Bush Freezes School Library Funding in 2009
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Debra Lau Whelan -- School Library Journal, 2/6/2008 2:00:00 PM
President Bush’s farewell message to school libraries was very clear this year: no extra money for you. In his just-released 2009 budget, Bush proposed a funding hike for public libraries through the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA)—but he kept monies for the Improving Literacy Through School Libraries program at $19.1 million, the same level as 2008.
“We’re very disappointed in [Bush’s] decision, and we’re trying to work hard at the grassroots level to get that figure raised,” says Melanie Anderson, the American Library Association’s (ALA) assistant director of the Office of Government Relations.
But due to an election year, Anderson doesn’t expect Congress to approve the President’s budget before the 2009 fiscal year, which begins on October 1—and that means ALA will be working hard between now and then to convince members of the House and Senate appropriations committees about the importance of school libraries, says Anderson.
Extra efforts will also be made during National Library Legislative Day in May, when library supporters descend on Capitol Hill to urge legislators to provide more funding for media centers, Anderson adds.
Although the Improving Literacy Through School Libraries program was authorized at $250 million in 2001, funding has never been appropriated at that level. Ideally, ALA would like to see the program funded at $100 million, which would transform it from a competitive grant to one in which each state department of education would allocate funds to individual districts as needed, Anderson says.
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education, the federal program provides funding to public school libraries to update collections, expand Internet connections, buy new technology, provide professional development for media specialists, and extend library hours. The program was funded at $19.5 million in FY 2006 and 2007, slightly more than its current level.
Meanwhile, libraries across the country can expect another year of generous funding, thanks to a proposed 2009 increase in LSTA monies by President Bush.
The news—which comes at a time when domestic discretionary spending is severely restricted and funding for 151 programs is being cut or eliminated—will mean that many libraries across the country can continue providing key programs and services to their communities, such as bookmobiles and public access to the Internet.
“This budget is fantastic news for library users across the country,” says ALA President Loriene Roy. “Across the country, libraries use LSTA funding for a wide variety of access services, including workshops on career information, family literacy classes, homework help and mentoring programs, information on religions and other cultures, access to government information, and so much more.”
The proposed LSTA increases include $171.5 million for state grants, a hike of $10.6 million from FY 2008. This ensures that smaller states will have the resources to serve their populations. Also included is $26.5 million for the Recruitment of Librarians for the 21st Century, a boost of $3.16 million.
LSTA is the only federal program exclusively created for libraries, and is administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
