[LM_NET] Support libraries with a letter-to-the-editor

[Stephanie Kuenn <skuenn@ALA.ORG>]

Greetings!

 

YALSA has made a sample letter-to-the-editor for librarians to download
and send to their local newspaper or to distribute to patrons. You can
copy the text that follows or download a Word document version at
http://yalsa.ala.org/advocacy/LegDay_Letter2Editor.doc. 

Have you checked out a good book from the library lately or attended an
event there that you enjoyed? If so, please take a few minutes to speak
up for libraries. May 12, 2009, is National Library Legislative Day, an
event sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) to raise
awareness in Congress of the important role libraries play in the lives
of Americans. The federal government provides critical funds to the
nation's libraries to help cover the cost of things like Internet
access, computer terminals, online databases, outreach to community
members with special needs and more.

So, be a part of National Library Legislative Day and please contact
your Senator's office before May 14th and ask him/her to sign the "Dear
Colleague" letter being circulated by Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and
Olympia Snowe (R-ME) in support of funding for the Library Services and
Technology Act (LSTA) and the Improving Literacy Through School
Libraries Program. The letter requests that the Senate include $300
million for the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) and $100
million for the Improving Literary Through School Libraries program for
the 2010 fiscal year. The deadline for Senators to sign the letter is
May 14, 2009.

This is a tough budget year and only a select few programs will receive
an increase in funding for the 2010 fiscal year. LSTA and the Improving
Literacy Through School Libraries Program are in serious danger of
receiving cuts or level funding without a minimum of 60 Senators'
signatures on the letter. Please contact your Senator's office by May
14th and encourage your friends and family members to do so as well!

Visit the ALA web site for contact information for your Senator and for
talking points that you can share on the phone with the staff person in
your Senator's office. When you contact your Senator's office you must
ask that he or she call Andrew Odgren with Senator Reed at 202-224-4642
or Mathew Hussey with Senator Snowe at 202-224-5344 to sign on to the
letter.

Thank you for making a difference-every phone call helps!

Stephanie (Stevie) Kuenn

Communications Specialist

Young Adult Library Services Association <http://www.ala.org/yalsa> ,
the fastest-growing division of the American Library Association

skuenn@ala.org <mailto:skuenn@ala.org> 

v: 312.280.2128

f: 312.280-5276

--

 

 

 


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