Dear Library Community, I'm passing on the below message from the American Library Association to ask you to reach out to your federal representative to ask them to sign on to letters of support for LSTA & IAL. The LSTA funds support the public library grants available from the Library of Michigan and support other programs such as MEL The Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL) programs provide funding grants to high needs school districts for their school libraries/literacy programs. {Lansing & Ypsilanti received funds from IAL in the last grant cycle.} *The best action is to call your representative's office (see phone script below) -- and follow up with an email .* Both Michigan Senators have signed the LSTA & IAL letters. However, the only Michigan Representatives that have signed the LSTA letter are Debbie Dingall & Tlaib Rashida. *NO representatives from Michigan have signed the IAL letter*. You can also quickly send an email to your representative by using the form at this webpage: https://www.ala.org/advocacy/fund-libraries {Make sure the email that you will send mentions the deadline!} Let me know if you have any questions. Thank you! --Kathy As you know, ALA launched <https://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2024/04/ala-launches-fy-2025-fundlibraries> our federal FY 2025 #FundLibraries campaign last Monday with the release of two dear appropriator letters in support of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) and Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL) programs. *Yesterday morning the deadline for submitting signatures for the House letters has been set for Monday, April 29! We have until EOB on Monday to get signatures. * Right now, we are far off from our goal of reaching the same number of signatures as we had on the letters last year. We could really use support from ALA chapter communications and from chapter leaders to get more signatures. We are asking you to make calls to your own Representatives and then follow up by email. The directions are as follows: 1. Call your Representative's office. 2. Ask for the education/library staffer for your Member of Congress. 3. Deliver the short message below. 4. Follow up with an email with template email message (provided below), which includes links to the dear appropriator letters. The phone script, email and social posts should be customized with the name of the Representative and, ideally, indicate if they have signed both, one or neither letter. The chart on ALA's #FundLibraries web page <https://www.ala.org/advocacy/fund-libraries> tells you which letters (if any) your Representative has signed. Of course, if they have signed one of the letters, do thank them! We appreciate your voices and your influence as chapter leaders. Even though the states that receive IAL funding put it to good use – building a foundation of literacy in high-need places – every year we must prod legislators for signatures. The combination of partisan gridlock, election year politics and a proposed 4% cut to LSTA from the White House could translate into decreased funding for LSTA in FY 2025. Thank you for being a part of this national push, especially at a time when you're fighting battles in your own states. If you have any questions about these federal programs or ALA's #FundLibraries campaign, please contact Kris Stewart, Grassroots Communications Manager ( kstewart@alawash.org). *PHONE SCRIPT for calls to members of the U.S. House of Representatives* Check ALA's updated chart on signature status: https://www.ala.org/advocacy/fund-libraries#Sign%20ons <https://www.ala.org/advocacy/fund-libraries#Sign%20ons> Hello, I am the [title] of the [State] Library Association contacting you because [your boss] has supported libraries in recent years. Two bipartisan Dear Appropriator letters are circulating to support library funding, and we note that [your boss] has not yet signed [either of these letters]. One letter supports the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), which returns valuable resources to your state every year. That letter is led by Representatives Raul Grijalva and Don Bacon. On behalf of the members of the [State] Library Association, I am asking all members of the House [State] delegation to sign the Grijalva-Bacon LSTA letter. The second letter supports the Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL) program, which is the only federal program directly supporting literacy initiatives in school libraries. The letter is led by Representatives Jim McGovern and Don Bacon. Again, on behalf of the members of the [State] Library Association, I am asking [your boss] and all members of the [State] House delegation to sign the McGovern-Bacon IAL letter. The deadline to sign