[OPLINLIST] Federal Library Budget Information

[Kent Oliver]

FYI, Kent


ALAWON: American Library Association Washington Office Newsline Volume =
14, Number 33=20
April 5, 2005

In This Issue: CONTACT YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS AND ASK HIM OR HER TO =
SUPPORT FEDERAL FUNDING FOR AMERICA'S LIBRARIES: Deadline for signers is =
Friday, April 8th and we only have 36 signers so far!!

ACTION NEEDED: Please contact your Member of Congress in the House of =
Representatives and ask him or her to please sign the Rep. Grijalva-Rep. =
Simmons letter in the House that asks for increased funding for federal =
library programs.  PLEASE DO NOT CONTACT REP. GRIJALVA, OR REP. SIMMONS =
DIRECTLY.  INSTEAD, ASK YOUR REPRESENTATIVE'S STAFF TO CONTACT REP. =
GRIJALVA OR REP. SIMMONS STAFF TO ADD THEIR MEMBER'S SIGNATURE. =20

In the House of Representatives, Representative Ra=FAl Grijalva (D-AZ) =
and Representative Robert Simmons (R-CT) are circulating a letter to =
their colleagues in support of increased funding for the Library =
Services and Technology Act (LSTA) and the Improving Literacy Through =
School Libraries program. =20

The letter is addressed to the House Labor, Health and Human Services =
and Education Appropriations Subcommittee and requests that the House =
include President Bush's request of $221.33 million for the Library =
Services and Technology Act (LSTA) and $100 million for the Improving =
Literary Through School Libraries program for FY 2006.

The LSTA and the Improving Literacy Through School Libraries programs =
provide critical funding for libraries of all kinds nationwide.  Only by =
including $221.33 million for the LSTA and $100 million for the =
Improving Literacy Through School Libraries program in the Labor, Health =
and Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill will we ensure =
that library patrons of all ages have sufficient access to library and =
information services, support recruiting and educating the next =
generation of librarians, and provide libraries the resources they need =
to improve literacy skills and academic achievement.

ALA strongly encourages members to immediately contact their =
representative in the House of Representatives and urge him or her to =
sign on to the Grijalva-Simmons letter in support of federal library =
programs. Last year, we had 56 Members of Congress from the House of =
Representatives sign up in support of America's libraries.  This year, =
we have only 36 Members signing on to the letter so far. =20

Funding is extremely tight this year and competition is very strong =
among the many groups seeking federal funding for the upcoming year.  =
With an April 8th deadline for signatures, it is critical that ALA =
members contact Congress in a timely manner and let them know the =
importance of federal library programs. =20

A similar letter will be circulated in the U.S. Senate in the near =
future. =20

Current signers (36): Reps. Baldwin, Clay, Clever, D. Davis, S. Davis, =
Dingell, EHLERS, Eshoo, Etheridge, Frank, Gutierrez, Hinojosa, Holt, =
Kildee, Lantos, Lofgren, Marshall, Matsui, McCarthy, McDermott, =
McGovern, MCHUGH, Moore, Oberstar, Owens, Payne, Ross, Schiff, Solis, =
Tauscher, Tierney, Tubbs Jones, VanHollen, Waters, Watson, Woolsey

Visit ALA's website for more information on these letters at: =
<http://www.ala.org/ala/washoff/WOissues/washfunding/funding.htm>=20


Use ALA's Washington Office Legislative Action Center at =
<http://capwiz.com/ala/home> to identify and fax your Members of =
Congress in both the House and the Senate. =20

You can also call your Member of Congress directly using the U.S. =
Capitol switchboard at:  (202) 225-3121.
******
ALAWON (ISSN 1069-7799) is a free, irregular publication of the American =
Library Association Washington Office. All materials subject to =
copyright by the American Library Association may be reprinted or =
redistributed for noncommercial purposes with appropriate credits.

To subscribe to ALAWON, send the message: subscribe ala-wo =
[your_firstname] [your_lastname] to listproc@ala.org or go to =
http://www.ala.org/washoff/alawon.  To unsubscribe to ALAWON, send the =
message: unsubscribe ala-wo to listproc@ala.org. ALAWON archives at =
http://www.ala.org/washoff/alawon.=20

ALA Washington Office, 1301 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Suite 403, =
Washington, D.C. 20004-1701; phone: 202.628.8410 or 800.941.8478 =
toll-free; fax: 202.628.8419; e-mail: alawash@alawash.org; Web site: =
http://www.ala.org/washoff.  Executive Director: Emily Sheketoff. Office =
of Government Relations: Lynne Bradley, Director; Carol Ashworth, Don =
Essex, Joshua Farrelman, Erin Haggerty, Patrice McDermott and Miriam =
Nisbet. Office for Information Technology Policy: Rick Weingarten, =
Director; Carrie Lowe, Kathy Mitchell, Carrie Russell. ALAWON Editor: =
Bernadette Murphy.




Kent Oliver, Library Director
Stark County District Library
715 Market Ave., N., Canton, OH 44702
W: 330 458 2710 FAX: 330 455 9596
KOliver@starklibrary.org
"They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary =
safety deserve neither liberty nor safety."  Benjamin Franklin