▁speaking ▁at ▁local ▁government al ▁and ▁library ▁board ▁budget ▁hear ings ; ▁and ▁ ▁contrib uting ▁to ▁a ▁library ▁publication ▁and ▁having ▁the ▁publication ▁sent ▁to ▁local ▁and ▁state ▁represent atives . ▁ ▁There ▁are ▁many ▁online ▁resources ▁for ▁those ▁interested ▁in ▁learning ▁who ▁their ▁represent atives ▁at ▁the ▁local ▁and ▁state ▁levels ▁are . ▁ ▁These ▁include ▁the ▁American ▁Library ▁Association ▁Iss ues ▁and ▁Adv oc acy ▁page ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁the ▁Library ▁of ▁Congress ▁New sp aper ▁and ▁Current ▁Period ical ▁Reading ▁Room . ▁ ▁State ▁ ▁Public ▁library ▁advoc acy ▁may ▁be ▁a ▁collect ive ▁voice ▁from ▁public ▁libraries ▁and ▁their ▁supp or ters ▁throughout ▁an ▁entire ▁state ▁and ▁may ▁be ▁directed ▁toward ▁state ▁government ▁bodies ▁or ▁the ▁state ' s ▁general ▁population . ▁Al location ▁of ▁tax p ayer ▁money ▁to ▁support ▁vital ▁community ▁programs , ▁including ▁public ▁libraries , ▁in ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁is ▁the ▁responsibility ▁of ▁state ▁and ▁local ▁govern ments ▁rather ▁than ▁the ▁federal ▁government ; ▁however , ▁ever ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s ▁when ▁the ▁power ▁to ▁allocate ▁tax ▁dollars ▁for ▁such ▁services ▁was ▁handed ▁down ▁to ▁state ▁and ▁local ▁govern ments , ▁competition ▁for ▁tax ▁dollars ▁has ▁become ▁fier ce ▁and ▁has ▁caused ▁budget ▁problems ▁in ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁states . ▁With ▁state ▁budget ▁issues ▁and ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁" state wide ▁legisl ation ▁cannot ▁usually ▁be ▁passed ▁through ▁the ▁efforts ▁of ▁one ▁library ▁alone ," ▁a ▁public ▁library ▁will ▁often ▁work ▁with ▁library ▁associations ▁or ▁with ▁other ▁libraries ▁within ▁the