Time To Invest In Our Libraries ▬ Cal Matters

Time To Invest In Our Libraries

Cal Matters: 4.07.2021 by Greg Lucas and Patty Wong

California’s libraries are the hearts of their communities. That’s one reason 23 million Californians have library cards.

#BuildLibraries

But many of California’s libraries are 40 years of age or older, and like everything from power grids to two-lane highways, libraries eventually need to be repaired, renovated or replaced. Old wiring. Lousy plumbing. Non-existent or antiquated fire alarm or sprinkler systems. Restrooms that don’t work for Americans with disabilities. Despite the great love Californians have for our libraries, these conditions exist in far more communities than they should. 

The federal government hasn’t helped modernize and revitalize libraries since 1997, but that could change if the Build America’s Libraries Act – H.R.1581 and S.127 – is passed. The legislation would dedicate $5 billion to libraries nationwide, of which roughly $500 million would come to California. 

By any measure, this investment is long overdue and National Library Week, which began April 4, is an ideal time to consider how we can strengthen the resilience of California’s communities with a forward-looking approach to meet the challenges and needs of this century.

Our libraries are an essential part of California’s education system. In any given week, there are more than 100,000 different programs conducted in multiple languages, in-person and online, at more than 1,100 public library locations. The 23,000 computer terminals, coupled with the WiFi hotspots and laptops that can be checked out like books, help connect California’s least digitally connected.

But over half the state’s libraries have inadequate technology, broadband connectivity and ADA inaccessibility. Nearly one-third report health and safety deficiencies.  READ MORE ➤➤

 

Automatic Readability Checker

Readability Consensus

Based on 7 readability formulas:

Grade Level: 10

Reading Level: difficult to read.

Reader's Age: 14-15 yrs. old

(Ninth to Tenth graders)

 

Greg Lucas, California’s 25th State Librarian

Patty Wong, American Library Association’s president-elect and city librarian for Santa Monica Public Library

August Is for Advocacy :: Invite Elected Leaders Into Your Library via American Libraries

August Is for Advocacy

Summer is a critical time to invite elected leaders into your library

American Libraries: 7.24.2019 by Emily Wagner

Here’s the truth about the dog days of summer: August is prime time for advocacy. With members of Congress on recess, it is the perfect time to invite legislators to visit your library and let them see for themselves all the ways libraries bring value to their communities.

#ALAadvocacy

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Inviting your elected leaders—at the state, local, or national level—is not difficult. Here are a few steps to get started:

➧ Call your congressional member’s district office. Ask who handles meeting requests for their district and how they prefer to receive them.

➧ Write your request and tailor it to your elected leader, paying special attention to library services that intersect with their interests. For example, if your US representative is on the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, invite them to visit programs that serve the needs of veterans in your community.

➧ If your member of Congress is not available, invite a staffer to visit your library. Often they will enjoy the tour so much they will want their boss to see it.

➧ Once the meeting is set up, put together supporting materials for the visit. The American Library Association’s Public Policy and Advocacy Office can coordinate with you to make sure you have the resources you need.

➧ When you conduct the tour, remember that your elected officials want to hear from you—your feedback is critical to their work. There is no need to feel intimidated.

➧ The visit is a wonderful photo opportunity for them. Be sure to ask ahead of time if they would like to take a picture or video inside the facility. Remember to ask permission to use images on your social media platforms (most officials will appreciate the visibility).

There are several steps you can take afterward that will multiply the impact of your decision maker’s visit, including:

➤ Follow up with the staffer to say thank you and ensure all their questions are answered.

➤ Promote your library’s value by highlighting the leader’s visit on social media.

➤ Write a letter to the editor expressing gratitude for the official’s visit and urging support for your library.

ALA is eager to learn about your congressional visits. Share your library tour using the hashtag #ALAadvocacy so that ALA can amplify your work and inspire others to host elected leaders.  READ MORE >>

RESOURCES

Advocacy 101 Video: Getting Your Library Story in your Local News

Using Social Media

Build Relationships with Elected Officials

Find Your Elected Official     

Become an Advocate  

Talking Points & Tools

Quotable Facts about America’s Libraries

Library Value Calculator

How valuable is your local library?

Use this handy Library Value Calculator, created by the Massachusetts Library Association.

2019 One-Pagers

One Pager: Libraries and Your Community

Leave-Behind: Federal Funding for Libraries

Talking Points: Federal Funding for Libraries

CLA Call to Action :: Phone Your Representatives Today :: President's Budget to Eliminate Federal Library Funding

FEDERAL BUDGET NEWS - YOUR ACTION REQUESTED TODAY!

