Save California Library Literacy Funding: Feb 23 Update

SAVE PUBLIC LIBRARY FUNDING !
Letters, Phone Calls, Faxes, Emails

February 22 - March 1

Budget Conference Committees to meet for the next 6 days before going to a potential vote on the Floor by the end of next week.

Gov Brown hopes to have a final spending proposal before the full Legislature by March 10.

Senate Budget Comm: Leno/Huff
Assembly Budget Comm: Blumenfield/Nielsen
Senate Appropriations Comm: Kehoe/Walters
Assembly Appropriations Comm: Fuentes/Harkey

This morning (CLA Blog), Budget Conference Committee Chairman, Bob Blumenfield noted that the BCC would attempt to meet for 6 days only, with a potential vote on the Floors by the end of next week. In your letters or phone calls, please request the following action of the Conferees:

"I respectfully urge your support of the Assembly Version of the Budget, pertaining to the three issues in the State Library Budget: the California Library Services Act, the Public Library Foundation, and the California Library Literacy Services program."

In your calls and letters please indicate why elimination of these programs (per the Senate version) would:

1) destroy the cooperative lending and loaning system of books and materials in California,

2) could lead to a system where non-residents are denied access to library materials or asked to pay for a library card costing upwards of $100,

3) would put in jeopardy almost $17 million in corresponding federal funds,

4) deny literacy services to more than 20,000 adult learners annually who potentially would have no other alternative for seeking these services locally, and

5) denies local assistance dollars for libraries who have already suffered mightily with the state and local funding cuts over the past few years.

[Please refer to any of these issues that are most important for your particular area of interest]

Faxes, Phone Calls, Letters and e-mails are Most Important !

on February 18, 2011
Assembly: Recommended Minimal Cuts
Senate: Recomemended Elimination of all Funding

Save California Public Library and Literacy Funding