Urgent Action Needed on 2 Amendments in the House

Library Colleagues,

I am forwarding a message from ALA for action regarding (1) continued funding for Institute of Museum and Library Services and LSTA funding for libraries, and (2) an amendment that would stop funding for FISA orders.

Both of these issues are important and the Department of Libraries supports (1) FULL FUNDING for IMLS and LSTA, and (2) a YES vote on the Conyers’ amendment. Details about these amendments are below.

FYI:

IMLS/LSTA funding in Vermont pays for:

Partial salaries of 20 DOL employees who provide these services: library consulting, continuing education, support for youth services, library statistics
Vermont Automated Library System and the Web2 union catalog
OCLC interlibrary loan service
Cataloging for public libraries
A portion of the cost of the Vermont Online Library
Services of the Library for the Blind and the Physically Handicapped
Resource Sharing grants for public and academic libraries

We have a very supportive congressional delegation in Vermont, but they need to hear from you now.

Thanks,
Martha Reid
State Librarian
Vermont Department of Libraries
802-828-3265

____________

This week, the House of Representatives will consider two amendments to
the FY2011 Continuing Resolution that are critical to libraries – one
that would eliminate all Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)
funding including Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funding and
another that would halt all funding for Foreign Intelligence
Surveillance Act (FISA) orders seeking libraries and bookstore records
of U.S. citizens.

E-mail via Capwiz
<http://capwiz.com/ala/issues/alert/?alertid=28204516&PROCESS=Take+Actio
n> or call your representative at (202) 224-3121 today and tell him or
her to oppose Amendment #35 to the Continuing Resolution!

Amendment #35, submitted by U.S. Rep. Scott Garret (R-NJ), seeks to zero
out the Institute of Museum and Library Services, eliminating all
federal funding specifically for libraries.

Message to Your Representative:

* Libraries are essential to every community, and federal funding
is critical for ensuring library resources and services remain available
to their constituents.
* LSTA supports all kinds of libraries including school, academic,
and public libraries.
* Public libraries are the primary source of no-fee access to the
Internet and are active in assisting the public with online job
searches, e-government services, and lifelong learning.

This amendment, sponsored by U.S. Rep. John Conyers (D-MI), would halt
all funding for FISA orders seeking libraries and bookstore records of
U.S. citizens. Currently, this vote is scheduled for this Thursday,
February 17.

Message to Your Representative:

* Vote YES on the Conyers amendment to the FY2011 Continuing
Resolution to halt funding for Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act
(FISA) orders that would seek library and bookstore records of U.S.
citizens;
* The Conyers amendment seeks to protect individual privacy and
personal reading records from inappropriate access by law enforcement;
* Like previous reader privacy bills, this amendment has
bipartisan support;
* Law enforcement access to the reading habits of individuals
should be held to a higher legal standard in order to protect civil
liberties and the right to read and access information.

In the weeks to come, extending your advocacy efforts to your senators
as well as continuing to reach out to your representatives will be
vitally important to protecting the future of libraries. Questions as
well as reports and feedback from your calls and e-mails are welcomed.
Please contact Kristin Murphy <mailto://kmurphy@alawash.org> or Lynne
Bradley <mailto://lbradley@alawash.org

> at the ALA Office of Government
Relations, Washington Office.