oct04c.indd


W a s h i n g t o n  H o t l i n e  Bernadette Murphy 

Federal funding for libraries: We need 
your help 
The House of Representatives is set to con­
sider this month the Department of Labor, 
Health and Human Services, and Education 
Appropriations Act for Fiscal Year 2005. As 
you know, this bill contains funding for 
several library programs, including the Li­
brary Services and Technology Act (LSTA) 
programs at the Institute for Museum and 
Library Services (IMLS). 

The appropriations bill includes an over­
all funding level of $219.9 million for LSTA 
programs, an increase of $21.7 million over 
fi scal year 2004. As a result, the State Grants 
program could receive $169.9 million and 
the Librarians for the 21st Century program 
would receive $23 million, a $3 million 
increase. 

For the Improving Literacy through School 
Libraries program, the Appropriations Com­
mittee recommended that the program be 
funded at $19.8 million, the same level as FY 
2004. At this level, the Department of Educa­
tion would only be able to fund around 200 
awards for the approximately 3,000 eligible 
local education agencies. 

Given the large increase LSTA receives 
in the bill, there may also be an attempt by 
some Members of Congress during fl oor de­
bate on this legislation to take money from 
LSTA and use it to pay for increases in other 
programs that have been cut or eliminated. 

LSTA and the Improving Literacy through 
School Libraries programs provide critical 
funding for libraries of all kinds nationwide. 
Only by including at least $220 million for 
LSTA and $100 million for the Improving 
Literacy Through School Libraries program in 
the Labor, Health and Human Services, and 
Education Appropriations bill will we ensure 

Bernadette Murphy is communications specialist at ALA’s 
Washington Offi ce, e-mail: bmurphy@alawash.org 

that library patrons of all ages have suffi cient 
access to library and information services, 
support recruiting and educating the next 
generation of librarians, and provide libraries 
the resources they need to improve literacy 
skills and academic achievement. 

Action needed 
Please contact your Member of Congress 
and ask him or her to maintain the almost 
$220 million currently included in the Labor, 
Health and Human Services, and Educa­
tion Appropriations bill for LSTA programs, 
while increasing the amount of funding for 
the Improving Literary Through School Li­
braries program for FY 2005 to $100 million 
so that every state would receive funding. 

Visit the ALA Washington Office Web site 
for more information and talking points on 
these and other critical programs at www. 
ala.org/ala/washoff/WOissues/washfunding 
/funding.htm. 

ACRL offering online copyright 
seminar November 15–Decem­
ber 4, 2004 

ACRL will be offering a new online 
seminar, “Copyright issues and the aca­
demic library,” November 15–December 
4, 2004. 

Carrie Russell from ALA’s Offi ce for 
Information Technology Policy will walk 
participants through the major copyright 
issues facing academic librarians today. 
Topics covered will include electronic 
reserves, interlibrary loan, using media 
in courseware, and campus copyright 
policies. 

Registration opens October 18. Regis­
tration discounts are available for ACRL 
and ALA members. Visit the ACRL Web 
site for complete information, www.acrl. 
org/e­learning. 

548 / C&RL NewsOctober 2004 

www.acrl
mailto:bmurphy@alawash.org