ILA Lobby from Home Day Looms!

Fellow Librarians:

Lobby from Home day is fast approaching. Please think about what you would like to say to your state representative and senator when you contact them Wednesday, February 27. The ILA Legislative Agenda is posted in the Legislative section of the ILA website. Detailed Lobby from Home Day information may also be found on the website.

Proposed cuts to state funding for library services have been the focus of our attention since their announcement in January. For an archive of the budget-related action alerts, as well as links to various helpful documents and tools, browse to my blog.

Other important links--especially for talking points--include Impact of Direct Aid Cuts and How you can Respond.

For contact information, try Governor Culver's response form, the Iowa House Email Addresses, Iowa Senate Email Addresses, and the Iowa General Assembly page.

If you have questions please contact Government Affairs Committee members:

Mike Dargan, Cedar Falls & Waterloo Public Libraries Chair, MikeDargan@iowalibraryassociation.org
Sheryl Bissen, Grinnell College, bissen@grinnell.eduLinda Fox, Oskaloosa Public Library, linda.fox@opl.oskaloosa.orgDawn Hayslett, Burlington Public Library, larrydawnhay@msn.com
Amy Paulus, University of Iowa, amy-fuls@uiowa.eduDarlene Richardson, Leon Public Library, leonpl@grm.net
Duncan Stewart, University of Iowa, duncanstewart@iowalibraryassociation.orgCarlette Washington-Hoagland, University of Iowa, carlette-w-hoagland@uiowa.edu
Michael Wright, University of Iowa, michael-wright@uiowa.edu
Iowa Library Association Lobbyists
Amy Campbell, amy@campbell-patterson.comCraig Patterson, craig@campbell-patterson.com

I'll be sending out an ILA Lobby From Home Day reminder late Tuesday night or early Wednesday. Until then, consider getting your ducks lined up a day or so ahead. Determine who you will contact, find their contact information, then form your message. We care about the ILA Legislative Agenda and are also concerned about the impact of the governor's proposed budget cuts.

And remember: Be polite, but be adamant. The 2 million patrons Iowa's libraries deserve strong support from state government.

While you're at it, the Government Affairs Committee would like to see samples of your messages. If you're willing to help us, please take a moment and copy or forward your messages to me, MikeDargan@iowalibraryassociation.org.

Thank-you for your support of Iowa's libraries!

Important URLs:

Lobby from home toolkit: http://www.iowalibraryassociation.org/associations/2221/files/Lobbyfromhome2008.pdf
ILA Legislative Agenda: http://www.iowalibraryassociation.org/associations/2221/files/ILA%202008%20Legislative%20Agenda.pdf
ILA Legislative Page: http://www.iowalibraryassociation.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=13
ILA Website: http://www.iowalibraryassociation.org/index.cfm-- Michael J. DarganChair, Government Affairs CommitteeIowa Library Association
hawkeyelibrarian.blogspot.com

Waterloo Courier Guest Opinion

Check out my guest opinion in last Sunday's Waterloo Courier. I'm finding that newspaper editors tend to be bibliophiles--and partial to libraries. Proof can be found in last week's Dubuque Telegraph-Herald, and Des Moines Register editorials.

Let's keep up the pressure on the governor. According to Brian Cooper, editor of the Dubuque Telegraph-Herald, Governor Culver is rethinking his attempt to cut state funding to Iowa's libraries.

If you agree that an 18% cut in state aid to library services is un-called for, express your opinion on the governor's website.

It's important that the governor hear from you, but the ball is in the legislature's court. Be sure to contact your local solon and ask him or her to support Iowa's libraries by restoring library funding to 100% of FY08!

And finally, if I can get a guest opinion supporting Iowa's libraries published in a local newspaper, so can you!

What is he thinking?

The Dubuque Telegraph Herald's lead editoral today, "Culver's plan to cut library funding disappointing," took the governor to task for his proposed cuts to state funding for libraries. The Dubuque piece follows the recent Des Moines Register's article "Resist Cuts to Iowa's Libraries," which is similarly opposed to the governor's plans. As I understand it, each editorial was based on interviews with local librarians who were distressed by the governor's 18% cut to library funding. Congrats and thanks to the librarians of Dubuque and Des Moines!

The Government Affairs Committee will be in Des Moines next week to speak with legislators about library issues. We hope to hear from them that they've already been contacted by constituents who have urged them to resist the governor's proposal. If you haven't already contacted your legislator, visit the legislator locator page, find his or her address, and express your opinion. While you're at it, it wouldn't hurt to give the governor an earful as well!

Thanks again for your support of Iowa's libraries and library users. Please contact me at MikeDargan@iowalibraryassociation.org with comments and suggestions.

WPL Patrons Contact Governor via Blog

Waterloo Public Library computer users see a blog when they open their web browser. Earlier this week, I posted an article alerting them to the governor's proposal to slash state funding for library services.

At today's AEA267 legislative forum one of the speakers stepped to the microform, waved a printout of the article, and asked her legislators what they were going to do about it!

It looks like the will is there to resist the governor's cuts. However, we'll have to keep the pressure up. If you get a chance, be sure to contact the governor via his web form. You'll also want to contact your local legislators and ask them to do their best to save funding for Enrich Iowa, the Library Service Areas, and the State Library!

If anyone is interested in learning how to setup a blog to communicate with library computer users, send me an email at MikeDargan@iowalibraryassociation.org or call 319 833 9118 and ask for Mike.