[Libs-Or] Library Advocacy Alert: Deadline Approaching: We Need Your Help Now!

[Sue Ludington, OLA Legislative Committee Chair]

Good morning,
It’s been a while since you’ve heard from OLA's Library Development &
Legislation Committee
<https://www.olaweb.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=199>
(LDLC), but things are happening legislatively at the federal level – and we
need YOU to act immediately on behalf of libraries across Oregon!

You may recall the Build Americas Libraries Act
<https://www.ala.org/advocacy/buildlibraries> (BALA): Originally submitted
as bi-partisan legislation in early 2021, the bill’s intent was to fund
upgrades to libraries nationwide to address challenges such as natural
disasters, COVID-19, broadband capacity, environmental hazards, and
accessibility barriers.

Unfortunately, BALA did not make it into the infrastructure package, so the
goal now is to get the bill into the federal budget package currently being
considered by Congress. Legislation that allocates that funding must be
submitted by September 15. ALA is advocating the budget package include
funding equivalent to the BALA request. An estimated $62 million would be
allocated for Oregon.

We expect Congressional committees to move quickly, so it’s crucial for
library supporters to communicate with Members of Congress *right now* and
into early September about the importance of including construction and
renovation funding for libraries in the package.

Key decisions will be made by the Senate Committee on Health, Education,
Labor, and Pensions <https://www.help.senate.gov/about/members> and its
counterpart, the House Committee on Education and Labor
<https://edlabor.house.gov/about/membership>. Luckily, Oregon’s Congresswoman
Suzanne Bonamici <https://bonamici.house.gov/> is now serving on this House
Committee. If you live in her district
<https://sos.oregon.gov/blue-book/PublishingImages/national/reps-congedited.jpg>,
please consider sending a message to her directly via her website’s contact
form: https://bonamici.house.gov/contact

If not in her district, please use ALA’s structured form that will send the
message to your Congressional legislators:
https://cqrcengage.com/ala/app/write-a-letter?1&engagementId=511327
NOTE: The text here can be customized to tell *your* personal story –
which, as we all know, has greater impact on our legislators more than
anything else – so please do!

Why stop at a letter, though? Since Congress is currently in recess, this
is the perfect time to connect with legislators while they are in their
home districts, possibly even having them visit a library where you
can show ARPA
funding at work <https://libguides.osl.state.or.us/lstagrants/arpaawards>
or demonstrate the need for funding for facilities. (See this terrific
YouTube video <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRqBiVQ0nuA> from Coos Bay
Public Library and this Eugene Register-Guard opinion piece
<https://www.registerguard.com/story/opinion/columns/2021/04/15/guest-view-libraries-community-build-americas-libraries-act-emily-david-kate-lasky/7206299002/>
authored by Kate Lasky and Emily David for examples of  Oregon libraries in
desperate need of repair.)

Remember, you can find out who your Congressional members are here:
https://www.oregonlegislature.gov/findyourlegislator/leg-districts.html

To assist with your correspondence, ALA offers some talking points; please
see the attached document (edited for Oregon) for these.

Thank you for your prompt attention and action, and please contact me
(current LDLC Chair), or Jeremy Skinner or Kim Olson-Charles (incoming LDLC
Co-Chairs) via ldlcchair at olaweb.org, if you have any questions!
*****
Sue Ludington
Library Development & Legislative Committee, Chair 2020-2021
Oregon Library Association
ldlcchair at olaweb.org
541-682-4337 (w)
503-754-4653 (h)
Pronouns: she/her
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://omls.oregon.gov/pipermail/libs-or/attachments/20210826/e4caaf26/attachment.html>
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: BALA Talking Points & Additional Resources.pdf
Type: application/pdf
Size: 62252 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <https://omls.oregon.gov/pipermail/libs-or/attachments/20210826/e4caaf26/attachment.pdf>