[OPLINLIST] FW: MyBudget Website Launches

[Hickson-Stevenson, Pamela]

News from the Washington Office of the American Library Association.

Pamela J. Hickson-Stevenson, Ohio Chapter Councilor to ALA and
Deputy Director
Akron-Summit County Public Library
60 S. High Street
Akron, OH   44326

(v) 330-643-9102
(f ) 330-643-9160

Visit us on the Web at http://www.akronlibrary.org<http://www.akronlibrary.org/>
or on our Mobile Site at http://m.akronlibrary.org<http://m.akronlibrary.org/>

The Akron-Summit County Public Library provides resources for learning and leisure, information services, meeting spaces, and programs for all ages that support, improve, and enrich individual, family, and community life.

From: Marci Merola [mailto:mmerola at ala.org]
Sent: Tuesday, February 05, 2013 5:30 PM
To: aladnow at ala.org
Subject: [aladnow] MyBudget Website Launches


Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) has announced a new website where citizens can voice their budget priorities. Sen. Murray is the Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee. Here is more information about the website from CQ:

"Earlier this week, Murray announced an online effort to engage the public in the federal budget process. MyBudget, as it is called, is designed to provide members of the public with an easy way to pass along stories, ideas, values and priorities related to the budget to Congress."  -CQ, 1/29/13

Find the website at: http://budget.senate.gov/democratic/index.cfm/mybudget


You are encouraged use this platform to make sure libraries are a priority in the next budget. Here are some suggested talking points for public and school libraries:


Public Libraries

  *   84% of Americans 16 or older have been to a library or bookmobile. In the last year, 59% of Americans used library services.
  *   Throughout the economic downturn, patrons have increasingly turned to the local library for information on a wide range of subjects, including job searching.
  *   In one year, 30 million Americans used library connections to search and apply for jobs.
  *   Over 92% of libraries provide access to job databases and online job applications.
  *   Although in the last 10 years the number of computer workstations has doubled, 87% of urban libraries do not have enough computers to meet the daily demand.
  *   Libraries provide an important link between the government and the public - when  people need to research court cases, look up a fact from an Environmental Protection Agency study or file their taxes they come to the library to do it.
  *   Studies show that a child's brain develops the most between birth and age three. Many of the 16,604 public libraries in the United States support parents and caregivers with early childhood literacy programs that train care givers in how to read to children, encourage parents in engaging in their children's literacy development and are designed to help young children learn to read.
  *   Support funding for the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). LSTA funding helps libraries meet community needs, better utilize technology to provide enhanced services, reach underserved populations, and much more.
School Libraries

  *   Research repeatedly shows that an effective school library program is an integral component of a student's successful education -Across the United States, studies have demonstrated that students in schools with effective library programs learn more, get better grades, and score higher on assessments than their peers in schools without such resources.
  *   Even though school libraries are where students develop skills they will need for the 21st century, only 60 percent of public schools have a state-certified school librarian.



Ted Wegner
Grassroots Coordinator
American Library Association
Washington Office-Office of Government Relations
1615 New Hampshire Avenue N.W., 1st Floor
Washington, DC 20009-2520
Phone: 202-628-8410
Fax: 202-628-8419
twegner at alawash.org<mailto:twegner at alawash.org>

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