A Strong Day at the Capitol on February 4! Thank You, Coalition

We want to share a positive report from our Rally at the Capitol on February 4, 2026, and thank everyone who helped make this advocacy moment such a success.

We arrived at the Roundhouse at 10:30 a.m. to set up, bringing with us nearly 200 donated books thanks to the generosity of BookWorks, GLSEN New Mexico, and Penguin Random House. We also prepared 71 personalized zines, each addressed to a specific legislator, along with an additional 75 zines to share with community members and passersby.

With the help of our student partners from Santa Fe Indian School, every single one of the 71 legislators on our list received a book paired with a personalized zine—not one delivery missed. This was a remarkable achievement and a powerful demonstration of what thoughtful, respectful advocacy can accomplish.

In addition to meeting with lawmakers, we engaged the broader public. We collected 118 pledges at the Capitol from people committing to read at least ten minutes in celebration of World Read Aloud Day and in support of Freedom to Read New Mexico. We distributed approximately 75 books directly into the community and still have about 50 books remaining, which we hope to use at future advocacy events later this year.

We also want to lift up the work happening beyond the Roundhouse. An event at Books on the Bosque brought in 13 additional pledges, extending the reach of this effort and reinforcing the shared commitment across our network.

This day was a clear reminder that personal stories, books in hand, and respectful engagement matter. Thank you to everyone who donated books, helped prepare materials, showed up in person, and supported this effort in so many ways.

If you hosted or participated in a World Read Aloud Day activity, we would love to hear from you. Please share how it went and what you experienced—we’re eager to keep learning from one another as we look ahead to our next advocacy moments.

Together, this is how we show up for libraries, readers, and the freedom to read in New Mexico. Please share the Pledge to Support the Freedom to Read in New Mexico and help make these bills into law.  

February 4, 2026 Rally Gallery