[Libs-Or] Fwd: Urgent: Ask your Representatives to Sign the Library Funding, Grijalva-Johnson Dear Colleague Letter

[Diedre Conkling]

I just got this message from the ALA Washington Office.  It looks like you still have a chance to call you Representatives on this important matter.  (Contact information at the end)  

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The deadline for signing the Dear Colleague letter in support library funding that is being circulated by Reps. Grijalva and Johnson in the House of Representatives has been extended until noon tomorrow (March 16, 2007).  Please contact your Representatives immediately and ask them to sign the letter.  A copy of the letter follows below (for your review only). 
 
Please keep us posted on the response you receive from your Representatives, and thanks for your help with this issue. 
 
 
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LAB HHS HAS ASSURED US THIS IS A PROGRAMMATIC REQUEST AND WILL NOT COUNT AGAINST YOUR MEMBER'S EARMARK ALLOTMENT

THIS LETTER DOES NOT REQUIRE CERTIFICATION

March 15, 2007

SUPPORT FUNDING FOR LIBRARIES!

Dear Colleague:

Please join us in sending a letter to Chairman Obey and Ranking Member Walsh requesting support for an appropriation of $226.18 million for the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) and $100 million for the Improving Literacy Through School Libraries program in the Fiscal Year 2008 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill.

As you are well aware, the libraries in our districts  serve as information hubs and deliver key services to our constituents, for early childhood learning, story times, homework help, teaching children to love reading, how to write a resume, where to look for work, learning English as a second language and learning how to use computers  and so much more.

If you would like to sign onto this important letter, please have your staff call Jennifer Mascho, Representative Johnson's office, jennifer.mascho at mail.house.gov , X 5-2371 or Alethea Scally, Representative Grijalva's office, alethea.scally at mail.house.gov , X 6-6003. 

The deadline for signing on is March 16 at noon. 

Thank you for joining us in supporting your local school and public libraries.

Sincerely,

    /s/                                                                         /s/ 

Raúl Grijalva                                          Timothy V. Johnson

Member of Congress                                 Member of Congress

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Honorable David Obey

Chairman

Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, Education, 

and Related Agencies

Committee on Appropriations

2358 Rayburn House Office Building

Washington DC 20515

 

The Honorable James Walsh 

Ranking Member                                  

Subcommittee on Labor, HHS, Education, 

and Related Agencies

Committee on Appropriations               

1016 Longworth House Office Building             

Washington DC 20515

 

Dear Chairman Obey and Representative Walsh:

We request that you include $226.18 million for the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) and $100 million for the Improving Literacy Through School Libraries program in the fiscal year 2008 Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill. 

Federal support for these programs encourage improved efficiencies and cost-effectiveness of library services, enhance shared public access to information, promote use of technology, sharing of resources, and other collaborations and outreach not feasible across local and state boundaries. 

Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA)

Around the country, knowledgeable librarians use LSTA funding, the only federal program solely devoted to aiding libraries, to help patrons access essential information on a wide range of topics. They provide training on resume development; job bank web searches; workshops on career information; links to essential educational and community services; assistive devices for people with disabilities; family literacy classes; homework help and mentoring programs, and so much more. 

A January 2007 report by the Urban Libraries Council (ULC) concludes:

"Public libraries are logical partners for local economic development initiatives that focus on people and quality of life. Libraries are widely available, highly regarded public institutions that provide a broad range of information services and support for diverse constituencies......Their open structure, combined with the power of new digital collections, technology, and training, position them to help communities make the transition from manufacturing and service economies to high tech and information economies."

Thanks to LSTA, libraries are also working to close the "digital divide" in many of our nation's distressed communities by providing no fee, public access to computers and the Internet. In 1996, only 28 percent of public library systems offered public Internet access. Today, due to increased resources by the Congress and improved efforts by libraries across the country, more than 99.8 percent of library buildings offer no fee public access computing, and 14 million Americans regularly use these computers. 

While Internet use has increased substantially in the United States, nearly half of all American households still do not have computers or Internet access. By allocating $216.18 million for LSTA, Congress could provide library users nationwide with improved access to information and library services could be targeted to people of diverse geographic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds, to individuals with disabilities, and to people with limited literacy or skills. The President's request for $226.18 million includes an increase in the state grant program, bringing funding for that program to $171,500,000. This funding level will finally allow full implementation of a 2003 law to provide a more equitable distribution of state formula grants. 

Improving Literacy Through School Libraries 

One of the central goals of the No Child Left Behind Act is a commitment to dramatically improve reading achievement among students. Both Congress and the Administration recognized that school libraries are critical partners in this effort when they included the Improving Literacy Through School Library program in the No Child Left Behind Act to improve student literacy skills and academic achievement by providing schools with up-to-date library materials, including well-equipped, technologically advanced school library media centers, and to ensure that school library media centers are staffed by professionally certified school library media specialists. The Department of Education's November 2005 evaluation of the Improving Literacy Through School Libraries program found it has been successful in improving the quality of those school libraries receiving the grants. 

We urge you to significantly boost funding for the Improving Literacy Through School Libraries program to $100 million. In FY 2006, out of approximately 520 applicants, only 78 grants were funded. In the 5 years grants have been awarded, nine states have never received funding under this program. When funds are equal to or greater than $100 million, Improving Literacy Through School Library funds could be distributed as formula grants to every state's department of education. 

The Library Services and Technology Act and the Improving Literacy Through School Libraries program provide critical funding for libraries of all kinds nationwide. Only by including the President's request for $226.18 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. 

Sincerely,

 

_________________________                                                                 _________________________

Raúl M.Grijalva                                                                                            

Timothy V. Johnson

 

 

Erin Haggerty
Government Relations Specialist, ALA-WO
(202) 628-8410
ehaggerty at alawash.org
 
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Rep. Earl Blumenauer (3rd Congressional District)  Phone:  (202) 225-4811,  Fax: (202) 225-8941, web site:  http://www.blumenauer.house.gov/

Rep. Peter DeFazio  (4th Congressional District)  Phone: (202) 225-6416,  Fax:  (202) 225-0032, web site:  http://www.house.gov/defazio/

Rep. Darlene Hooley (5th Congressional District)    Phone:  (202) 225-5711, Fax  (202) 225-5699, web site:  http://hooley.house.gov/

Rep. Greg Walden (2nd Congressional District)   Phone:  (202) 225-6730, Fax (202) 225-5774, web site:  http://walden.house.gov/

Rep. David Wu  (1st Congressional District)  Phone:  (202) 225-088, Fax (202) 225-9497, web site:  http://www.house.gov/wu/

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Or go to and use the information provided by ALA's Washington office to submit an email message:  http://www.capwiz.com/ala/home/ .