ALAWON: American Library Association Washington Office Newsline
Volume 14, Number 129
Date: December 22, 2005

In This Issue: Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill Update--Thank Congress!

This week Congress passed the Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill.  The funding levels for Literacy Through School Libraries and LSTA are listed below.  It is expected that the funding levels listed will be impacted by a 1% across the board cut of the bill - please stay tuned for an update containing the final official numbers once they become available. 
 
Improving Literacy Through School Libraries was level-funded at $19.683 million before the rescission and will be $19.486 million.
 
LSTA was one of the few programs to receive an increase.  LSTA was funded at $210.597 million, a $5million increase over the funding levels for the last fiscal year. 
 
The LSTA distribution is: 
 
The State grant program ...$163.746 million
Native Americans/Native Hawaiians grants ...$3.638 million
National Leadership grants...$12.375 million
Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Initiative... $23.76 million
Administration for IMLS ...$7.078 million.
 
Please contact your Senators and Representatives to THANK them for their support of library services. Unlike other programs that were cut during the appropriations negotiations, libraries received a small but appreciated increase. 

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