Federal Dollars on the Line for State Library Programs ::: District Dispatch:

Federal Dollars on the Line for State Library Programs

District Dispatch: 2.03.2016 by Kevin Maher

Ask Your Members of Congress to Help Bring the Bucks Home while They’re at Home

It’s “appropriations” season again in Washington. That time every year when the President submits a budget to Congress and, in theory at least, Congress drafts and votes on bills to federally fund everything from llama farming to, well, libraries. Nevermind where llamas get their cash, but libraries in every state in the nation benefit from funds allocated by Congress for the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), the only federally funded program specifically dedicated to supporting libraries. Last year, libraries received just under $183 million in LSTA funding, about $156 million of which flowed to states as matching grants.

Neither llama farmers nor libraries, however, benefit from federal funding without considerable convincing. That’s where you and your Members of Congress come in.

Starting in mid-February, individual Members of Congress will start signing letters addressed to their influential colleagues who sit on the powerful Appropriations Committees in both chambers of Congress. Those letters will ask the Committee to provide specific dollar amounts for specific programs, LSTA included. The math is easy: the more Members of Congress who sign the “Dear Appropriator” letter asking for significant LSTA funding, the better the odds of that money actually being awarded by the Appropriations Committee and eventually flowing to your state. Similarly, the more librarians and library supporters who ask their Members of Congress to sign that LSTA Dear Appropriator letter, the better the odds that LSTA will be funded and funded well.

So, how can you help? That’s easy, too.

We are asking library supporters to reach out and request a meeting with their Representatives and Senators while Members of Congress are home for the Presidents’ Day recess from February 15 – 20. The message to deliver at these meetings couldn’t be more simple or straightforward: “Please add your name to the LSTA Dear Appropriator letter.”  READ MORE @