Library Advocacy Alert--Action Needed

ALA Public Information Office (lwallace@ala.org)
Mon, 18 Aug 1997 11:26:56 -0400 

Date: Mon, 18 Aug 1997 11:26:56 -0400
Message-Id: <199708181528.LAA06318@comet.connix.com>
From: ALA Public Information Office (Linda Wallace) <lwallace@ala.org> (by way of mgolrick@sclc.org (Michael A. Golrick))
To: Multiple recipients of list <conntech>
Subject: Library Advocacy Alert--Action Needed

LIBRARY ADVOCACY ALERT
August 17, 1997
Contact: ALA Washington Office                         Tel:800-041-8478
alawash@ala.org                                                 Fax:
202-628-8419

ACTION NEEDED ON LSTA FUNDING DURING AUGUST RECESS

ACTION NEEDED:  Before the end of August, contact your
Representatives and Senators at their district offices. Urge your
legislators to provide the highest possible total for the Library Services
and Technology Act, and the highest possible amount for LSTA state
formula grants for library services so that every state will benefit.  The
bill containing LSTA funding is the FY1998 Labor, Health and Human
Services and Education Appropriations bills (H.R. 2264 and S. 1061).

The House and Senate, now in recess, will take up these LSTA funding
bills on their return--perhaps as early as September 2.  The
House-Senate conference process to work out differences between
H.R. 2264 and S. 1061 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.

BACKGROUND
The House bill would provide $142 million for LSTA, an increase of $5.6
million above current funding and the President's request, and enough of
an increase to ensure that each state benefits.  The Senate bill would
provide a total of $146.4 million for LSTA but intends almost the entire
increase to go for specific projects at individual institutions, by urging
that certain activities be funded directly from the federal level.

An inadvertent result of the Senate approach is that the state-based
program would receive $2 million less than in FY97.  In the move of LSTA
from one agency to another, the administrative funds needed to run the
program at the federal level are now part of the LSTA account.  The
Senate, in putting all its increase in one place, did not make allowance for
the federal administrative funds, and therefore squeezed the state
formlula grants.

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 will probably be willing to correct by
adding to or adjusting LSTA funding in the House-Senate conference
process.  Hearing from constituents will help achieve this result.

Thank you for your support.