Senator Reed Talks Library Funding
The author of the Reed Amendment seeks to increase funds for school library materials
Staff -- School Library Journal, 3/1/2002
Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), sponsor of the Reed Amendment, visited the offices of School Library Journal on February 11 to talk about his interest in libraries and his plans to lobby for an increase in the $12.5 million in federal funding recently allotted for FY2002 for school library materials under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA). Reed's bill mandated that a funding line be included in ESEA, meaning that for the first time in more than 30 years school libraries could receive significant federal funding.
What sparked your interest in school libraries and your initiative to get them federal funding?
I've always felt that libraries are such a critical part of education, ever since being involved with local politics at the city and state level, when I was in the state general assembly. Without a good school library you can't have the very best school.
Were you disappointed that only $12.5 million was appropriated for FY2002?
Absolutely, we're going to try to ramp that up, we hope. Now we have a $100 million authorization, at least, and we have a target to shoot at, so we can go to the appropriators and say, "This is something we want put in." We'll be requesting, I think, the total is $100 million for [FY2003]. We're going to work like crazy to increase the funding. It might go from $12 million to $25 million [for FY2003] to $50 million [for FY2004], but I hope we can get more money in.
What advice would you give school librarians seeking to raise their profiles?
The obvious thing is just being more proactive in terms of contacting your representatives, not just in Congress, but the local state houses in cities and towns. Where I'm from, the state of Rhode Island, we have a very active group of school librarians who meet. My advice is to be a little more active about important issues. I think you could forge alliances with all library advocates across the board—public libraries, university libraries, school libraries. Be consistent about the message, which is that a good education requires access to a good library.
