Now that the “Dear Appropriator” letters have started to circulate in the Senate, it’s time to ask Senators to preserve over $210 million in federal library funding. One letter asks the Senate Appropriations Committee to fully fund the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) and the second letter asks for full funding for the Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL) program.
The more Senators who sign these letters, the better the chance that the funding for the LSTA and IAL programs will be preserved, especially as the battle for domestic spending becomes more intense and Members of Congress look for programs to cut. The LSTA letter is being jointly led by Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Susan Collins (R-ME). The IAL support letter is being led by Senator Reed (D-RI).
Please email your Senators today and ask that they sign on to both letters. The deadline is April 10th.
Check ALA’s appropriations letter tracker for real time updates. Need more information? Visit ALA’s District Dispatch.