WASHINGTON, D.C. – The American Library Association (ALA) joins libraries across Alaska in remembering Alaska Congressman Don Young, who died on Friday, March 18, 2022. Rep. Young served the state as its sole delegate at-large to the U.S. House of Representatives since 1973.
Rep. Young consistently demonstrated his support for America’s libraries, most notably as a lead sponsor of ALA’s “Dear Appropriator” letters on the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) and the Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL) program for several years. He championed legislation supporting libraries, including the Build America’s Libraries Act (2021), the Library Stabilization Fund Act (2020) and the Museum and Library Services Act (2018).
During National Library Week 2021, Congressman Young tweeted, “The COVID-19 pandemic has put the importance of our libraries in the spotlight. As schools have shut their doors and moved toward online learning, the resources made available digitally through libraries have been more critical than ever… Our libraries serve as a pillar of safety and stability for countless communities, and they desperately need our support… We must invest in our nation’s libraries…”
ALA is grateful for Rep. Young’s enduring support for America’s libraries and will miss his leadership in Congress on behalf of libraries.
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Originally published at https://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2022/03/ala-remembers-late-congressman-don-young
