****Begin File******************Begin File*******************Begin File**** *************************************************************************** ALAWON ALA Washington Office Newsline An electronic publication of the American Library Association Washington Office Volume 2, Number 14 April 22, 1993 In this issue: (197 lines) CLOSE TO 600 ATTEND LIBRARY LEGISLATIVE DAY URGENT ACTION NEEDED TO FUND LIBRARY PROGRAMS *************************************************************************** CLOSE TO 600 ATTEND LIBRARY LEGISLATIVE DAY Close to 600 librarians, library trustees, and other friends of libraries attended National Library Week Library Legislative Day on Tuesday, April 20. Attendees represented almost every state and came from as far away as Alaska, and Hawaii. There were over 50 library school students from Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Maryland and the District of Columbia. The annual Legislative Day event occurs on the Tuesday of National Library Week and is sponsored by the American Library Association, the District of Columbia Library Association and the Special Libraries Association. At the morning briefing, the Friends of Libraries, USA (FOLUSA) gave an award to Senator Paul Simon (D-IL) for his service on behalf of libraries. Fifteen House members and one Senator attended the evening reception as well as many congressional staff, representing members and committees. *************************************************************************** URGENT ACTION NEEDED TO FUND LIBRARY PROGRAMS A congressional library champion needs your help immediately in a campaign to restore funding for the library programs proposed for elimination in the Clinton Administration budget request. Rep. Dale Kildee (D-MI) is seeking cosigners among his House colleagues on a letter to the Chairman of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education. The deadline for signing on is Wednesday, April 28. The letter requests that the subcommittee provide funding at current year levels for the zeroed-out titles under the Library Services and Construction Act and the Higher Education Act library programs: PROGRAM (amounts in thousands) FY 1993 FY94 ADMIN. APPROP. REQUEST LIBRARY SERVICES & CONSTRUCTION ACT $128,626 $114,749** Title I, public library services 83,227 95,000 II, pub. lib. construction 16,584 0 III, interlibrary cooperation 19,749 19,749** IV, Indian library services * * V, foreign language materials 968 0 VI, library literacy programs 8,098 0 *2% of LSCA I, II, & III **This figure was incorrectly reported in ALAWON Vol. 2, No. 13. This is the correct figure. HIGHER EDUCATION ACT 18,425 0 Title II-A, college library tech. 3,873 0 II-B, library education 4,960 0 II-B, research & demonstrations 2,802 0 II-C, research libraries 5,808 0 VI sec 607, foreign research materials 982 0 Excerpts from the letter follow: We were deeply disappointed to learn that the President's Fiscal Year 1994 Budget request eliminates all HEA library programs, and several programs under the LSCA. In fact, of the twenty-four programs proposed for elimination under the Department of Education budget, almost one-fourth are library programs. The recently passed Higher Education Amendments of 1992, included programs focusing on networking with an emphasis on enhancing connectivity between libraries, as well as educating and training professionals to be proficient in the new electronic environment. The funding of these programs would greatly benefit other government technology efforts. The President has proposed a new technology agenda to provide funding for pilot projects to connect schools, hospitals and libraries to networks. The success of this program will be dependent upon the ability of research and academic libraries to share their resources with the networks, and to have properly trained librarians and users in how to access and better manage electronic information resources. The HEA Title II programs have made these efforts possible, and they must be funded if we are to continue our progress in utilizing information resources. The LSCA Programs slated for elimination would remove assistance for public libraries to meet the requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act, to upgrade technologically obsolete library buildings, to acquire foreign language materials, and to provide critical adult literacy programs. We would request that you provide $18.4 million for the Library Programs and fully fund the LSCA programs for FY 94. Thank you for your consideration of this important request. EARLY RESULTS GOOD; MORE WORK NEEDED IMMEDIATELY Within 24 hours of Library Legislative Day visits by library supporters, 20 congressional offices had called Rep. Kildee's office to sign on. This is an excellent result in so short a time, and a good, strong start to the effort. However, we know more Representatives indicated an interest in signing on. IF YOU ASKED YOUR REPRESENTATIVE TO COSIGN ON A RECENT VISIT: Make a follow-up phone call to the staff person you met. If the office promised to sign, ask whether they have followed up by contacting staffer Larry Rosenthal (202-225-3611) in Rep. Kildee's office. If the office said they'd consider signing, press for a commitment, and indicate you will make further follow-up inquiries. IF YOU WERE NOT ABLE TO COME IN PERSON TO LIBRARY LEGISLATIVE DAY: Contact your own Representative immediately. Explain that Department of Education library programs would be cut by over 20 percent, and that $44 million worth of library programs would be zeroed out. These programs do not substitute for local support, but constitute the research, demonstration, innovation, and recruitment assistance for libraries. Nor do new Clinton initiatives replace the zeroed out library programs. For instance, new proposals would help link libraries and schools to the Internet for access to information resources, but the zeroed out HEA library programs help academic and research libraries to make their resources available over the Internet. Both are needed. THE MESSAGE TO YOUR REPRESENTATIVE: Sign on to Rep. Dale Kildee's letter to Rep. William Natcher recommending restoration in FY94 of zeroed out LSCA and HEA library programs at FY93 levels. Deadline: April 28, 1993. Kildee contact person: Larry Rosenthal, 202-225-3611. GROUP LETTERS FROM MEMBERS ARE EFFECTIVE Do such techniques work? Yes! A letter from colleagues, especially a long list of colleagues, is hard for congressional appropriators to ignore. Such a letter will demonstrate strong congressional support for library programs, and will remind the new Administration that the library community and its supporters have grass roots strength. It will also demonstrate that we believe these programs fit beautifully into the Clinton/Gore Administration priorities. LSCA and HEA programs are already funding Internet/NREN activities. IF YOU'RE FROM MICHIGAN: Thank Rep. Dale Kildee. Make sure your library colleagues from his district know about his leadership effort and that he receives thanks from his district. Rep. Kildee sponsored legislation which resulted in the reauthorization of HEA title II library programs last year with a new emphasis on the electronic networked environment. He's a true library champion. Another key player from Michigan whose support is needed is Rep. Kildee's chairman on the Education and Labor Committee--Rep. Bill Ford (D- MI). Urge all of Rep. Kildee's Michigan colleagues to cosign. IT'S NOT BUSINESS AS USUAL THIS YEAR This year, when Democrats in Congress must act on the budget of a Democratic President, it will be much tougher politically for Congress to reverse zero budget recommendations. Strong constituient pressure is absolutely essential, especially on HEA library programs which would be wiped out completely. All library school faculty, all II-B fellowship recipients, and all past and potential recipients of college library technology and research library grants are urged to contact their Representatives to sign on to the Kildee letter. The continued existence of these programs is at stake. *************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** ALAWON is an irregular publication of the American Library Association Washington Office, 110 Maryland Avenue, N.E., Washington, DC 20002-5675. Phone: 202-547-4440; Fax: 202-547-7363; Internet: alawash@alawash.org. Editor and List Owner: Fred King (fdk@alawash.org). All or part of ALAWON may be redistributed, with appropriate credits. ALAWON is available free of charge and is available only in electronic form. To subscribe, send the message "subscribe ala-wo [your name]" to listserv@uicvm (Bitnet) or listserv@uicvm.uic.edu (internet). Back issues of ALAWON are available from the list server. To find out what's available, send the message "send ala-wo filelist" to the listserv. The ALA-WO filelist contains the list of files with the exact filename and filetype. 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