<p><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Here is some info I got from ALA (I'm a member of the vendor group that lobbies for libraries). Ron Wyden has already signed, but Jeff Merkley hasn't. I called Merkley's office and gave his staffer an earful about how important LSTA is to library funding, especially with state budgets being hit so hard. <br>
</span></font></p><p><font size="3"><font face="Arial">Here are the phone numbers for Merkley's offices. I hope people will call and let him know how important this funding is and that he needs to sign this letter. It just takes a minute to make the call.</font></font></p>
<p><br></p><p><font size="3"><font face="Arial">--Peyton Stafford<br></font></font></p><p><br></p><p>Bend (541) 318-1298</p><p>Eugene (541) 465-6750</p><p>Medford (541) 608-9102</p><p>Portland (503) 326-3386</p><p>Salem (503) 362-8102</p>
<p>DC (202) 224-3753<br><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;"></span></font></p><p><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;"><br></span></font></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">The deadline has been extended to May 14, 2009 for the
“Dear Colleague” letter being circulated <span>by
Senators Jack Reed (D-RI) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME) </span>in support of funding
for the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) and the Improving Literacy
Through School Libraries Program. </span></font></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">As of Friday May 1, we only have 13 signatures on the
letter. Last year we had 47 signatures. This is a tough budget year. After
passing the stimulus package, only a select few programs will receive an
increase in FY 2010. LSTA and the Improving Literacy Through School Libraries
Program are in serious danger of receiving level funding, or possibly even a
cuts, if we don't have 60 signatures on the letter. Please contact your Senator
NOW! <br>
<br>
<font color="navy"><span style="color: navy;"></span></font></span></font></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Many of last year’s signatories are no longer in the
Senate. This is a very easy ask, if they won’t do this, they really
aren’t supporting libraries.</span></font></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;"><br>
The letter is addressed to the Senate Labor, Health and Human Services and
Education Appropriation Subcommittees and requests that the Senate include $300
million for the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) and $100 million for
the Improving Literary Through School Libraries program for FY 2010. </span></font></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></font></p>
<p><b><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial; font-weight: bold;">When you contact your Senators, you must
ask him or her to call Andrew Odgren with Senator Reed at 202-224-4642 or
Mathew Hussey with Senator Snowe at 202-224-5344. </span></font></b><font face="Arial"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></font></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">FY 2010 (13) </span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Reed</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Snowe</span></font></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Kohl</span></font></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Lautenberg</span></font></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Cardin </span></font></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Gillibrand</span></font></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Lieberman</span></font></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Wyden</span></font></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Boxer</span></font></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Lincoln</span></font><font face="Arial"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></font></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Kennedy</span></font></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Menendez </span></font></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Levin</span></font></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></font></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">FY 2009 Letter signers (47)</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Reed</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Biden</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Collins</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Kennedy</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Lincoln</span></font><font face="Arial"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Cantwell</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Sanders<br>
Pryor</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Wyden</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Tester</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Clinton</span></font><font face="Arial"><span style="font-family: Arial;"></span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Brown</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Leahy</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Dodd</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Sununu</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Smith</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Snowe</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Levin</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Kerry</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Akaka</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Rockefeller</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Stabenow</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Kohl</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Menendez</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Whitehouse</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Boxer</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Lautenberg</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Durbin</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Schumer</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Obama</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Lieberman</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Cardin</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Johnson</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Baucus</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Klobuchar</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Feingold</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Mikulski</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Bingaman</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Casey</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Dole</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Conrad</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Burr</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">McCaskill</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Salazar</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Bill Nelson</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Webb</span></font></p>
<p style="text-align: justify;"><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;">Coleman</span></font></p>
<p><font size="3" face="Arial"><span style="font-size: 12pt; font-family: Arial;"> </span></font></p>