ALAWON: American Library Association Washington Office Newsline
Volume 13, Number 14
March 11, 2004

In This Issue: CONTACT YOUR MEMBER OF CONGRESS AND ASK THEM TO 
SUPPORT FEDERAL FUNDING FOR AMERICA'S LIBRARIES

Representative Raśl Grijalva (D-AZ) and Representative Robert 
Simmons (R-CT) are circulating letters to their colleagues in the 
House of Representatives asking them to provide sufficient funding 
for federal library programs.  The letter is addressed to the 
House Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriation 
Subcommittee that supports federal library programs and 
respectfully requests that the House and Senate include $232 
million for the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) and 
$100 million for the Improving Literary Through School Library 
program for FY 2005.

The LSTA and the Improving Literacy Through School Libraries 
program provide critical funding for libraries of all kinds 
nationwide.  Only by including $232 million for the LSTA and $100 
million for the Improving Literacy Through School Libraries 
program in the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education 
Appropriations bill will we ensure that library patrons of all 
ages have sufficient access to library and information services, 
support recruiting and educating the next generation of 
librarians, and provide libraries the resources they need to 
improve literacy skills and academic achievement.

A similar letter will be circulated in the U.S. Senate shortly. 
ALA will update you when that letter is ready.

Visit ALA's website for more information on this letter:
http://www.ala.org/ala/washoff/WOissues/washfunding/funding.htm

ACTION NEEDED: Contact your Member of Congress in the House of 
Representatives and ask them to please sign the Rep. Grijalva-Rep. 
Simmons letter to Chairman Ralph Regula (R-OH) and Ranking Member 
David Obey (D-WI) supporting federal library programs.
Please do not contact Rep. Grijalva or Rep. Simmons directly.  
Instead, your Representative's staff needs to contact Rep. 
Grijalva or Rep. Simmons' staff.

Use ALA's Washington Office Legislative Action Center at 
http://capwiz.com/ala/home/ to identify and fax your Members of 
Congress in both the House and the Senate.  

You can also call your Member of Congress directly using the U.S. 
Capitol switchboard at:  (202) 224-3121 Senate or (202) 225-3121 
House.

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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, Don Essex, Josh Farrelman, Patrice 
McDermott and Miriam Nisbet. Office for Information Technology 
Policy: Rick Weingarten, Director; Carrie Lowe, Kathy Mitchell, 
Carrie Russell. ALAWON Editor: Bernadette Murphy.