Voices for Libraries 2026
March 4-5, 2026 in Washington D.C.
The Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA) is excited to host, “Voices for Libraries 2026.” This event invites library advocates from every state, invited by their State Library Agency, to travel to Washington, DC to talk with legislators about the importance of libraries and to advocate for support.
Travel & Lodging Info
COSLA has secured a group room block at:
- Hamilton Hotel (Booking Link provided with Registration Confirmation)
1001 14th Street NW
Washington, DC 20005
- DC Map of Event Sites
Who Should Attend
Representatives from all 50 states are encouraged to participate, invitations are via each State Library Agency.
Due to space limitations, we are asked that state delegations be kept to no more than three people.
Should you wish to attend, please contact your State Library Agency.
Voice for Libraries Registration
There is no registration fee to participate for 2026.
Registration needs to be submitted for EACH delegate who plans to attend the Voices for Libraries Briefing Day event. Registration will open in December 2025. The registration link will be available via your state's Chief Officer.
State Captains
Each State Library Agency (SLA) will appoint a “State Captain.” This individual will be responsible for coordinating attendees from their state, requesting and confirming meetings with their elected representatives, and reporting out on the meetings. The State Captain is the primary contact for each state and will serve as the communications conduit. The State Captain is typically the Chief Officer, but can be another member of the delegation who is committed to fulfilling the obligations of the role. It is intended that each State Captain ATTEND the event in DC.
A roster of state captains will be added to this page. You may reach out to your state captain for more information on the event.
Priorities
The Voices for Libraries 2026 Priorities will be posted by January 15.
Schedule of Events
Tuesday, March 3, 2026
COSLA Spring Meeting 2026
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
This full-day gathering is exclusively for the Chief Officers. The Spring Meeting is a business and general interest meeting and is not related to advocacy.
Wednesday, March 4, 2026
Voice for Libraries – Briefing Day
1:30 PM – 4:30 PM*
MLK Jr. Branch of the DC Public Library
The Briefing will include presentations from seasoned advocates and policy experts to ensure that everyone is prepared for their visits to the Hill. Briefing Day will include coffee and light refreshments for all participants.
* The exact schedule for the Briefing Day program will be distributed to registrants.
Library Advocates Reception
Reception – 5:30 – 6:30
Location TBA
Thursday, March 5, 2026
Voices for Libraries – Day of Action (Hill Day)
All Day
Individual Meetings as set by each state delegation.
Each state is responsible for setting its own meetings with their elected representative's offices. The meetings should be coordinated via the State Captain. COSLA will provide a meeting folder on the Briefing Day, to include general information and talking points. Each state will produce its state-specific materials.
Partners
COSLA is grateful for the partnership of the Association for Small and Rural Libraries (ARSL) and the Urban Libraries Council (ULC)
 
Questions?
Contact COSLA – [email protected]
|
