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Senate proclaims National Library Week amid warnings about federal book removals and funding threats
Summary
The Rhode Island Senate declared April 2025 National Library Week and heard a floor speech linking federal book removals and proposed cuts to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to a broader threat to reading access; the resolution passed unanimously.
The Senate on April 8 adopted a resolution proclaiming April 2025 as National Library Week in Rhode Island and thanked library workers statewide for their service.
During floor debate, Senator Mark McKinney used the resolution as a platform to warn of federal actions he said threaten libraries and access to reading materials. McKinney referenced reports that books were removed from the U.S. Naval Academy library and said he had heard of academic authors' works being affected: "What we are seeing right now is a concerted effort to dictate what people read." He also said the federal government had moved to dismantle IMLS, the agency that provides library funding, and said he plans to introduce a "freedom to read act" in the Senate and asked for colleagues' support.
Senators offered brief supporting remarks and the resolution passed by voice vote. Senator McKinney later introduced guests in the chamber identified as local library advocates and thanked them for their work.
The floor debate recorded concerns about federal-level decisions' downstream effects on state libraries, but no legislative funding or statutory changes were enacted on the floor; the resolution is ceremonial and directs the secretary of state to transmit certified copies to state library offices and town libraries.