these letters is Monday! Thank you for passing along my request soon. *EMAIL TEMPLATE* (to follow up after phone calls) Hello. I am following up on my earlier call urging [your boss] to support libraries in our community in the FY 2025 budget. Every day, libraries provide valuable, no-fee services to children and families, veterans, unemployed, small businesses and entrepreneurs, seniors, and many others. In many communities, libraries are the only resource for broadband access, computing devices, and digital services. Two bipartisan FY 2025 Dear Appropriator letters are circulating which support of library funding and we note that [your boss] has not yet signed [either of these letters]. On behalf of the members of the [State] Library Association, I am asking all members of the House [State] delegation to sign [both the LSTA and IAL letters]. One letter (text here <https://www.ala.org/advocacy/sites/ala.org.advocacy/files/content/FY%2025%20House%20LSTA%20Letter.docx>) supports the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) and is led by Reps. Raul Grijalva and Don Bacon. LSTA provides valuable resources for public libraries in our state and resources for many of your constituents. The second letter (text here <https://www.ala.org/advocacy/sites/ala.org.advocacy/files/content/FY%2025%20House%20IAL%20Letter_0.docx>) supports school libraries through the Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL) program in the Department of Education. The IAL letter is led by Reps. Jim McGovern and Don Bacon. To sign the Grijalva-Bacon LSTA letter, contact Dorothy Holley at Dorothy.Holley@mail.house.gov or 225-2435. To sign the McGovern-Bacon IAL letter, contact Isabella Edo at Isabella.Edo@mail.house.gov or 225-6101. *Please note that the deadline to sign these letters is Wednesday, May 1. * Thank you for sharing my request today. [closing valediction/signature] *SOCIAL MEDIA AND LISTSERV POSTS* In addition to making phone calls and sending emails to your own congressional leaders, posting strategically in support of the campaign from your personal social media accounts can move the needle. Here are some suggestions and samples to work from (keeping in mind that customization/using an authentic voice is best): - use the hashtag #FundLibraries - tag your members of Congress and urge them to sign the letters that help their constituents - include the May 1 deadline for House signatures For your convenience, feel free to repost/quote post one of ALA's social media posts: - Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/ALALibrary/status/1783562902059843737 - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AmericanLibraryAssociation/posts/pfbid022vxWKKWzBbe... - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/american-library-association_fundlibraries-activity-7189329072940822529-HGmt?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop If you're posting on X/Twitter or Threads (which have a maximum word count), be sure to separate the copy below into a two-post thread. The first post is geared toward getting chapter members and library advocates to act, while the second post is geared directly at your elected officials. Here is a sample: Fellow [@YourAssociation] members: I just asked my senators and representative to sign letters to fully fund the LSTA and IAL programs. Check your legislators' sign-on status here and join me to ask Congress to #FundLibraries: [LINK: https://www.ala.org/advocacy/fund-libraries] [@RepHandle], [State] libraries are counting on federal funding to support summer reading, workforce programs, & more. Please stand with us & #FundLibraries by signing letters supporting the LSTA and IAL programs before the May 1 deadline. [LINK: https://www.ala.org/advocacy/fund-libraries] Kathy Lester, MLIS, MA Adjunct Faculty, *Wayne State University, School of Information Science* Advocacy Co-Chair, Past-President 2014*, **Michigan Association of School Librarians (MASL)* President, 2022-2023*, **American Association of School Librarians (AASL)* Councilor At Large*, American Library Association (ALA)* Retired School Library Media Specialist / Technology Coach*, **Plymouth-Canton Community Schools* *SL21 Model Library, 2017-2018* *SL21 Exemplary Ranking - Michigan School Libraries for the 21st Century 2013-2022* *ISTE Making IT Happen Award Winner* *2017 MAME Michigan School Library Program of the Year* *2012 **State Librarian's Excellence Award Winner* kathyL@mimasl.org twitter: @LibraryL <https://twitter.com/LibraryL> "Every school librarian is a leader; every learner has a school librarian" --American Association of School Librarians <http://www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/advocacy/tools/docs/AASL_Position_Statement_Effective_SLP_2018.pdf> (AASL)