EveryLibrary Institute 2024 Annual Report - Executive Summary
The EveryLibrary Institute (ELI) is a non-profit, non-partisan think tank focused on public policy, tax policy, and education policy, dedicated to strengthening the future of libraries in the United States.
Our mission is to empower library professionals, local advocates, and aligned organizations with the research, strategies, and tools needed to protect and advance intellectual freedom, equitable access, and the role of libraries in democracy. In 2024, our work addressed the escalating threats of censorship, widespread policy challenges, and ongoing funding inequities, resulting in measurable, community-focused impact.
Through our flagship anti-censorship initiative, Fight For The First, ELI supported 125 local campaigns and helped establish nine statewide anti-censorship organizations to defend the right to read. These efforts provided rapid-response infrastructure, strategic coaching, and digital campaign tools to volunteers combating book bans. Our sustained engagement contributed to victories in over half of all local censorship challenges tracked nationwide in 2024.
Additionally, we amplified advocacy and crisis-response efforts through FundLibraries.org, the only crowdfunding platform dedicated to libraries. Campaigns in Louisiana, Alabama, Pennsylvania, and Utah demonstrated how community members used our platform to raise over $30,000 combined for legal defenses, author visits, and book ban initiatives, all aimed at keeping libraries free and accessible to all.
Download the EveryLibrary Institute 2024 Annual Report
Our policy team led and supported legislative successes through model legislation, such as the Libraries for All Act, which passed in Delaware and Vermont. We submitted testimony in support of right-to-read legislation in New Jersey, opposed bills aimed at criminalizing librarianship, and advanced the Special District Grant Accessibility Act, which promises critical federal funding recognition for thousands of library districts.
The VoteLibraries initiative continued to empower libraries as leaders in civic engagement by providing voter registration and election access tools in partnership with the League of Women Voters, Nonprofit Vote, and AAPD’s REVUp campaign. Toolkits, workshops, and guides enabled hundreds of library staff and 501(c)(3) library-support organizations to participate in voter education safely and effectively.
Our commitment to thought leadership and scholarship remained strong. We published two issues of The Political Librarian, expanded our portfolio of policy briefs, and conducted original research on pressing topics such as access to digital content in K–12 libraries, soft censorship, and the threats posed by Project 2025. Our training sessions and workshops reached hundreds of library workers and boards nationwide, providing practical, politically aware instruction.
The 2024 Library Advocacy and Funding Conference (LAFCON), hosted virtually, offered over 115 on-demand sessions that equipped more than 450 library professionals with advocacy tools, campaign skills, and policy insights. From digital organizing to coalition building, participants left prepared to defend their institutions and expand their impact.
Our national leadership in free speech coalitions, democracy tables, and tax policy forums ensures that libraries remain critical components of essential civic and policy discussions. As fiscal sponsor and campaign partner to initiatives like We Are Stronger Than Censorship, we drive innovative responses to the most significant challenges facing libraries today.
None of this work would be possible without the generous support of our donors and funders. The EveryLibrary Institute is deeply grateful for the trust and commitment of individuals, foundations, and partners who share our belief in the transformative power of libraries. As we prepare for new challenges and opportunities in 2025, we invite you to stand with us—your donations help operationalize our values, build resilient communities, and defend the future of public knowledge.
Please consider making a tax-deductible donation at everylibraryinstitute.org/donate or reach out directly to explore how you can help shape a better future for libraries, learning, and democracy.