[Libs-Or] ACTION NEEDED: Call your Representative about LSTA and IAL

[Buzzy Nielsen]

Hi everyone,

Many have no doubt heard that the President's proposed budget eliminates the Institute of Museum and Library Services and with it two critical pieces of federal library funding: Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA)<https://www.imls.gov/grants/grants-states> and Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL)<https://www2.ed.gov/programs/innovapproaches-literacy/index.html>, totaling about $200 million nationwide and over $2 million to Oregon. This is not business-as-usual; there is a legitimate threat to these programs, and we need to take action! I'll explain further below.

The Short Version
LSTA and IAL funding for libraries is in danger of being eliminated. ALA has written two letters to the Appropriations Committee in support of retaining this funding; we only have until Monday, April 3 to get Oregon's five U.S. Representatives to sign onto the letter. Emails and phone calls from library workers and patrons expressing support for federal funding, as well as stories of how the funding has helped the library and community, are crucial. Find your representative here and please act NOW!":
http://cqrcengage.com/ala/

If you'd like to direct your comments to Congressional staff who work in this policy area, here is their contact info:
http://www.olaweb.org/assets/Legislative/leg_2017_%20congress_contacts.doc

The Long Version
LSTA supports many essential programs in Oregon: statewide licensed databases (Gale and LearningExpress), OSLIS, Oregon Battle of the Books, Answerland, the Sage Library System courier, State Library consultants (Katie, Darci, Jennifer, Tamara, Arlene, and Ferol), Summer Reading Collaborative, EDGE Initiative, Focus on Children and Young Adults Institute, and more. It also supports competitive grants that have resulted in projects such as UO's Historic Oregon Newspapers<http://oregonnews.uoregon.edu/>, K-16 information literacy standards, outreach programs to underserved populations, and others at school, academic, public, special, and tribal libraries across the state. IAL funds provide competitive grants to school libraries and support programs such as Reach Out and Read (ROR) and Reading is Fundamental (RIF).

In other words, this funding is important to all libraries in our state. That's why the Oregon Library Association's Legislative Committee needs your help. Currently, the House of Representatives is discussing 2018 budget appropriations, including allocations, if any, to LSTA and IAL. The ALA has written two letters to the Appropriations Committee encouraging them to keep LSTA and IAL funding at their current levels. We need as many legislators as possible to sign onto and send these letters to the committee. Here are links to those letters:

*         Letter supporting LSTA: http://www.ala.org/advocacy/sites/ala.org.advocacy/files/content/FY18-LSTA-House-DA-Letter.pdf

*         Letter supporting IAL: http://www.districtdispatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/IAL-Approps-FY18-Letter.pdf

Please contact your House Representative and ask them to sign onto both of these letters. Calling is best. Be prepared to share a story about how LSTA and/or IAL have touched the lives of your patrons: the person who helped find a job thanks to LearningExpress, the child whose love of literature was sparked by OBOB, or the student who received critical research assistance thanks to Answerland.

The deadline for House members signing onto these letters is Monday, April 3, only a week away. Don't know who your Representative is? No problem! Use the ALA's Legislative Action Center to find out:
http://cqrcengage.com/ala/

While messages from library workers are important, those coming from patrons have greater impact. Encourage them to call, too, especially if they've somehow been touched by a program supported by LSTA or IAL.

Two notes:

1.       Representative DeFazio has already signed the letter. However, if you're a constituent, please call to thank him; it's important legislators know how many of their voters support them. If you're aware of other Oregon Representatives who have signed on, please let me know.

2.       The Senate will not take up appropriations until after Congress's recess in April. We'll put another call out to you when they take up the issue.

If you'd like more information, ALA has a couple of handy websites to keep you informed:

*         Fight for Libraries!: http://www.ala.org/fight-for-libraries

*         District Dispatch: http://www.districtdispatch.org/

I cannot emphasize enough how important it is that you show your support by contacting your House member. LSTA and IAL touch the lives of so many of our patrons. Our legislators need to understand the impact that cutting this funding would have on their constituents. Thank you for your efforts, and please let me know if you have questions.

Cheers!
Buzzy Nielsen
OLA VP/President-Elect, 2016-17

******************************
Library Director
Crook County Library
175 NW Meadow Lakes Dr.
Prineville, OR  97754
bnielsen at crooklib.org
(o) 541-447-7978 x301
(m) 971-270-0527

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