CLA Latest News: March 2017

                         

Dear California Library Community:

If you have not yet seen the news this morning, the new Federal budget (among other things) eliminates the IMLS. 

ALA Press Release – President’s budget proposal to eliminate federal library funding 'counterproductive and short-sighted'

·  Budget from White House – America First

·  Details about the budget – What Trump cut in his budget

      Washington Post: 3.16.2017 by Kim Soffen and Denise Lu 

Read related:  Trump federal budget 2018: Massive cuts to the arts, science and the poor

Members of House Appropriations 

· Calvert, 42^nd District  (Corona/IE)

· Valadao, 21^st District (Hanford)

· Roybal-Allard, 40^th District (Commerce)

· Lee, 13^th District (East Bay)

· Aguilar, 31^st District (San Bernardino/IE)

·   Library Services & Technology Act Funding in California

·  2015-2016 LSTA Funds by District

Please get on the phone with your representatives today, this is urgent.

Helen McAlary,

President, California Library Association

5 Minutes Can Net Libraries $200 Million :: Federal Budget

Five minutes can net libraries $200 million next year

District Dispatch: 3.11.2016 by Kevin Maher

Earlier this week, we asked for your help in defending the more than $200 million in LSTA and other federal library funding from Congressional and Administration cost-cutters.

Time was short then and it’s even shorter now.

Your help is needed to get your Representative and both US Senators to sign “Dear Appropriator” letters supporting LSTA and Innovative Approaches to Literacy grants, among others.  With just a few days left to get as many members of Congress behind those programs as humanly possible, now is the time for you to go to ALA’s Legislative Action Center and help save more than $200 million for communities across the country . . . very likely including yours!

A strong showing on these letters sends a signal to the Appropriations Committees’ to protect LSTA and IAL funding. So far, your work has generated thousands of emails, but frankly, we need many, many more.

Whether you call, email, tweet or all of the above (which would be great), the message to the office staff of your Senators and Representative is simple:

“Hello, I’m a constituent.

Please ask Representative/Senator ________

to sign the LSTA and IAL ‘Dear Appropriator’ letters

circulating for signature!”

Please take five minutes to call, email, or Tweet at your Members of Congress and support library funding for 2017. For more detailed information, read our earlier post on District Dispatch.

Now is the time to contact your Members of Congress’ offices.

Senate letters must be completed by March 14

House letters must be completed by March 18.

Support Library Funding: Contact your U.S. Senators and Reps Today

Support Library Funding

Contact your U.S. Senators and Reps Today

District Dispatch: 3.19.2014 by Jeffrey Kratz

Please contact your U.S. Senators and Representatives 

by going to the Legislative Action Center and urge them to support funding in FY 2015 for the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) and Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL).

There are currently two letters circulating in the House of Representatives and the Senate. One letter (a letter in the House and a in the Senate) is asking for support of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) in the FY 2015 Appropriations bill. The other letter (a letter in the House and a in the Senate) is asking for support for the Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL) program also in the FY 2015 Appropriations bill. To find out if your legislators have signed one of the letters this year, view this chart (pdf). If not please contact him/her and encourage them to do so. If your Senator or Representative has signed one of these letters, please thank him/her for their support of libraries.

Read below for some background information on LSTA and IAL.

LSTA

Is the primary source of annual funding for libraries in the federal budget.  The bulk of this program is a population-based grant funded to each state through the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Each state determines how they will allocate their LSTA funds, often relying upon this money to provide job searching databases, resume workshops, summer reading projects, and so much more. In addition, LSTA also supports:

•Native American and Native Hawaiian Library Services to support improved access to library services for Native Americans, Alaska Native Villages, and Native Hawaiians

•National Leadership Grants to support activities of national significance that enhances the quality of library services nationwide and provide coordination between libraries and museums

•Laura Bush 21st Century Librarians which is used to help develop and promote the next generation of librarians.

IAL

From 2002 to 2010, the Improving Literacy through School Libraries program had been the primary source of federal funding for school libraries. However, in recent years the President and U.S. Congress have consolidated or zero-funded this program. ALA gives a special thanks to Sens. Jack Reed (D-RI) and Thad Cochran (R-MS) who recognized that school libraries need a direct funding source in the federal budget. In FY 2012, through report language in the Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations bill, the two redirected money to the U.S. Department of Education to create the IAL program.

With Improving Literacy through School Libraries being defunded, IAL has taken over as the primary source of federal funding for school libraries.  Focusing on low income schools, these funds help many schools bring their school libraries up to standards. This money is not enough to help every school library, but it does help some with updating materials and equipment, allowing children from disadvantaged areas to have opportunities to become college and career ready.

