The Missouri Library Association (MLA) is extremely disappointed in the recommendation by Representative Cody Smith, Chairman of the Missouri House of Representatives Budget Committee, to remove all State Aid funding to libraries in Missouri.

Representative Smith expressed in the House Budget Committee hearing his concern that State Aid dollars sent to the 160 library districts in Missouri were being spent to fund a lawsuit in which MLA has been named as a plaintiff. 

To clarify, MLA is not providing any funding for the lawsuit in which it has been named as a plaintiff; the ACLU is providing services to MASL and MLA pro bono. Additionally, MLA is a representative organization of libraries and library workers working to protect the profession and professionals working in the library field. We are a volunteer organization, and no state aid is used to fund MLA's work.

State Aid helps libraries provide relevant collections, literacy based programming, and technology resources to their communities. Our rural libraries rely the most heavily on this funding to serve their communities, and they will be crippled by this drastic budget cut.