Action Alert: Protect Federal Library Funding
The Trump Administration recently released its proposed federal budget for FY2018. The Institute of Museum of Library Services (IMLS), the independent agency that administers the bulk of federal library funding under the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA),is included in the list of independent agencies whose budgets the proposal recommends eliminating.
There’s an easy way for you to help - call your Senator today and ask them to sign the Dear Appropriator letters supporting LSTA and IAL.
These letters support $186.6 million for the Library Services and Technology Act, which goes to every state in the country for them to decide how best to use it, and $27 million for the Innovative Approaches to Literacy Program that buys books and other supplies for kids from the poorest communities across the country. For more information about these programs, check out our other posts about appropriations.
Members of the Senate have only until May 19th to sign the separate LSTA and IAL “Dear Appropriator” letters now circulating.
Use ALA’s Legislative Action Center today to ask your Senators to sign both the LSTA and IAL letters. Many Members of Congress will only sign such a letter if their constituents ask them to, so it’s up to you to help save LSTA and IAL from elimination or significant cuts.
Five minutes of your time could help preserve over $210 million in library funding now at risk.
Want to do even more to protect libraries? Sign up to participate on National Library Legislative Day or sign up for our Thunderclap.
