ACRL News Issue (B) of College & Research Libraries


93

 m ade according to these guidelines, even in 
th e  e v e n t th a t th e  m a te ria l is to b e  d e a c c e s ­
sioned. No system has yet b een  devised for can­
celling marks which cannot be im itated w ith rela­
tive ease by thieves, and th e re  seems no altern a­
tive b u t to assum e p erm a n en t responsibility for 
th e fact of one s m ark of ow nership in a book,

m anuscript, or o th er docum ent. P erm an en t rec
ords sho u ld  b e  k e p t of d e ac c e ssio n e d  m aterial
containing marks of ow nership m ade according t
these guidelines, and th e m aterial itself w hen r e
leased should be accom panied by a signed le tte
of authorization on institutional stationery. ■ 

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W A S H I N G T O N  H O T L I N E  by Carol Henderson
Deputy Director 

ALA Washington Office

If all the proposals outlined in President Reagan's fiscal year 1983 
budget should be enacted by Congress there would be no federal role in 
support of libraries. The list of programs proposed for zero funding and 
termination is extensive: Higher Education Act II-A grants for college 
library resources and networking, HEA II-B library training and library 
research and demonstrations, HEA II-C grants for major research libraries, 
the Library Services and Construction Act public library services and inter- 
library cooperation, and the National Commission on Libraries and Informa­
tion Science. The elementary and secondary education block grant which 
includes school libraries would be cut severely, then turned back to the 
states and phased out. Some cuts in library funds already appropriated 
for F Y T82 were also proposed, including the entire $1,920,000 for college 
libraries. The Education Department would be downgraded to a much smaller 
Foundation for Education Assistance.

In response to requests at A L A ’s Midwinter Meeting in Denver for a 
plan of action to protest this disastrous budget, the February 9 ALA Wash­
ington Newsletter suggested a massive campaign of letters and visits to 
every Representative and Senator with a very simple message— don't cut 
FY 1982 library funds, and reject the FY 1983 budget for library programs—  
backed up by specific data or "for instances" on the impact of the proposed 
cuts. This campaign has three components:

(1) Everyone— librarians, faculty, students, researchers, friends,
White House Conference participants— should write immediately.
Write to your own legislators to protest the budget for the 
program(s) you know best.

(2) This is the time to activate association and chapter legislation 
networks. Spread the word to others to write letters. Organize 
a representative group of library supporters for all types of li­
braries to visit the home offices of Members of Congress. In an 
election year (all House seats and 1/3 of Senate seats will be up 
for election), they will be home often; there is a recess scheduled 
for April 7-19. Or send a small group to Washington for the annual 
Legislative Day on April 20 of National Library Week.

(3) Data on the expected impact of wiping out library programs, or "for 
instances" on services not provided or improvements not made are 
needed by your legislators and by the ALA Wahsington Office. In­
corporate such material into your letters to make them more effec­
tive and send blind copies to the ALA Washington Office, 110 Mary­
land Avenue, N.E., Box 54, Washington, D.C. 20002 (202/547-4440).