Abstract:
In recognizing the important role of libraries in communities and schools, the House last year passed the LHHS spending bill which included a $9 million increase for the Library Services and Technology Act (for a total of $206 million), while the Senate draft included a $6 million increase for the Innovative Approaches to Literacy program ($34 million). ALA supports these levels; however, these increases are not yet realized—their budgets effectively frozen through the duration of the CR at last year’s fiscal levels. Every day of uncertainty in the final spending bills adds further uncertainty to public and school libraries working to meet the growing demand for services they provide to communities.
