School Librarians: Getting a Piece of the StimulusPie
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By Debra Lau Whelan -- School Library Journal, 04/20/2009
Chances are you’ve heard about the recently passed stimulus funds—and you’re also probably wondering how you can get your hands on it.
With passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA), a considerable amount of money will be flowing from Congress to the states. The good news is that there are many opportunities for school libraries to benefit from this unprecedented level of funding.
Although there are funds that media centers can take advantage of, for the most part, local and state superintendents will decide how to allocate that money. So, it’s extremely important that school librarians and their supporters lobby hard.
“The loudest voices through the process will be the ones that receive funding,” says Melanie Anderson, the American Library Association’s associate director for the Office of Government Relations.
Want to increase your chances of receiving funds? Here’s what the ALA says you can do:
Talk to your principal and other school officials about what plans they have for ARRA funds in their schools.
Make a needs list. It’s imperative that you and your supporters speak up and let your principal and superintendent know that they should spend these funds on the school library. School districts are particularly interested in programs that can be launched immediately. It’s also important to remember that an emphasis will be placed on temporary funding or activities that create or save jobs.
Contact your state library agency. Find out what the state librarian is doing and whether she is aware of other initiatives in which you can collaborate. As you learn more about what other libraries are doing, identify potential models that you may want to adapt for your school library.
Get in touch with your U.S. senators and representatives. Keep them informed about the exciting things you’re doing in the school library and how information literacy skills improve student achievement and relate to job readiness.
Think big. Even a small fraction of the billions of dollars available in the legislation represents a lot of money. School libraries may potentially fit into several parts of the various programs.
Funds for school libraries are available through the following:
The $53.6 Billion State Stabilization Fund
This program includes $48 billion in block grants allocated among the states, of which 81.8 percent is reserved for the Education Stabilization Fund and 18.2 percent is reserved for the Government Services Stabilization Fund, which the governor can use as he sees fit. Money from this program can be spent on K–12 school and academic library materials, staff, modernization, and construction. The 18.2 percent or $8.8 billion Government Services Stabilization Fund can also be spent on the school library.
The funds under the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund will be available in two stages. Funds will be delivered by formula from the U.S. Department of Education to the states. States are eligible to receive the first round of funding on April 1. The Department has issued guidance answering many questions on how to spend the State Stabilization Funds, including what is allowed for modernization and construction.
An additional $13 billion for Title I
This fund creates opportunities for educators to implement innovative strategies in Title I schools that improve education for at-risk students and close the achievement gap. The money is flexible and, for the most part, the control rests in the hands of local and state superintendents. The Department of Education is expected to release 50 percent of the funds in the Spring of 2009. This funding can be spent on school libraries.
An additional $650 million for Enhancing Education Through Technology State Grant
This program improves student achievement through the use of technology in elementary and secondary schools. Additional goals include helping all students become technologically literate by the end of the eighth grade. The funds will be distributed to the states as a formula grant and can be spent on the school library. The Department of Education will release these funds to the states in the Fall of 2009.
The ALA Washington Office has created a Know Your Stimulus Web site as a one-stop source guide on how to make sure libraries benefit from the package and the most up-to-date information on the stimulus.
