What's happening in Congress now? For the moment, lots of talking, not a lot of agreeing – but maybe soon! That's why we need you to contact your legislators about these issues:
Funding for Library Construction: Congressional Democrats continue to negotiate about their budget reconciliation bill, called the Build Back Better Act. On Oct. 28, House Democrats unveiled a new, $1.75 trillion draft. That version of the bill included $300 million in additional funding for the Emergency Connectivity Fund which can provide grants to libraries, but did not include funding for library construction or school construction. However, changes to that draft are expected! This is likely our last chance to urge that libraries be included in the Build Back Better Act. As a prominent voice in the Senate, it is important that Senator Baldwin hears from you and understands that funding for library construction must be included in the bill. To contact Senator Baldwin, please click here.
IMLS and LSTA/IAL Funding: Congress has not yet passed annual funding bills for the current fiscal year; instead, government programs are operating under temporary funding at last year's levels, called a continuing resolution, until Dec. 3. Thanks to all of your advocacy earlier this year, the proposed FY 2022 appropriations bills include significant increases for federal funding for libraries, including an additional $9 million for the IMLS-administered Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) in the House bill, and $3 million for the Department of Education-administered Innovative Approaches to Literacy Grant (IAL). In addition, the Senate draft includes $3 million for an important Information Literacy Taskforce. However, we need to ensure that these increases remain included as Congress works to reach their final agreement before the deadline. Please contact your federal Senators and Representatives and ask them to ensure these funding increases are included for libraries in FY 2022. To find the contact information for your Senators, please go here, and your Representatives, please go here.
For more information about ALA's advocacy campaigns, please visit their website.
Thank you so much for your continued advocacy,
Sherry Machones
WLA Federal Coordinator
