The SRRT Resolution on Student Debt Cancellation.

Regarding free speech, for the 2022 ALA Midwinter meetingIRTF member Mark Hudson wrote a "Resolution Calling onthe US Executive Branch to Drop Espionage Act ChargesAgainst Julian Assange". UPDATES What's happening at SRRT and around ALA Submitted to the Resolutions Committee March 15, 2022 Whereas student loan debt directly affects libraryworkers; Whereas the median pay for librarians andlibrary media specialists is $60,820 [1] while the medianpay for all master's degree holders is $80,340 [2]; Whereas 60% of graduates with master's degrees [3] and29.34% of all adults under the age of 30 [4] have studentloan debt; Whereas the average student loan debt formaster's degrees is $86,368, adjusted for inflation [3]; Whereas student loan debt has been shown to negativelyaffect quality of life with 82% of student loan holdersreporting their debt impacting their ability to save forretirement, 51% reporting delaying buying a house, 14%delaying starting families, and 18% struggling topurchase daily necessities [5]; Whereas the American Civil LibertiesUnion (ACLU) has called student debt aracial justice issue that widens the racial wealth gapand threatens the financial stability for borrowers ofcolor [6]; Whereas inflation has grown 7.5% in the lastyear with food prices growing by 7%, electricity by10.7%, gas utilities by 23.9%, and housing prices by 4.4%[7]; Whereas wages are only expected to grow 3.4% [8]; Whereas student loan forgiveness programs, such asPerkins Loan Forgiveness and Public Service LoanForgiveness [9], already exist; Whereas the Department of Educationhas already exhibited the ability to cancelthe student loan debt of select borrowers [10] whilePresident Biden has exhibited the ability to delayrepayment [11]; RESOLVED, that the American LibraryAssociation (ALA), on behalf of its members, calls onPresident Biden to cancel student loan debt for allborrowers. [Extracted from the article]