[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

[Fwd: [alis] Bush slashes Library Funds]



Are Archives next???

Sharon Centanne
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [alis] Bush slashes Library Funds
Date: Sat, 14 Apr 2001 12:19:54 -0400
From: kmccook@tampabay.rr.com
Reply-To: kmccook@tampabay.rr.com
To: "Announcements from Library and Information Science"
<alis@lists.acomp.usf.edu>

Associated Press Texas Wire News
http://www.express-news.net/auth/ennews/ap/texas/d0655.html


                 Bush proposes slashing federal
                 spending on libraries by $39 million

                 Eds: New for PMs

                 DALLAS (AP) - President Bush's recent proposal to
                 slash federal spending on libraries by $39 million has
                 irked a national library group, which promises to
return
                 to Congress for more funding.

                 Bush's plan seems to clash with statements made by
                 first lady and former librarian Laura Bush, who kicked
                 off a national campaign for America's libraries last
                 week.

                 Laura Bush called libraries ``community treasure
                 chests, loaded with a wealth of information available
to
                 everyone, equally.''

                 Emily Sheketoff, executive director of the Washington
                 office of the American Library Association, said the
                 president's $168 million budget request - about $5
                 million less than President Clinton's request for
fiscal
                 2001 - is insufficient.

                 ``Mrs. Bush understands very well how libraries are
                 serving this nation's communities,'' Sheketoff told The
                 Dallas Morning News for its Friday editions.
``Certainly,
                 the budget doesn't reflect that.''

                 Bush's cuts aim to eliminate initiatives specifically
                 inserted by members of Congress, said White House
                 spokeswoman Jeanie Mamo.

                 The cuts would include a $461,000 grant to Texas
                 Tech.

                 ``It's not a reflection of his commitment to
libraries,''
                 Mamo said. ``The president has said repeatedly that
he's
                 committed to education and the reading initiative,
which
                 is a very large chunk of the budget.''

                 Of the $149 million distributed this fiscal year to
                 states based on population, Texas will receive nearly
$10
                 million to create programs or distribute to local
                 libraries.

                 The library association, which represents 61,000
                 librarians, requested $350 million in federal funds
                 under the Library Services and Technology Act.

                 The money is used to improve technology at libraries
and
                 provides outreach to certain groups, such as people
with
                 disabilities.

                 Library representatives say the $39 million cut is a
                 substantial portion of its federal funding.

                 They point out that the money could fund nearly 1.1
                 million hardcover books, 161,463 magazine
                 subscriptions or underwrite the cost of 867 librarians
at
                 an average salary of $46,000.

                 ``We really thought if they were serious about
                 education, they would give us somewhere close to the
                 resources that are needed,'' Sheketoff said.

-

---
You are currently subscribed to alis as: centans@tampabay.rr.com
To unsubscribe send a blank email to
leave-alis-32711H@lists.acomp.usf.edu

A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List!

To subscribe or unsubscribe, send e-mail to listserv@listserv.muohio.edu
      In body of message:  SUB ARCHIVES firstname lastname
                    *or*:  UNSUB ARCHIVES
To post a message, send e-mail to archives@listserv.muohio.edu

Or to do *anything* (and enjoy doing it!), use the web interface at
     http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/archives.html

Problems?  Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu>