[Scla-list] FW: [alacro-l] Ask your senators to protect library funding!

Wed Apr 7 09:23:27 MDT 2010

Those of you not comfortable call may want to use CapWiz to send and
email at http://capwiz.com/ala/sc/home/

Thanks,

Tom

From: Don Wood [mailto:dwood at ala.org] 
Sent: Wednesday, April 07, 2010 11:16 AM
To: alacro-l at ala.org
Subject: [alacro-l] Ask your senators to protect library funding!

From: Kristin Murphy, American Library Association
[mailto:kmurphy at alawash.org] 
Sent: Monday, March 29, 2010 2:16 PM
To: Don Wood
Subject: Ask your senators to protect library funding!

 <http://ffs.capwiz.com/img/sc/takeaction7_top_left.gif> 

Take Action Now 

 <http://ffs.capwiz.com/img/sc/takeaction7_top.gif> 

Ask your senators to protect library funding!

Call your senators now to support library funding!

Take Action!
<http://capwiz.com/ala/utr/1/CALKMHKEOK/IGACMHKHUK/4938058476> 

Please call your U.S. senators in Washington, D.C., today and ask them
to sign onto a "Dear Appropriator" letter that is circulating around the
Senate. This letter will be sent to the Senate Appropriations Committee
and will be asking the committee to support the Library Services and
Technology Act (LSTA) and the Improving Literacy Through School
Libraries (ILTSL) program in its FY2011 budget.

BACKGROUND ON THE PROGRAMS AND WHAT WE ARE ASKING FOR

LSTA

Congress is currently drafting the federal budget for fiscal year 2011.
It has never been more important than now that Congress fully funds the
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 without this funding.

In this "Dear Appropriator" letter that is circulating around in the
Senate, the signatures are urging the Appropriations Committee to
include $300 million in funding through LSTA in the FY2011 budget.
Please contact your two senators' offices and tell them about the work
your library does in the state and community.  It is always a good idea
to stress what programs and resources your library provides 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 senator to sign onto the "Dear Appropriator"
letter supporting LSTA and Improving Literacy Through School Libraries
(ILTSL). 

School Libraries

In his FY2011 budget request, 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 dissimilar programs to receive federal dollars under the
President's plan.  However, Congress is drafting 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 you NOW about the important role that school libraries play in
today's schools.

Right now there is a letter circulating around the Senate urging the
Appropriations Committee to specifically appropriate $100 million for
the ILTSL program.  This amount would make money available to every
state, rather than the current competitive grant program.  Please
contact your two senators' offices explaining to them how important
having a school library can be in a child's education.  Please ask them
to sign on to the ILTSL and LSTA "Dear Appropriator" by customizing the
letter below.

The deadline for the "Dear Appropriator" letter is April 14, so please
contact your senators today and urge them to sign on!  Also, please ask
your friends and library supporters to contact their senators as well -
we need to keep the pressure on our elected officials so these programs
receive the funding they need.

To take action, please take the following steps:

1.  Please go to http://capwiz.com/ala/
<http://capwiz.com/ala/utr/1/CALKMHKEOK/CXSKMHKHUL/4938058476>  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 benefits your community matters the most!

3.  Enter your contact information.

4.  Press Send.

5.  If you would prefer to call your representative, feel free to dial
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, please go to http://capwiz.com/ala/
<http://capwiz.com/ala/utr/1/CALKMHKEOK/LSVRMHKHUM/4938058476> .

6.  Please ask your friends and supporters to call.  We need as many
signatures as possible on these letters and your grassroots efforts
could make the difference.

If you no longer wish to receive e-mail from us, please click here
<http://capwiz.com/ala/lmx/u/?jobid=145954182&queueid=4938058476> . 

 <http://capwiz.com/ala/utr/i1/CALKMHKEOK/4938058476/img/capwizlogo.gif>

 <http://ffs.capwiz.com/img/sc/takeaction7_bottom.gif> 

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://box555.bluehost.com/pipermail/scla-list_scla.org/attachments/20100407/8cfe0088/attachment-0001.html>