ALAWON v4n48 (May 26, 1995) URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/alawon/alawon-v4n48 ****Begin File******************Begin File*******************Begin File**** *************************************************************************** ISSN 1069-7799 ALAWON ALA Washington Office Newsline An electronic publication of the American Library Association Washington Office Volume 4, Number 48 May 26, 1995 In this issue: (144 lines) HOUSE COMMITTEE APPROVES LIBRARY BLOCK GRANT *************************************************************************** HOUSE COMMITTEE APPROVES LIBRARY BLOCK GRANT The House Economic and Educational Opportunities Committee has approved a modified version of ALA's Library Services and Technology Act proposal in block grant form as a separate subtitle with a separate authorization of funds in the Committee's larger block grant bill. The library provision was put forth as part of Committee Chairman William Goodling's (R-PA) substitute to H.R. 1617 when the full committee took action on the bill on May 24. At the end of a day-long markup session, the vote to approve H.R. 1617 was 29-5. H.R. 1617 is an omnibus bill that creates several block grants for job training, adult education and related purposes, and is known in shorthand form as the "Careers Act." The library subtitle is called the Library Services and Technology Consolidation Grant. Its purpose is "to consolidate federal library service programs, to improve public access to information through electronic networks, and to provide linkages among and between libraries and one-stop career center systems." The library authorization level is $110 million for each of fiscal years 1997 through 2002. Committee staff modified the list of eligible uses of funds, while retaining a major emphasis on technology and library linkages. Funds would be distributed to states on a population ratio basis and administered by the state library agencies. States would be limited to 3 percent for administration; 97 percent would be used for one or more of the following purposes: 1. Electronically connecting libraries with one-stop career center systems (established elsewhere in the bill); 2. Establishing or enhancing linkages among libraries; 3. Assisting libraries in accessing information through electronic networks; 4. Encouraging libraries in different Federal, State, and local jurisdictions, and different types of libraries, to establish consortia and share resources; 5. Paying costs for libraries to acquire or share computer systems and telecommunications technologies; 6. Improving library and information services for individuals who have difficulty using a library or who need special library materials or services, including individuals under the age of 18. The LSTA proposal had a fuller emphasis on services, including a setaside of funds for serving children in poverty. The eligibility of services survives in #6 above, but has been abbreviated (the Republicans would have preferred no eligibility for non-technology uses of funds). The setaside of funds for serving children in poverty was eliminated, but serving individuals under 18 has been retained as an eligible use of funds. The current LSCA setaside of 2 percent for services to Indian tribes was not included. In general, authorization levels for other block grants in the bill were set at 20 percent lower than current funding, and the library authorization level of $110 million is roughly consistent with this policy. The library subtitle replaces the previous provision in H.R. 1617 as introduced on May 11, which called for reserving 30 percent of funds going to the state under the adult education and literacy block grant for library technology purposes. As expected, the new library subtitle would replace the current Library Services and Construction Act; LSCA would be repealed. A major flaw of H.R. 1617 is that it would also repeal the new but unfunded ESEA school library media resources program, and the Higher Education Act library programs. A long list of small or unfunded programs would be repealed by the bill. The library subtitle is not limited to public libraries, and is specifically designed for interlibrary linkages through technology. However, the list of purposes does not accommodate the full intent of the ESEA and HEA library programs. LSTA was developed by ALA and other library groups as an updating and simplification of LSCA as its sunset date approached, but was not designed to replace other library programs ALA has worked hard to get enacted and funded. The overall House situation is not ideal, but ALA, with much help from key library constituents, has made considerable progress in improving a very unfavorable situation, and retaining the support of Committee leadership, as well as seeking bipartisan support, so that improvements had more chance of approval. A key leader in the development of the library block grant to replace his earlier adult education setaside for libraries was Rep. Randy Cunningham (R-CA), Chairman of the Early Childhood, Youth and Families Subcommittee. Also helpful was the subcommittee's ranking minority member, Rep. Dale Kildee (D-MI). After consultation with the Committee on Legislation, ALA sent a letter to Chairman Goodling in advance of the committee markup session urging committee approval and House passage of the library subtitle. The ALA letter opposed repeal of ESEA and HEA library programs. The letter also listed provisions of the original LSTA proposal that the Association would have preferred included, such as the provision for children in poverty and a maintenance of effort provision. No maintenance of effort is required in any of the block grants; a 25 percent match from nonfederal funds is the only financial requirement. ALA's letter was designed to retain support for the progress achieved, and to help prevent amendments that might damage that progress. Key Republican governors would prefer one block grant, not several, and also seek the ability to move up to 20 percent of funds from one block grant area to another. Some legislators may offer amendments of this nature when H.R. 1617 reaches the House floor sometime in June. Thanks are due to library advocates and especially to those library constituents of key Opportunities Committee members who were active in making congressional contacts throughout the Committee process. *************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** ALAWON (ISSN 1069-7799) is an irregular publication of the American Library Association Washington Office, 110 Maryland Avenue, N.E., Washington, DC 20002-5675. Internet: alawash@alawash.org; Phone: 202-547-4440; Fax: 202-547-7363. Contributing to this issue: Carol C. Henderson; Editor: Lynne E. Bradley (leb@alawash.org). ALAWON is available free of charge and is available only in electronic form. To subscribe, send the message "subscribe ala-wo [your name]" to listserv@uicvm (Bitnet) or listserv@uicvm.uic.edu (Internet). Back issues and other documents are available from the list server. To find out what's available, send the message "send ala-wo filelist" to the listserv. The ALA-WO filelist contains the list of files with the exact filename and filetype. To get a particular file, issue the command "send filename filetype" to the listserv. Do not include the quotes in your commands. All materials in the newsletter subject to copyright by the American Library Association may be reprinted or redistributed for noncommercial purposes with appropriate credits. For other reprinting or redistribution, address requests to the ALA Washington Office (alawash@alawash.org). *************************************************************************** ***End of file******************End of file******************End of file***