Support Library Funding
Contact your U.S. Senators
and Reps Today
District Dispatch: 3.19.2014 by
Jeffrey Kratz
Please contact
your U.S. Senators and Representatives by going to
the Legislative Action Center and urge them to support funding
in FY 2015 for the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) and Innovative
Approaches to Literacy (IAL).
There are currently two
letters circulating in the House of Representatives and the Senate. One letter (a letter in the House and a in
the Senate) is asking for support of the Library Services and Technology Act
(LSTA) in the FY 2015 Appropriations bill.
The other letter (a letter in the House and a in the Senate) is asking
for support for the Innovative Approaches to Literacy
(IAL) program also in the FY 2015 Appropriations bill. To find out if your legislators have signed
one of the letters this year, view this chart (pdf). If not
please contact him/her and encourage them to do so. If your Senator or Representative has signed
one of these letters, please thank him/her for their support of libraries.
Read below for some
background information on LSTA and IAL.
LSTA
Is the primary source of
annual funding for libraries in the federal budget. The bulk of this program is a
population-based grant funded to each state through the Institute
of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Each state determines how they will allocate
their LSTA funds, often relying upon this money to provide job searching
databases, resume workshops, summer reading projects, and so much more. In addition, LSTA also supports:
•Native American and Native
Hawaiian Library Services to support improved access to library services for
Native Americans, Alaska Native Villages, and Native Hawaiians;
•National Leadership Grants
to support activities of national significance that enhances the quality of
library services nationwide and provide coordination between libraries and
museums; and,
•Laura Bush 21st Century
Librarians which is used to help develop and promote the next generation of
librarians.
IAL
From 2002 to 2010, the
Improving Literacy through School Libraries program had been the primary source
of federal funding for school libraries.
However, in recent years the President and U.S. Congress have
consolidated or zero-funded this program.
ALA gives a special thanks to Sens. Jack Reed (D-RI) and Thad Cochran
(R-MS) who recognized that school libraries need a direct funding source in the
federal budget. In FY 2012, through report language in the Labor, Health and
Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill, the two redirected money to
the U.S. Department of Education to create the IAL program.
With Improving Literacy
through School Libraries being defunded, IAL has taken over as the primary
source of federal funding for school libraries.
Focusing on low income schools, these funds help many schools bring their
school libraries up to standards. This
money is not enough to help every school library, but it does help some with
updating materials and equipment, allowing children from disadvantaged areas to
have opportunities to become college and career ready.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment