================================================================= ALAWON Volume 6, Number 69 ISSN 1069-7799 August 7, 1997 American Library Association Washington Office Newsline In this issue: (91 lines) ACTION NEEDED ON LSTA FUNDING DURING AUGUST RECESS_________________________________________________________________ ACTION NEEDED ON LSTA FUNDING DURING AUGUST RECESS The House is expected to take up H.R. 2264, the bill including funding for the Library Services and Technology Act, immediately after the congressional August recess--perhaps as early as September 2. Senate action is also expected soon after recess on its version, S. 1061, and the House-Senate conference process could take place as quickly as mid-September. Library supporters can help to ensure both a high total for LSTA and a significant increase for the main part of the program--the more than 90 percent of LSTA that is allocated by formula to each state for library technological innovation and outreach activities designed to improve the delivery of library services in states and localities. Here is a quick summary of House and Senate Appropriations Committee action on FY98 LSTA funding: The House bill would provide $142 million for LSTA, an increase of $5.6 million above current funding and the President's request. Funds would be distributed as the LSTA basic law provides--3% for federal level administration, 4% for the National Leadership Grants discretionary program, and 1.5% for Indian library services, leaving 91.5% allocated to states. The Senate bill would provide a total of $146.4 million for LSTA, a $10 million increase, but the entire increase would be for the LSTA National Leadership Grants. Of the $10 million increase, the Senate committee "urges" the Institute of Museum and Library Services to award nearly $8 million for specific projects. (See the July 29 ALAWON, Vol. 6, No. 64 for a report on the details of Senate and House committee reports on LSTA funding.) The Senate approach leaves other parts of LSTA where they would be if the President's request of $136.4 million were enacted. An inadvertent result is that the state-based program would receive $2 million less than in FY97. This is because the funds needed to run the program at the federal level are now part of the LSTA account. Formerly such administrative expenses were included in a separate budget account for Department of Education salaries and expenses. Thus, LSTA funding truly comparable to FY97 would be $136.4 million plus $4 million (3% of the President's FY98 request) for federal level administration. This technical anomaly and the resulting potential cut in the funds reaching each state were not discussed, and possibly not even recognized, by either Senate or House. It is a result that Congress undoubtedly did not intend, and would probably be willing to correct. The Washington Office believes that this would be the most productive strategy at this time. ACTION NEEDED: Immediately after the congressional August recess, the House and Senate are expected to work out differences in their approaches to the Library Services and Technology Act in the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education appropriations bills (H.R. 2264 and S. 1061). Before the end of August, contact your Representatives and Senators at their district offices. Urge your legislators to provide the highest possible total for LSTA and the highest possible amount for LSTA state formula grants for library services so that every state will benefit. _________________________________________________________________ ALAWON is a free, irregular publication of the American Library Association Washington Office. To subscribe, send the message: subscribe ala-wo [your_firstname] [your_lastname] to listproc @ala.org. To unsubscribe, send the message: unsubscribe ala-wo to listproc@ala.org. ALAWON archives at http://www.ala.org/ washoff/alawon. Visit our Web site at http://www.alawash.org. ALA Washington Office 202.628.8410 (V) 1301 Pennsylvania Ave., NW, #403 202.628.8419 (F) Washington, DC 20004-1701 800.941.8478 (V) Lynne E. Bradley, Editor Deirdre Herman, Managing Editor Contributors: Carol C. Henderson All materials subject to copyright by the American Library Association may be reprinted or redistributed for noncommercial purposes with appropriate credits. =================================================================