ALAWON: American Library Association Washington Office Newsline Volume 14, Number 61 July 6, 2005 In This Issue: CONTACT YOUR SENATORS IMMEDIATELY AND ASK THEM TO SUPPORT FEDERAL FUNDING FOR AMERICA'S LIBRARIES. On July 12, the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee is scheduled to meet to consider fiscal year 2006 funding levels for several library programs. ALA is urging its membership to call their Senators, particularly members of the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education Appropriations Subcommittee (listed below), and urge them to support President Bush's request of $221.33 million for the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) and $100 million for the Improving Literary Through School Libraries program for FY 2006. Funding LSTA and the school libraries program at these levels would implement new formulas that would increase funding for all states. Back in April, 37 Senators signed on to a letter to the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee supporting $221.33 million for the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) and $100 million for the Improving Literary Through School Libraries program. On June 24, the House of Representatives approved $212.65 million for LSTA and $19.68 million for the Improving Literacy Through School Libraries program. The LSTA and the Improving Literacy Through School Libraries program provide critical funding for libraries of all kinds nationwide. Only by including $221.33 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. Funding is extremely tight this year and competition is very strong among the many groups seeking federal funding for the upcoming year. ACTION NEEDED: Contact your SENATORS and ask them to please support increased funding for federal library programs. Members of the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies Subcommittee: Senator Arlen Specter (Chairman) (PA), Senator Thad Cochran (MS), Senator Judd Gregg (NH), Senator Larry Craig (ID), Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX), Senator Ted Stevens (AK), Senator Mike DeWine (OH), Senator Richard Shelby (AL), Senator Tom Harkin (Ranking Member) (IA), Senator Daniel Inouye (HI), Senator Harry Reid (NV), Senator Herb Kohl (WI), Senator Patty Murray (WA), Senator Mary Landrieu (LA), Senator Richard Durbin (IL) Visit ALA's website for more information at: Use ALA's Washington Office Legislative Action Center at 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) 225-3121 ****** 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; Web site: http://www.ala.org/washoff. Executive Director: Emily Sheketoff. Office of Government Relations: Lynne Bradley, Director; Don Essex, Joshua Farrelman, Erin Haggerty, Patrice McDermott and Miriam Nisbet. Office for Information Technology Policy: Rick Weingarten, Director; Carrie Lowe, Kathy Mitchell, Carrie Russell. ALAWON Editor: Bernadette Murphy.