On May 17, some 25 publishers, technology vendors, trade associations, and other businesses serving the library market announced the formation of the Corporate Committee for Library Investment (CCLI) to advocate for federal library funding.

Conceived by Gale, a Cengage company, and the American Library Association, CCLI immediately took its first step: delivering a letter to all members of the U.S. Senate asking them to sign Dear Appropriator letters calling for $186.6 million in FY18 funding for programs under the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) and $27 million for the Innovative Approaches to Literacy program (IAL), which funds school libraries.

Since then, CCLI membership has reached more than 100 organizations (including LJ’s parent company, Media Source Inc.). The group is still accepting new members. CCLI also recently announced its newly formed steering committee, which will include Matthew Bellamy, chief commercial officer, Bibliotheca; Susan Del Rosario, senior director of programs, Tutor.com; Skip Dye, VP, director of sales operations, library marketing and digital sales, Penguin Random House; Harmony Faust, VP of marketing and communications, Gale; Camille Gamboa, PR, public affairs and conventions manager, SAGE Publications; Roger Rosen, CEO, Rosen Publishing; and Michael Ross, SVP and education general manager, Britannica Digital Learning.

“To date, CCLI and its members have directed their efforts to prevent cuts from the appropriations bill prepared by the House Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies that funds the Institute of Museum and Library Services [IMLS],” the steering committee said in a statement. CCLI also aims to “assure that any infrastructure investments authorized by Congress both include library facilities and leverage the nation’s 120,000 libraries to make high-speed broadband service available in every corner of America, especially in rural and other underserved communities,” according to its initial launch release.

Besides joining the committee, CCLI suggests that businesses looking to get involved in the fight for funding contact their legislators and emphasize the economic value of preserving IMLS and LSTA funding; invite legislators to visit their business; and “educate employees and vendors on what’s at risk and how they can help as individual constituents, regardless of their political affiliations.” For more facts and resources to use in that education and advocacy, CCLI offers a number of issue briefs, return oninvestment studies, Dear Appropriator letters, and more at www.fundlibraries.com/resources.

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