<div dir="ltr"><div><div><div><div><div>Hello Oregon Librarians,<br></div>Please note this very important correction to the Ready to Read template I sent earlier today. <br><br></div>The dollar amount, $100,000 in the first paragraph should be changed to $229,000.<br>
<br></div>I've pasted a corrected template below. <br><br></div>Apologies for the confusion.<br></div>Cheers,<br>Emily<br>------------------------------------<br><br>
<p class="">April 8, 2013</p>
<p class="">Dear _______________,</p>
<p class="">I am writing today to ask you to support Oregon State
Library’s Ready to Read Grant Program. </p>
<p class="">The Ready to Ready Grant Program was created by the
Legislature in 1993 to improve library services to children. Since then, public
libraries throughout Oregon have used Ready to Read grants to help children
discover the joy of reading and the power of literacy. These grants have been
primarily used to promote early literacy. If increased by the amount of $229,000,
these grants would extend coverage to support literacy efforts for all youth,
through 17 years.</p>
<p class="">Ready to Read is a pivotal program for Oregon. Our children
are not meeting benchmark goals for readiness in learning by kindergarten, nor
are they reaching reading proficiency by 3<sup>rd</sup> grade. Children who
start school reading or Ready to Read will perform better than those who do
not. </p>
<p class="">Public libraries are the only resources in most Oregon
communities that offer literacy programs for every resident without regard to
demographic characteristics.<span style> </span>Ready to
Read grants are the only State General Fund program directly supporting
Oregon’s public libraries.<span style> </span>The cost of
the program at $1 per child would be $1.75 million. The current funding is
equivalent to 80¢ per child.<span style> </span>In 2012,
each $1 of state funds leveraged $ 1.44 in local funds. </p>
<p class="">I urge you to support HB 5022, which will aid children and
families in our communities.</p>
<p class="">For more information about the Oregon State Library’s Ready
to Read Grant Program please visit its 2011-2012 Annual Report, downloadable
online at: <a href="http://bit.ly/readytoreadoregon">http://bit.ly/readytoreadoregon</a>.
</p>
<p class="">As a librarian and as your constituent, I urge you to
support HB 5022. Your support would mean that public librarians would be able
to better help children achieve a love of reading and to discover the power of
literacy. </p>
<p class="">Thank you for your time. </p>
<p class="">Sincerely,</p>
</div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, Apr 3, 2013 at 12:56 PM, Emily Ford <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:fordemily@gmail.com" target="_blank">fordemily@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr"><div><div><div><div>Hi Oregon Library Community,<br></div>Again today I'd like to remind you of OLA Legislative Day on Monday,
April 8th. For more information regarding the schedule, please visit the
OLA Legislative Network Wiki's page on OLA Legislative Day. <a href="http://olanetwork.wikispaces.com/OLA+Legislative+Day" target="_blank">http://olanetwork.wikispaces.com/OLA+Legislative+Day</a><br>
<br></div>For those of you unable to visit Salem on Monday, we hoped you
may consider participating by phoning or emailing your Senators and
Representatives. The second of four issues we would like to discuss on
Legislative Day regards the Ready to Read Program. OLA has an issue brief
accessible online at: <a href="https://ola.memberclicks.net/assets/Legislative/leg_readytoread13.doc" target="_blank">https://ola.memberclicks.net/assets/Legislative/leg_readytoread13.doc</a> <br>
<br></div>Below is a template that you can use to email your
representatives about this important topic. Please consider using this
template to email your state legislators on Monday.<br><br></div>Cheers,<br>Emily<br><br>-----------------------------<br>
<p>April 8, 2013</p>
<p>Dear _______________,</p>
<p>I am writing today to ask you to support Oregon State
Library’s Ready to Read Grant Program. </p>
<p>The Ready to Ready Grant Program was created by the
Legislature in 1993 to improve library services to children. Since then, public
libraries throughout Oregon have used Ready to Read grants to help children
discover the joy of reading and the power of literacy. These grants have been
primarily used to promote early literacy. If increased by the amount of
$100,000, these grants would extend coverage to support literacy efforts for
all youth, through 17 years.</p>
<p>Ready to Read is a pivotal program for Oregon. Our children
are not meeting benchmark goals for readiness in learning by kindergarten, nor
are they reaching reading proficiency by 3<sup>rd</sup> grade. Children who
start school reading or Ready to Read will perform better than those who do
not. </p>
<p>Public libraries are the only resources in most Oregon
communities that offer literacy programs for every resident without regard to
demographic characteristics.<span> </span>Ready to
Read grants are the only State General Fund program directly supporting
Oregon’s public libraries.<span> </span>The cost of
the program at $1 per child would be $1.75 million. The current funding is
equivalent to 80¢ per child.<span> </span>In 2012,
each $1 of state funds leveraged $ 1.44 in local funds. </p>
<p>I urge you to support HB 5022, which will aid children and
families in our communities.</p>
<p>For more information about the Oregon State Library’s Ready
to Read Grant Program please visit its 2011-2012 Annual Report, downloadable
online at: <a href="http://bit.ly/readytoreadoregon" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/readytoreadoregon</a>.
</p>
<p>As a librarian and as your constituent, I urge you to
support HB 5022. Your support would mean that public librarians would be able
to better help children achieve a love of reading and to discover the power of
literacy. </p>
<p>Thank you for your time. </p>
<p>Sincerely,</p>
<br></div>
</blockquote></div><br></div>