<div dir="ltr"><div><a href="http://www.districtdispatch.org/2014/05/great-action-on-workforce-investment-act-finally/">http://www.districtdispatch.org/2014/05/great-action-on-workforce-investment-act-finally/</a></div><div>
<br></div><div><h1>Great action on the Workforce Investment Act, finally!</h1><div><span>Posted on </span><font color="#0066cc">May 23, 2014</font><span> by </span><span><font color="#0066cc">Emily Sheketoff</font></span><span> </span> </div>
<div><p>The House and Senate have drafted a bill on <a href="http://www.ala.org/advocacy/workforce-investment-act-wia" target="_blank"><font color="#0066cc">workforce investment</font></a>, which acknowledges the work libraries do to help the public gain important employment skills and find jobs—and the legislation allows libraries to be paid for these efforts.</p>
<p>Over many years, our congressional library champions <a href="http://www.districtdispatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/may2014_ala_wia_letter.pdf"><font color="#0066cc">have worked</font></a> (pdf) with ALA members to include language that would include libraries in the funding for employment help in any workforce legislation. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) and Representative Rush Holt (D-NJ) introduced the <a href="http://www.districtdispatch.org/tag/will-act/" target="_blank"><font color="#0066cc">Workforce Investment in Local Libraries amendment</font></a> to re-enforce the idea that libraries were helping the public find work and their efforts needed to be part of any Workforce bill moving forward. Thanks to their continuous work, libraries are part of <a href="http://www.districtdispatch.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/workforce_innovation_opportunity_act_summary.pdf"><font color="#0066cc">this bill</font></a> (pdf).</p>
<p>We hope the Senate will take up this House-Senate WIA Agreement for a vote in mid-to-late June, then it would move to the House. <a href="http://ala.org/takeaction" target="_blank"><font color="#0066cc">Sign up</font></a> for our Legislative Action Center for advocacy opportunities to help push this legislation forward.</p>
</div></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><a href="http://www.districtdispatch.org/2014/05/great-action-on-workforce-investment-act-finally/">http://www.districtdispatch.org/2014/05/great-action-on-workforce-investment-act-finally/</a><br clear="all">
<br>-- <br></div><div><em><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS";font-size:10pt">Diedre Conkling</span></em><i><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS";font-size:10pt"><br><em><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS"">Lincoln County Library District</span></em><br>
<em><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS"">P.O. Box 2027</span></em><br><em><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS"">Newport, OR 97365</span></em><br><em><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS"">Phone & Fax: 541-265-3066</span></em><br>
<em><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS"">Work email</span></em></span></i><em><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS";font-size:10pt;font-style:normal">: </span></em><a href="mailto:diedre@lincolncolibrarydist.org" target="_blank"><i><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS";font-size:10pt"><font color="#0000ff">diedre@lincolncolibrarydist.org</font></span></i></a><i><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS";font-size:10pt"><br>
<em><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS"">Home email: </span></em></span></i><a href="mailto:diedre08@gmail.com" target="_blank"><em><span style="color:blue;font-family:"Comic Sans MS";font-size:10pt">diedre08@gmail.com</span></em></a></div>
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<span>“If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude.”―Maya Angelou</span><span></span></h6><span style="font-family:"Comic Sans MS";font-size:10pt"></span></div>
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