ALA: Help Keep Library Funding in Stimulus Package

By SLJ Staff -- School Library Journal, 2/11/2009 6:00:00 PM

If you’d like to see more federal money for school and public libraries, now is your time to do something about it. The American Library Association is urging its members and other library supporters to pick up their phones or email their elected officials in Washington, DC, to ensure that important library provisions remain in the economic stimulus bill being hammered out on Capitol Hill.

Timing is of the essence—and the next 36 to 48 hours is critical to get millions, perhaps billions, of dollars for libraries in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), says ALA.

This week, the Senate and House will discuss their versions of the economic stimulus package and try to work out their differences. That’s why it’s so crucial that lawmakers know how important libraries are to their constituents.

“Your advocacy will be the key to our success,” says ALA. Last week, for example, Senate Amendment 501 could have stripped broadband funding from its version of the bill, but more than 1,250 calls and emails from library supporters to their elected officials defeated the amendment and successfully protected this funding.

“Now we need even more [support],” says ALA, adding that calls toelected officials should specify support for the following parts in both the House and the Senate versions:

Restore education construction funds eliminated from the Senate version of the ARRA. The House version of the bill provides $14 billion for K-12 construction and $6 billion for higher education construction and specifically mentions that libraries can use the funds.
Restore the money cut from the State Stabilization Fund in the Senate bill to $79 billion to and restore the governors’ ability to use a portion of the funds at his discretion.
Maintain $8 billion for ‘Broadband Technology Opportunities Program’ for robust broadband to the entire country, including “fiber to the libraries for the 21st century.”
Make sure there is no less than $200 million available for competitive grants for expanding public computer center capacity, including community colleges and public libraries.
Uphold open access of network, and do not include provisions allowing intrusive network management techniques.

If your elected official is listed below, it’s even more critical to contact him, since he is a conferee on this legislation and controls what stays in and what is taken out. Appropriations Chairman Dave Obey (D-WI); Ways and Means Chairman Charlie Rangel (D-NY); Commerce Chairman Henry Waxman (D-CA); Appropriations Ranking Member Jerry Lewis (R-CA); Ways and Means Ranking Member Dave Camp (R-MI); Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV); Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT); Appropriations Chairman Daniel Inouye (D-HI); Finance Ranking Member Chuck Grassley (R-IA); Appropriations Ranking Member Thad Cochran (R-MS).

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