CLA: Save Public Library Funding

CLA NEEDS YOUR HELP - BUDGET CUTS
SAVE PUBLIC LIBRARY FUNDING !

Letters, Phone Calls, Faxes, Emails

BUDGET HEARING DATES SET
CLA Blog: January 21, 2011
by M Dillon & C DiCaro, CLA Lobbyists

The Governor wants a decision on a $12 Billion Cut by the first part of March.

Hearings for the Elimination of this $12 Billion include:
~ Public Library Foundation = $12.9 Million
~ California Library Services Act (TBR) = $12.9Million
~ Literacy program = $4.6Million

Feb 1 – 1:30pm: Senate Budget Subcom – Rm 3191, State Capitol
Feb 7 – 9:00am: Assembly Budget Subcom – Rm 444, State Capitol

IMPORTANT NOTE: If we are not successful in getting some of this money restored by the subcommittees, all may be lost.

The loss of the CSLA funding would not only mean an eventual loss in federal funds as well as state funds, but it would also lead to the total dismantling of the book and material sharing between libraries.

There may be as many as 67% of communities that would not have any access to a literacy program if the Governor's cuts were enacted. Adult education programs do not exist in these communities.

100% elimination of 3 important programs is unfair and unacceptable to the library patrons of California.

Put a personal face on these cuts.

Senate Budget Subcommittee Number 1 on Education Finance
The Honorable Carol Liu, Chair
State Capitol, Room 5061 - Sacramento, CA. 95814
Phone: (916) 651-4021
Fax: (916) 324-7543

The Honorable Bob Huff, Member
State Capitol, Room 5097 - Sacramento, CA. 95814
Phone: (916) 651-4029
Fax: (916) 324-0922
The Honorable Roderick Wright, Member
State Capitol, Room 5064 - Sacramento, CA. 95814
Phone: (916) 651-4025
Fax: (916) 445-3712

Assembly Budget Subcommittee Number 2 on Education Finance
The Honorable Susan Bonilla, Chair
State Capitol, Room 2188 - Sacramento, CA. 95814
Phone: (916) 319-2011
Fax: (916) 319-2111
The Honorable Bill Berryhill, Member
State Capitol, Room 3141 - Sacramento, CA. 95814
Phone: (916) 319-2026
Fax: (916) 319-2126
The Honorable Julia Brownley , Member
State Capitol, Room 2163 - Sacramento, CA. 95814
Phone: (916) 319-2041
Fax: (916) 2141
The Honorable Brian Nestande, Member
State Capitol, Room 4139 - Sacramento, CA. 95814
Phone: (916) 319-2064
Fax: (916) 319-2164
The Honorable Sandre Swanson, Member
State Capitol, Room 6012 - Sacramento, CA. 95814
Phone: (916) 319-2016
Fax: (916) 319-2116
Find your Assembly Member or State Senator

Governor Jerry Brown
c/o State Capitol, Suite 1173
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 445-2841

CLA, Libraries, Adult Learners and Volunteer Tutors Thank You for Your Help !

TAKE ACTION: Support Museum & Library Services Act

URGENT

Support the Museum and Library Services Act S.3984 !

Call your Representative
Tell them to
Support the Museum & Library Services Act !Take Action !

CALL the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask to be transferred to your representative’s office. Tell their staffs that passing S. 3984, the Museum and Library Services Act (MLSA), is imperative to ensuring libraries can continue providing critical resources to their constituents, particularly in this tough economy.

Specifically highlighting programs or resources your library provides to the member’s constituents will make your message stronger.

The U.S. Senate passed MLSA Reauthorization under unanimous consent late Tuesday night, bringing the bill one step closer to reauthorization before the end of the 111th Congress.

MLSA will ensure that the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funds are secured and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is equipped to lead America’s libraries. This bill received bipartisan support from both Senate Republicans and Democrats, especially Senator Jack Reed (D-RI), who is a longtime supporter of libraries in this country. Other Senate sponsors of this bill include Sens. Richard Burr (R-NC), Thad Cochran (R-MS), Susan Collins (R-ME), Michael Enzi (R-WY), and Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Jon Tester (D-MT).

Access the full text of the bill S. 3984 here.

MLSA has moved to the U.S. House of Representatives where it must receive a vote before the end of the calendar year. Please call your representative and urge him or her to press House leadership for a vote on the Senate-passed version of MLSA and to support the bill.

Your calls are urgently needed TODAY. If the House does not pass this legislation in the next two weeks, the whole reauthorization process will have to start over after the first of the year.

Compose a Message Here and send by email.

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~ including the president, members of Congress, governors, state legislators, and more.