Librarians from across the U.S. gathered in Washington, D.C. on May 1 and 2 to visit with lawmakers as part of the American Library Association's National Library Legislative Day. This year, representatives from University Libraries, the Master of Library and Information Studies program in UNCG's School of Education, the North Carolina Library Association and the State Library of North Carolina represented North Carolina with students and families to visit their representatives on Capital Hill.
Current issues for 2017 included continued funding for libraries, which was at the center of every conversation with lawmakers. Advocates asked Congress to fully fund the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) at $186.6 million, to reauthorize the Museum and Library Services Act (MLSA) and to appropriate $27 million for the Innovative Approaches to Literacy
(IAL) program.
LSTA is the only federal funding program for libraries. Most of its resources flow to each state through the IMLS in the form of a population-based matching grant. The State Library of North Carolina uses LSTA funds to increase the capacity of North Carolina libraries to improve services for residents. In North Carolina, all 100 counties have benefited from LSTA funds and the average allocation each year is $4.3 million.
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Michael Crumpton and Kathelene Smith
advocate on behalf of University Libraries. |
Save the date and join us in advocating for libraries next year! National Library Legislative Day will be May 7 and 8, 2018 in Washington, D.C. Learn more today and visit http://www.ala.org/advocacy/advleg/nlld
Current issues for 2017 included continued funding for libraries, which was at the center of every conversation with lawmakers. Advocates asked Congress to fully fund the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) at $186.6 million, to reauthorize the Museum and Library Services Act (MLSA) and to appropriate $27 million for the Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL) program. 
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