[ISLMA-Share] ALA Action Alert: House Releases "Dear Appropriator" letter

[Email list for the Illinois School Library Media Association]

The American Library Association has released the following information on
their *District Dispatch* webpage (
http://www.districtdispatch.org/2018/03/house-dear-appropriator/)

House releases dear appropriator letters: call your Representative before
March 19
Published March 6, 2018 by Kevin Maher

The campaign to save over $210 million in library funding begins this week
in the House of Representatives with the release of two Dear Appropriator
letters.*

Our activity starts on the heels of the White House budget proposal for FY
2019
<http://www.districtdispatch.org/2018/02/white-house-budget-proposal-continues-to-miscalculate/>,
which recommends the elimination of most federal library funding. Though
the budget proposal is concerning, it is Congress that has the final say
over the FY 2019 budget.

Starting today, two Dear Appropriator letters are circulating in support of
federal library funding for FY 2019 for both LSTA and IAL. *Library
advocates need to contact their representatives this week and ask them to
sign both letters by the March 19 deadline.*

The more signatures we get on these Dear Appropriator letters, the better
proof we have of the wide, bipartisan backing for federal library funding.
For many members of Congress (especially those not on the Appropriations
Committee), signing these letters is the best opportunity for them to show
their unequivocal support for our nation’s libraries.

The FY 2019 LSTA Dear Appropriator letter, led by Rep. Raul Grijalva
(D-AZ), and calls on Congress to provide at least $187 million for LSTA.
Thanks to ALA members, one-third of the entire House of Representatives
(144 members) signed the FY 2018 LSTA letter last year
<http://www.districtdispatch.org/2018/01/ala-2018-continue-to-fundlibraries/>.
Our goal is to increase the number of signatories for the FY 2019 letter.

The FY 2019 IAL Dear Appropriator Letter is again led by four
representatives: Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX), Rep. Don Young (R-AK),
Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA), and Rep. Tom MacArthur (R-NJ). Last year, ALA
members succeeded in securing 146 signatures on the IAL letter. Again, our
goal is to increase the number of signatories.

When you call your member’s office, the script can be as simple as:

“Hello, I am a constituent of Representative [name] from [your town]. I am
calling today to urge the representative to sign two Dear Appropriator
letters supporting over $210 million in library funding – one letter for
the Library Services and Technology Act and one for the Innovative
Approaches to Literacy program.”

Even if member of Congress tells you that they have a policy of not signing
onto letters, respond by asking them to support an increase in federal
library funding.

Want to send an email? Visit the Action Center <http://ala.org/takeaction> to
take advantage of our email template.

This year, the ALA Washington Office has provided new tools to enhance your
advocacy. On the Fund Libraries <http://www.ala.org/fundlibraries> page,
you will find a table where you can track whether your representative has
signed the FY 2019 letters and see your representative’s history of support
for previous years’ Dear Appropriator letters. You will also find links to
resources for writing letters to the editors of news outlets to publicly
urge your member of Congress to sign the FY 2019 Dear Appropriator letters.

The fight for library funding is on. The first step to guaranteeing support
for federal library funding is for you to invite your member of Congress to
sign the Dear Appropriator letters on LSTA and IAL. Make your call today,
and then check Fund Libraries <http://www.ala.org/fundlibraries> to see
when your representative signs the letters. And stay tuned – similar
letters will be circulating in the Senate in a few weeks and this process
will start again.

*Related Documents:*

IAL Approps FY19 Letter
<http://www.districtdispatch.org/2018/03/house-dear-appropriator/ial-approps-fy19-letter/>

LSTA FY19 House request letter
<http://www.districtdispatch.org/2018/03/house-dear-appropriator/lsta-fy19-house-request-letter/>

**Both the House and the Senate have appropriations committees that draft
budget bills based on recommendations put forward by their subcommittees
(for example, the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related
Agencies Subcommittee, which has jurisdiction over the Institute of Museum
and Library Services). Members of Congress typically submit letters to the
appropriations committees to request funding for the programs they
champion, and the letters are co-signed by other members of Congress. *
Kevin Maher is the deputy director of government relations at the American
Library Association’s Washington Office. He has a bachelor’s degree in
journalism and political science from Marquette University in Milwaukee,
Wisconsin. Before coming to the ALA in 2014, Kevin was the vice president
of government affairs for the American Hotel and Lodging Association for 20
years.
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It is very important that we reach each House member from Illinois in
Congress. Please share with your colleagues who may not be receiving emails
from AISLE (formerly ISLMA). As with many issues in Congress. it is a
numbers game and the need for bipartisan support is critical.
Lou Ann Jacobs
AISLE Legislation Advocacy

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