ALAWON: American Library Association Washington Office Newsline Volume 12, Number 8 January 21, 2003 In This Issue: PLEASE COME! Rally to Save America's Libraries You should have received an e-mail from me a few days ago about a rally in Philadelphia next Friday. Please note that the room assignment for that event has changed to PCC 108A. Momentum is building for our Rally to kickoff the nationwide Save America's Libraries campaign. We're doing this to bring awareness to the dire financial situation in all types of libraries around the country. The rally will be held on Friday, January 24th, 12-1PM, Room 108A, at the Philadelphia Convention Center. Here are some reasons why we're organizing the rally: * Numerous libraries across the country have cut or eliminated their materials, books, and periodicals budgets. * Binghamton Public Library [New York] has closed ALL of it's branch libraries * Philadelphia Public Schools have no money for elementary school libraries or librarians * Seattle Public has been forced to close for two weeks with librarians taking NO pay during that time * Denver Public has closed the Colorado Resource Center that hooked up all libraries across the state for lending and reference We need your presence! Come, participate, and hear the details. HOW HAVE YOU BEEN AFFECTED? We are still looking for a few more people to share their stories at the rally. I know that many of you have a story to tell. If you are willing and able to speak please send your story by email to Robyn L. Stein (rlstein@promediacomm.com) and to me, freedman@wlsmail.org. These stories will bring depth to the rally by showing the impact of the cuts from coast to coast. Robyn Stein will be in touch shortly after you send an e-mail to make arrangements. HOW TO GET INTO THE RALLY: People who are not registered for the conference but are attending the rally should go to the West concourse entrance at 12th street and Arch street at the Convention Center. If the security guard inside the door asks where they are going they should indicate that they are going to the rally in room 108A. I look forward to seeing you there as we work together to kick off the ALA Campaign to Save America's Libraries. Mitch Freedman ****** ALAWON (ISSN 1069-7799) is a free, irregular publication of the American Library Association Washington Office. All materials subject to copyright by the American Library Association may be reprinted or redistributed for noncommercial purposes with appropriate credits. To subscribe to ALAWON, send the message: subscribe ala-wo [your_firstname] [your_lastname] to listproc@ala.org or go to http://www.ala.org/washoff/alawon. To unsubscribe to ALAWON, send the message: unsubscribe ala-wo to listproc@ala.org. ALAWON archives at http://www.ala.org/washoff/alawon. ALA Washington Office, 1301 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Suite 403, Washington, D.C. 20004-1701; phone: 202.628.8410 or 800.941.8478 toll-free; fax: 202.628.8419; e-mail: alawash@alawash.org; Web site: http://www.ala.org/washoff. Executive Director: Emily Sheketoff. Office of Government Relations: Lynne Bradley, Director; Camille Bowman, Mary Costabile, Don Essex, Patrice McDermott and Miriam Nisbet. Office for Information Technology Policy: Rick Weingarten, Director; Jennifer Hendrix, Carrie Russell, Claudette Tennant. ALAWON Editor: Bernadette Murphy.