<div dir="ltr"><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:115%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:11pt;color:black;background:rgb(254,254,254)">In the next few weeks Congress is going to make key
decisions about the scope of an infrastructure package, including whether
libraries will be in it or left out.</span><span lang="EN" style="font-size:10.5pt;line-height:115%;color:rgb(73,73,73);background:rgb(254,254,254)"> </span><span lang="EN" style="font-size:11pt">ALA is
organizing efforts to build support for the <a href="http://www.ala.org/advocacy/buildlibraries">Build
America’s Libraries Act</a> (<a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/1581?r=21&s=2">H.R. 1581</a>/ <a href="http://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/127/text?r=3&s=1">S.127</a>) which would fund upgrades to the
nation's library infrastructure to address challenges such as natural
disasters, COVID-19, broadband capacity, environmental hazards, and
accessibility barriers.</span><br></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:115%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><span lang="EN" style="font-size:11pt"><br></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:115%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><span lang="EN">Oregon is fortunate to have a lead sponsor
(Wyden) and co-sponsors (Bonamici, Blumenauer, DeFazio) already supporting the
bills. It would be great to have the full Oregon Congressional delegation
express their support for libraries by cosponsoring the bills. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:115%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><span lang="EN"><br></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:115%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><span lang="EN">OLA has sent letters to <a href="https://ola.memberclicks.net/assets/Communications/2020-21_communications/OLA_Merkley_BALA_Letter.pdf">Senator Merkley</a>, <a href="https://ola.memberclicks.net/assets/Communications/2020-21_communications/OLA_Bentz_BALA_Letter.pdf">Representative Bentz</a> (2nd District), and <a href="https://ola.memberclicks.net/assets/Communications/2020-21_communications/OLA_Schrader_BALA_Letter.pdf">Representative Schrader</a> (5th District) urging
them to join their colleagues and cosponsor these bills. OLA President Kate
Lasky and Springfield Public Library and Museum director Emily David also
published an <a href="https://www.olaweb.org/assets/Legislative/registerguard.com-Libraries%20are%20a%20communitys%20cornerstone%20%281%29.pdf">opinion piece in the Eugene Register Guard</a>
urging support.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:115%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><span lang="EN"><br></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:115%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><span lang="EN">What can really make a difference is having
the local voices of library staff and stakeholders explain in more detail the
infrastructure needs of libraries in the districts these members represent. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:115%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><span lang="EN"><br></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:115%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><span lang="EN">We are asking that OLA members, and <b>particularly those in the 2nd and 5th
Congressional Districts</b>, use the letters referenced above as a template for
creating personal messages that tell the story of library infrastructure needs
from the local perspective. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:115%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><span lang="EN"><br></span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:115%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><span lang="EN">You can use <a href="https://cqrcengage.com/ala/app/write-a-letter?4&engagementId=511327">ALA’s Action Alert</a> tool to look up your
district and send direct messages to your representative. The tool will even
send thank you messages to Senator Wyden and the other Representatives that are
already sponsoring the bills. Just a couple of messages from each district may
be all that is needed for Oregon’s remaining representatives to take action on
this important library legislation. </span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:115%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><span lang="EN"><br></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:115%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><span lang="EN">More details about this bill can be found on
the <a href="http://www.ala.org/advocacy/buildlibraries">ALA website</a>. Thank you for your efforts to
support Oregon libraries! </span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:115%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><span lang="EN"> </span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:115%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><span lang="EN">Kate Lasky, OLA President</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:115%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><span lang="EN">Arlene Weible, OLA Vice-President</span></p>

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin:0in;line-height:115%;font-size:11pt;font-family:Arial,sans-serif"><span lang="EN"> </span></p><div><br></div>-- <br><div dir="ltr" class="gmail_signature" data-smartmail="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div dir="ltr"><div>Oregon Library Association President, 2020-2021<br></div><div dir="ltr"><div><a href="mailto:olapresident@olaweb.org" target="_blank">olapresident@olaweb.org</a><br></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>