2024-2025 President's Message  |  Read Jorge's Speech as Incoming President

I cordially invite all library lovers to attend our 2025 Library Legislative Day in Tallahassee. Join us for a welcome reception on Monday, March 10, followed by a valuable opportunity on Tuesday, March 11, to meet with representatives and their aides and advocate for libraries to remain a priority in Florida's funding initiatives.

If you are unable to travel to our capital, please consider writing or calling your state representatives and reminding them of the importance libraries play in your own life and communities.

I am deeply grateful to academic librarians for fostering my information literacy skills and equipping me to find, evaluate, and use information responsibly for problem-solving, decision-making, and lifelong learning – skills that have been instrumental in my personal and career success. Public libraries have also shaped my growth, providing access to invaluable resources I could not afford, a quiet space to read, and free events that have left lasting impressions. Most importantly, in every library, I find a sense of community. More than ever, we need to feel connected to something greater that unites us and all libraries make that happen.

A legislator once asked me, “Why do we need libraries when eBooks are accessible from anywhere?” When individuals openly question funding decisions, it gives us the chance to highlight the profound impact libraries have on our lives. Every day, we see firsthand how library resources and services are essential and contribute to our thriving society.

FLA is a professional association rooted in historical, vocational, and personal values that guide our mission. We take pride in being nonpartisan, championing belonging for all, and creating a welcoming environment while fostering partnerships that support and strengthen the communities we serve. While understandable, it is disheartening to learn that some library professionals hesitate to engage in FLA committees and events out of concern for potential reprisal.

I want to make it clear that embracing joy does not mean ignoring what truly matters.

Please renew your FLA membership and encourage colleagues to join as well. We stand for our shared professional values and offer so many enriching professional development opportunities and activities that aid in networking with colleagues around our state and we find joy while doing it.

During the beginning of my service as president of FLA, I emphasized that joy and turmoil coexist. I would like to remind everyone that we cultivate more joy by prioritizing our self-care and incorporating activities and practices into our daily routines that nurture us, provide strength, and allow us to pause, recharge, and carry on with life.

FLA continually reignites my sense of purpose.

As Rosie the Riveter exclaimed, We Can Do This!

Jorge Perez
2024-2025 FLA President