ALA: Action is Necessary Now to Help Save Federal Funding for Libraries

An important message from the American Library Association…

It is imperative that everyone be involved in the effort to help save critical federal funding of the Institute Museum and Library Services (IMLS) – especially Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) and Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL) program funds.*  Before April 3, please take five minutes to follow these few vital steps to communicate an important message to members of the U.S. House of Representatives.

  1. Go to Fight for Libraries! online.
  1. Use your zip code to identify your local Representative in the House.
  1. Read the action alert at the top of the Fight for Libraries! page and then click the Take Action button!
  1. At the top left of the Legislative Action Center (just under “Ask your Representative to support LSTA and IAL funding”), use the < and > arrows to send your Representative an email, a tweet AND to call them at the numbers provided.
  1. Use the prepared text in each case or craft your own way of saying, “Sign both the LSTA and IAL ‘Dear Appropriator’ letters NOW, please!”
  1. 24 hours after you take action, use the new sortable web tracker at Fight for Libraries! to see if your Congressperson has signed both letters yet. If they haven’t signed BOTH, contact them by all three methods again. If they have signed both, send them a message that says “Thanks for supporting library funding!”

Only you can get your House members’ signatures on both the LSTA and IAL “Dear Appropriator” letters. Help in this dramatic show of support that is needed to save these programs from the very real possibility of elimination or severe cuts.

* Please Note: The proposed cuts to Institute Museum and Library Services (IMLS) funding are included in the President’s federal budget proposal and are not related to the Public Library Fund (PLF) that funds Ohio’s public libraries. Please do not contact members of the Ohio House of Representatives or the Ohio Senate regarding these IMLS funding issues.