The Califonia State Assembly must restore vital funding to the State Library's budget for FY2025. Critically important services like Lunch at the Library and HelpNow Online Tutoring are on the chopping block. The California Library Services Act needs to be fully funded. 

The "Lunch at the Library" program, initiated by Sen. Holly Mitchell, leverages public libraries as community hubs to address summer hunger among the 2 million Californian children who qualify for free or subsidized meals. In the summer of 2023, over 270,000 meals were served at 189 libraries, with micro-grants enabling smaller libraries to participate. This initiative promotes and supports literacy by distributing 125,000 books to and engaging children in summer reading programs.

HelpNow Online Tutoring provides 24/7 live homework assistance across all core subjects, offers bilingual support, and bridges the educational gaps in all communities, especially rural and underprivileged. By cutting the funding for online tutoring, we risk widening the educational divide and dimming the prospects of our most vulnerable populations. In 2023, online tutoring saw 1,772,518 total uses across California. Students engaged with over 1.4 million practice tests, lessons, videos, flashcards, and other learning tools.

As State Librarian Greg Lucas recently testified, California cannot afford to backtrack on its commitment to libraries and education. The costs are minimal, but the impact is profound. Join us in urging state legislators to restore funding to the State Library budget for online tutoring and the successful summer lunch programs. Together, we can ensure that these vital programs continue to lift California students toward academic success and out of hunger.