[Libs-Or] House library champions release FY18 “Dear Appropriator” letters

[Diedre Conkling]

http://www.districtdispatch.org/2017/03/house-library-champions-release-fy18-dear-appropriator-letters/

House library champions release FY18 “Dear Appropriator” letters

Posted by: Kevin Maher <http://www.districtdispatch.org/author/kmaher/> March
22, 2017 in Funding <http://www.districtdispatch.org/category/funding/>,
Legislation <http://www.districtdispatch.org/category/legislation/>

Your limited-time-only chance to ask for your House Member’s backing for
LSTA and IAL begins now.

Where does your Representative stand on supporting FY 2018 library funding?
Against the backdrop of the President’s proposal
<http://www.districtdispatch.org/2017/03/presidents-budget-proposal-eliminate-federal-library-funding/>
 last week to eliminate the Institute for Museum and Library Services and
virtually all other library funding sources, their answer this year is more
important than ever before.

Every Spring, library champions in Congress ask every Member of the House
to sign two, separate “Dear Appropriator” letters directed to the
Appropriations Committee: one urging full funding for LSTA (which benefits
every kind of library), and the second asking the same for the Innovative
Approaches to Literacy program. This year, the LSTA support letter is being
led by Rep. Raul Grijalva (D-AZ3)
<https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/raul_grijalva/400162>. The IAL
support letter is being jointly led by Reps. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX30)
<https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/eddie_johnson/400204>, Don Young
(R-AK) <https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/don_young/400440>, and Jim
McGovern (D-MA2)
<https://www.govtrack.us/congress/members/james_mcgovern/400263>.

The first “Dear Appropriator” letter asks the Committee to fully fund LSTA
in FY 2018 and the second does the same for IAL. When large numbers of
Members of Congress sign these letters, it sends a strong signal to the
House Appropriations Committee to reject requests to eliminate IMLS, and to
continue funding for LSTA and IAL at least at current levels.

*Members of the House have only until April 3 to let our champions know
that they will sign the separate LSTA and IAL “Dear Appropriator” letters
now circulating, so there’s no time to lose.* Use ALA’s Legislative Action
Center  <http://cqrcengage.com/ala/>today to ask your Member of Congress to
sign both the LSTA and IAL letters. Many Members of Congress will only sign
such a letter if their constituents ask them to. So it is up to you to help
save LSTA and IAL from elimination or significant cuts that could
dramatically affect hundreds of libraries and potentially millions of
patrons.

Five minutes of your time could help preserve over $210 million in library
funding now at risk.

Soon, we will also need you to ask both of your US Senators to sign similar
letters not yet circulating in the Senate, but timing is key. In the
meantime, today’s the day to ask your Representative in the House for their
signature on both the LSTA and IAL “Dear Appropriator” letters that must be
signed no later than April 3.

Whether you call, email, tweet or all of the above (which would be great),
the message to the friendly office staff of your Senators and
Representative is all laid out at the Legislative Action Center
<http://cqrcengage.com/ala/>and it’s simple:

*“Hello, I’m a constituent. Please ask Representative  ________ to sign
both the FY 2018 LSTA and IAL ‘Dear Appropriator’ letters circulating for
signature before April 3.”*

Please, take five minutes to call, email, or Tweet at your Members of
Congress  and watch this space throughout the year for more on how you can
help preserve IMLS and federal library funding. We need your help this year
like never before.


http://www.districtdispatch.org/2017/03/house-library-champions-release-fy18-dear-appropriator-letters/


-- 
*Diedre Conkling*




*Lincoln County Library DistrictP.O. Box 2027Newport, OR 97365Phone & Fax:
541-265-3066Work email**: **diedre at lincolncolibrarydist.org*
<diedre at lincolncolibrarydist.org>
*Home email: **diedre08 at gmail.com* <diedre08 at gmail.com>

“If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change
your attitude.”―Maya Angelou
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