****Begin File******************Begin File*******************Begin File**** *************************************************************************** ALAWON ALA Washington Office Newsline An electronic publication of the American Library Association Washington Office Volume 2, Number 21 May 25, 1993 In this issue: (148 lines) LIBRARY PROGRAMS ELIMINATED BY HOUSE PANEL - ACTION NEEDED *************************************************************************** LIBRARY PROGRAMS ELIMINATED BY HOUSE PANEL - ACTION NEEDED On May 24, the House Appropriations Committee approved elimination of 3 library programs and 11 other education programs as part of an offset to pay for a scaled-down version of the Administration's stimulus package. The library programs to be eliminated include all funds already appropriated in FY93 for the Higher Education Act title II-A college library technology program, the HEA II-B library research and demonstration program, and the Library Services and Construction Act title VI library literacy program: ELIMINATIONS APPROVED BY HOUSE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE HEA II-A college lib. tech. $ 3,873,000 HEA II-B research & demo. 2,749,000 LSCA VI library literacy 8,098,000 --------- TOTAL 14,720,000 These "sacrifices" would help pay for an $841.5 million pared-down stimulus package, a reduced revival of the stimulus package which failed earlier to pass the Senate. The new package includes $320 million for summer jobs, $230 million for wastewater treatment projects, $200 million for localities to hire more police, $51 million for overhaul of Amtrak equipment, $33.5 million for rural waste and sewer loans, and $35 million for rural water and sewer grants. Also included is $14 million for a tree planting program. President Clinton had proposed a $920 million package paid for by a 0.45% across-the-board cut on all domestic discretionary programs including education and libraries. The total education cut in the President's proposal would have been $105 million. The total education cut in the House Appropriations Committee action is $135.7 million. IMPACT OF ELIMINATING FUNDS FOR LIBRARY PROGRAMS HEA II-A COLLEGE LIBRARY TECHNOLOGY AND COOPERATION GRANTS. Applicants have already submitted 260 applications requesting a total of $35 million, demonstrating a critical need for funds to share library resources electronically. Peer review has been completed on these applications, and grants are expected to be made within 30-45 days. This program complements new ideas in the Clinton Technology Initiative. The pilot projects proposed by Clinton to connect schools and public libraries to the Internet assume that already-connected academic and research libraries will share resources electronically with schools and public libraries. But the HEA II-A program is needed to help these libraries put their resources (not just online catalogs, but textual and multimedia resources and specialized and unique collections) on the network for access beyond their own campuses. A federal stimulus to local effort is critical for complex and expensive projects when the benefits accrue nationally and not primarily on the local campus. HEA II-B RESEARCH AND DEMONSTRATIONS. The deadline is May 28 for applications for a $2.5 million single one-time-only grant specified by congressional appropriators for FY93. The funds would support an online statewide library database demonstration grant. The remaining few hundred thousand dollars constitute the ONLY federal program devoted to research in library science. This program is expected to provide continued support in FY93 for the evaluation of federal library programs. This multi-year project, begun in FY92, focuses on training in how to plan and evaluate federal library programs. The University of Wisconsin-Madison is sponsoring two workshops this year to train personnel in state library agencies on evaluating federally funded library programs and services. The FY92 funds support training of state library agency personnel; the FY93 funds would support training of public library directors and other staff involved in administering federally-funded projects. Further, the library field has a serious shortage of research funds, just at the time when user-oriented library research is most needed so that the electronic networked environment is not designed solely by technologists. Analyzing user needs and applying the organizational principles of library science can result in more user-friendly networked information resources, but only if library and information scientists can bring research money to the table for interdisciplinary research and development efforts. LSCA VI LIBRARY LITERACY PROJECTS. Approximately 250 awards are expected to be made in FY93 for competitive grants to public and state libraries for coordinating and planning library literacy projects, training librarians and volunteers, promoting the use of voluntary services, acquiring materials, and using library facilities for literacy programs. Peer review has been completed and the grants are only a few weeks from being decided. Removing ANY funds for so critical an issue as literacy--one of the six national education goals--especially when planning, proposal preparation, and peer review have already been completed, is foolish. Libraries are logical focal points for literacy projects, since they are available in almost every local community, and are nonthreatening sites for adults who may be embarrassed about their inability to read. RECOMMENDATION: It is simply outrageous to pay for summer jobs, tree planting, and public works projects by eliminating effective library, literacy, and education programs. These cuts must be opposed when the House considers the stimulus package, and opposed in the Senate as well. ACTION NEEDED: The House stimulus package, a fiscal year 1993 supplemental funding bill, is expected to be taken up on the House floor on May 26. Contact your Representative immediately and oppose the elimination of library and education programs to offset the cost of this package. All Representatives can be reached through the House information number: 202-225-3121. All Representatives need to hear outrage from constituents on the elimination of library funds already appropriated and just about to be awarded. Your contacts, even if not in time for House floor action, will help set the stage for a different strategy when this package reaches the Senate. *************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** 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). 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