CMLE members: it’s time!
We get a pittance of money at all levels to provide an extraordinary amount of services to our communities – and our federal money is being threatened. Our federal money is threatened, our federal office is threatened – and our libraries will suffer!
DO NOT STAND FOR THIS! Let the world know just how valuable libraries are, and about the work that you do!! Let’s NOT just sit passively and quietly as our structures are dismantled, and our organizations ruined!!
Be proud of yourself, and of your library!
Our work is important – and should not be devalued and defunded!!
Even if your library does not directly receive money from IMLS, you receive services through the state from IMLS. Losing our federal agency – the only voice our profession has in the federal government – will be a disastrous blow to us.
In 2016, Minnesota received $2,732,686 from IMLS. That money goes to individual libraries in LSTA grants, and helps support statewide programs and services we all use. Let’s not let this go!
Read this press release from the Young Adult library services association of ALA, and DO SOMETHING today!!
YOUR VOICE MATTERS!!
If you have other questions, or want to talk about emails you can send, phone calls you can make, or other things you can do to, you can always reach out to us here at CMLE Headquarters! We are here to support you, and the work you do for your community.
The White House budget that was released today calls for eliminating the Institute of Museum & Library Services(IMLS), the only federal agency charged with providing support to the nation’s hundreds of thousands of libraries and museums. ALA and YALSA need your help to ensure that IMLS is saved, because without libraries teens will not have the resources and support they need to succeed in school and prepare for college, careers, and life. Here’s what you can do right now:
- Use the sample messages in this document to contact the offices of your members of Congress
- Share your photo or story via this form of how support from IMLS has enabled you and your library to help the teens in your community. YALSA will use this information to advocate against the elimination of IMLS
- Sign up via this web page to receive updates on the #SaveIMLS effort
- Add your name to this online petition being circulated by EveryLibrary
- Start planning how you, your teen patrons, and library advocates will participate in National Library Legislative Day on May 2. Use the resources on YALSA’s wiki
- Encourage your friends, family, and colleagues to do the above as well
Don’t know much about IMLS? Here’s a quick overview: through IMLS, every state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. territories receive funding to support their state’s libraries and museums. In FY14 the total funding IMLS distributed to states and territories was $154,800,000. In addition, IMLS offers competitive grant opportunities that individual libraries and museums can apply for. In FY14 they awarded 594 grants (from 1,299 applications) totaling more than $54,700,000. Visit the IMLS site to see how much funding your state receives from them.
Want to take further action to support teens and libraries? We salute you! Check out the free online resources we have to make speaking up for teens and libraries easy.
-Beth
Beth Yoke, CAE
Executive Director
Young Adult Library Services Association
50 E. Huron St. Chicago, IL 60611