[OPLINLIST] Deadline on funding Dear Colleagues extended: please contact your representatives!

[Marsha McDevitt-Stredney]

Please excuse multiple postings...

________________________________

From: Kristin K. Murphy [mailto:kmurphy at alawash.org] 
Sent: Monday, March 15, 2010 7:02 PM
To: fllan at ala.org
Cc: Beth Yoke
Subject: [fllan] Deadline on funding Dear Colleagues extended: please
contact your representatives!

 

Dear FLLAN members,

 

Please take action on these very important funding requests.  It only
takes a moment and remember - we need the public's support as well, so
please ask your friends to call their representatives as well!

 

Call now to support library funding! 

 

Please call your representative in Washington today and ask him/her to
sign onto two letters circulating around Congress.  The deadline has
been extended to March 17, and it is critically import that they sign-on
to this letter in the next forty-eight hours. 

 

LSTA

Congress is currently busy drafting up the federal budget for fiscal
year 2011.  It has never been more important than now that Congress
fully funds the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), the only
annual source for federal funding to libraries.   As Congress writes
next year's budget they need to understand that dollars from the state
and local levels are at an all time low and libraries can not continue
to do their important work with out this funding.

There is a letter circulating around the House of Representatives urging
the Appropriations Committee to include $300 million in funding through
LSTA in the FY2011 budget.  Please contact your representative's office
and tell them about work your library does in the community.  It is
always a good idea to stress what programs and resources your library
provide to help build the local economy, help kids with their homework,
and so much more.  After you have explained how libraries are an
incredibly valuable investment, please ask your representative to sign
onto the "Dear Colleague" letter supporting LSTA. 

School Libraries


In his FY2011 budget, President Obama consolidated Improving Literacy
Through School Libraries with five other literacy programs.  This would
mean that school libraries will have to directly compete with other
programs to receive federal dollars under the President's plan.
However, Congress is busy drafting up their own budget for FY2011 right
now, and there is no word yet if they will go along with President
Obama's recommendation of consolidation.  Congress needs to hear from
their constituents NOW about the important role that school libraries
play in today's schools.

Right now there is a letter circulating around the House of
Representatives urging the Appropriations Committee to specifically
appropriate $100 million for Improving Literacy Through School
Libraries.  This amount means that this program will be available to
every state, rather than the current competitive grant program.  Please
contact your representative's office explaining to them how important
having a school library can be in a child's education.  Please ask them
to sign on to the Improving Literacy Through School Libraries "Dear
Colleague" by customizing the letter below.


It is of the utmost importance that you contact your Representative
today and urge them to sign on to these letters!  We need to keep the
pressure on our elected officials until the deadline for signatures on
these critical letters expires.  Grijalva and Ehlers plan to send the
letter on Wednesday, March 17, so time is of the essence.

 

To take action, please take the following steps:

1.  Please go to http://capwiz.com/ala/ or click on the "Take Action!"
button in the upper right hand corner of this e-mail.

2.  Customize the sample letter as you see fit - remember, a personal
story on how your library uses LSTA and ILTSL funding to benefit their
constituents is VERY effective.


3.  Enter your contact information.


4.  Press Send.


5.  If you would prefer to telephone your representative, please call
the Capitol switchboard at 202.224.3121 and ask for your representative.
The switchboard will transfer you to their office.  If you need to
locate your members of Congress, go to http://capwiz.com/ala/.

 

 

Kristin Murphy

Government Relations Specialist

American Library Association - Washington Office

1615 New Hampshire Ave. NW, First Floor

Washington, D.C., 20009-2520

Phone Number: 202.628.8410

kmurphy at alawash.org

 

Questions about the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act?  Go to
www.ala.org/knowyourstimulus

 

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