Last week President Biden released his FY2024 budget request to Congress marks the launch of the #FundLibraries campaign to secure funds for LSTA and Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL) for school libraries.

ALA seeks your crucial support now to create and send letters to your Senators and Representatives in your states to sign on to the DEAR APPPROPRIATGOR letters being circulated now in the House and soon in the Senate.  Getting as many co-signers is vitally important in the battle to secure funding.

For the Senate request are from Reed for LSTA and Reed and Stabenow for IAL.  For LSTA the request is to increase funding from FY23 and for IAL at amount of 50 million.

The House requests are from Grijalva and Bacon for LSTA and McGovern and Bacon for IAL. (same ask)

Attached are templates for letters for to use to create the letters on your letterhead- one for Senators and the other for Representatives.

Federal funding for libraries is a vital support for communities nationwide, enabling new resources, innovative programming, and sustained connections between libraries and patrons.

With the late release of the President's budget the timeline has been shortened.  We are requesting, if possible, to send letters in the by the middle of next week.

If you have questions please contact Kevin Maher at [log in to unmask] or Emily Durkin at [log in to unmask]

And please let them know when you have sent letters to your Senators and Representatives so ALA can follow-up with their offices.