Each year, the ACRL Government Relations Committee, in consultation with the ACRL Board of Directors and staff, formulates an ACRL Legislative Agenda. Drafted with input from key ACRL committees, ACRL leaders, and the ALA Public Policy and Advocacy Office, the ACRL Legislative Agenda is prioritized and focuses on issues at the national level affecting the welfare of academic and research libraries. The ACRL Board of Directors recently approved the 2026-27 ACRL Legislative Agenda.
The 2026-27 ACRL Legislative Agenda focuses on four issues that will be the focus of ACRL’s advocacy efforts, listed in priority order:
- Impacts to Higher Education
- Public Access to Reliable Governmental Data
- Elimination and Reorganization of Federal Agencies & Departments
- Safety, Security, and Ethical Concerns of Artificial Intelligence (AI)
The agenda also includes a watch list of policy issues of great concern to academic librarians. Issues on the watch list are:
- Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival (DACA)
- Consumer Data Privacy
- Affordable College Textbook Act
- Accessible Instructional Materials
- Net Neutrality
The full 2026-27 Legislative Agenda is available on the ACRL website.