Our January Instructor Spotlight is John Chrastka. John will be leading the 2025 - 2026 Legislative Landscape webinar on Wednesday, January 15 from 2 - 3 p.m. EST.
John Chrastka is the Founder and Executive Director of EveryLibrary, the national political action committee (PAC) for libraries. He is a former partner in AssociaDirect, a Chicago-based consultancy focused on supporting associations in membership recruitment, conference and governance activities. He is a former President and member of the Board of Trustees for the Berwyn Public Library (2006–2015) and is a former President of the Reaching Across Illinois Libraries System (RAILS) multi-type library system.
We recently chatted with John as part of our Instructor Spotlight Series to learn more about the upcoming webinar.
Do you have any advice for those of us who do not feel at ease at the moment?
JC: It's important for people to register for this webinar so they can learn about the landscape, defend against problems and continue to provide communities and campuses with library services. The legislative landscape is uneven and uncertain across the states and in Congress. At the federal level, we’re focusing on issues like the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, which may come before Congress soon. There are also threats to frameworks like the U.S. Department of Education and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), which could face disruptions or even defunding. At the federal level, there is a clear path forward, particularly with Congress, but not every member supports this agenda. Library stakeholders must articulate to both Congress and their state legislators why continuity, or minimal disruption, is essential.
At the state level, it’s even more varied. States like New Jersey, Delaware, Vermont, Maryland, Colorado, Minnesota and California have passed "right to read" bills, and many are considering similar legislation. In those states, proactive efforts should continue. However, in states where the legislature or governor’s office is hostile to libraries, education and reading, it's crucial to keep up the fight. We need to consistently advocate for our value system. There are strategic differences in opposing, modifying or amending bills, and we hope to explore some of these techniques to help people find a smoother path forward.
Could you tell us how you founded EveryLibrary?
JC: EveryLibrary grew out of a need for a national organization to focus on legislation and funding for public libraries at the local level. We knew, back in 2008, from the OCLC Funding Study, how crucial it would be to engage the public, voters and elected officials. By the end of 2012, when we started EveryLibrary, things had shifted significantly, especially during the Great Recession and the rise of the Tea Party. We launched as a political action committee focused on public libraries, later expanding into school and academic libraries and supporting state library associations.
In 2018, we added the EveryLibrary Institute as a public policy think tank, focusing on tax policy, education policy and libraries. Our work is unique because, unlike other national organizations that focus solely on Congress, we operate as a multistate, multi-zip-code organization. We support local stakeholders, whether they’re at the library board level, within school districts or with state library associations.
Can you share a recent legislative success?
JC: In the 2023-2024 session, we had several key successes. We worked with 15 state library associations to oppose bills that would criminalize librarianship, including in public libraries and schools — some bills even targeted museums. Through coalitions, we were able to block 11 of those bills and help stop three others through veto campaigns. In some cases, we even helped take legal action. This is a significant achievement, and we will continue this work in 2025 and 2026. We were also able to assist the Delaware and Vermont library communities by advancing and passing new state legislation safeguarding the right to read, using civil rights protections as part of collection development policies. This is the first new approach to right-to-read legislation in 50 years.
What are you currently reading, listening to, or watching?
JC: I’m reading America’s Constitution: A Biography by Akhil Reed Amar. It’s a detailed examination of the U.S. Constitution and its relevance to our current situation. The book explores how libraries are not just First Amendment organizations, but also 14th Amendment organizations — protecting civil rights and individual identities. Libraries are, fundamentally, 10th Amendment organizations, too, because the federal Constitution doesn’t mention libraries or education. So, it’s about working at the state level to protect these vital institutions while considering the constitutional framework at both the federal and state levels. It’s a fascinating read.