Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Library Advocacy: Please Act Now !

URGENT MESSAGE FOR LIBRARY ADVOCATES

ALA reports that Congressional offices hear from teachers, police and firefighters every day and almost nothing from the library community.

Libraries are as essential as schools and public safety.
Libraries help the economy by helping people find jobs.Library jobs are being cut now.

Libraries are not included in the Jobs for Main Street Act.

Library Advocates and Librarians must be as vocal as other public employees. The reason they are getting funding in this piece of legislation is because they call their congressional offices more often and in higher numbers than the library community.

The omission of librarians in the jobs bill is bad enough; there’s more . . .President Obama's budget proposal:
-freezes the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA)
-consolidates the school library program with literacy programs in the Department of Education.
These cuts will lead to a loss of jobs and a loss of services that our communities cannot afford to be without.


This bill could come up at any moment and it is critically important that you contact your Senators' offices immediately and tell them to push the above Senate leaders to include librarians in the jobs bill.

Don't just call once - keep calling !
Make sure to tell your senators what your library is doing to help people find jobs.
Don't let this legislation pass without the inclusion of library employees. There is no chance of getting this into the legislation without your calls and emails.

Please call both of your U.S. Senators to ask each of them to request that
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV)
Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL)
Senator Byron Dorgan (D-ND)
include the hiring and retaining of librarians in the $18 billion as well.Call the U.S. Capital switchboard ASAP at 202 . 224 . 3121.
email addresses and other contact information @


Please Act Now ! ! !

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Phoenix Public Library Faces 21.4% Budget Cut; Six of 15 Branches Would Close
Library Journal
Six of 15 Phoenix Public Library branches would be closed and 73.5 positions cut under what city officials call “extremely difficult” proposed cuts, which, ...
See all stories on this topic

Anonymous said...

The New York Public Library to Reduce Branch Hours Following Budget Cuts
The recent announcement of a $5.9 million mid-year City budget cut has necessitated service reductions by The New York Public Library at two-thirds of its locations across the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island.

The Library has developed a detailed plan to bridge its Fiscal Year 2010 budget gap (intensified by the loss of $900,000 in State aid),

Anonymous said...

Green Lake Library to experience huge cut in opening hours
MyGreenLake Jan24 Amy Duncan
The Green Lake Branch of The Seattle Public Library (7364 E. Green Lake Dr. N.) will operate on a reduced schedule beginning Wednesday, Feb. 3, 2010.The reduction in operating hours was part of a $1.7 million cut to the Library’s 2010 budget to help address a city revenue shortfall.
http://www.mygreenlake.com/2010/01/library-cuts/