impact school libraries and related talking points, please visit our Pennsylvania Library Legislation page.