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Thank you to Tinamarie Vella for posting these on Savelibraries.org!
Save the BECPL!
Catt. Co is proposing cuts to their funding to the libraries!
Dear Library Advocate,
The Legislative Special Session ended yesterday with no agreement between the Governor and the state Legislature on futher mid-year budget cuts. NYLA’s Library Rally at the Capitol yesterday, which brought 450 library advocates to Albany, showed state policymakers in a very visible, loud and forceful (but law abiding) manner, that the library community would not stand for any further cuts in funding.
I want to thank everyone who came to the Rally and sent letters to the Governor and members of the Legislature, especially those libraries and library systems who sent busloads of advocates to the Capitol, which insured the success of our Rally.
Coverage of our Rally and other protests was quite extensive by television (see below) and pictures from the rally can be found on our website at <www.nyla.org>
<http://capitalnews9.com/content/top_stories/128304/thousands-rally-against-budget-cuts/Default.aspx>
If local media in your area also covered the Rally, please send us the link or if you took photos at the Rally, please email them to us for posting on our website. Special thanks to our new President Josh Cohen and Legislative Committee Chair Kevin Verbesey for serving as emcees of the Rally.
The Governor proposes to release his 2009-2010 Executive Budget on December 16th, which will undoubtedly call for additional cuts in Library Aid. It is also still unclear when the remaining $26 million in undistributed Library Aid from the 2008-09 State Budget will be released. NYLA will keep you informed of any developments in this ongoing budget saga.
Advocacy is not a sprint, but a marathon, and we must keep pace with events as they unfold and prepared to take action on a moments notice.
Michael J. Borges
Executive Director
New York Library Association
252 Hudson Avenue
Albany, New York 12210
(518) 432-6952, ext. 101
(518) 427-1697 Fax
Dear Library Advocate,
I want you to get really angry, I mean really fed up with the way libraries and library systems are being treated by the State of New York. The NYS Division of Budget has proposed a $20 million cut, that’s right the largest cut ever in Library Aid, a 20% reduction in funding, that no other educational institutions are being asked to bear, to resolve the state’s deficit for fiscal year 2008-09.
This cut will be devastating to library services throughout the state, no library or system will go unscathed, if this happens layoffs may occur, services will be curtailed or costs passed onto to local libraries and their patrons.
I urge you to go our website www.nyla.org immediately and click on Contact Your Elected Official button to send a letter to your state legislator opposing this proposed cut that the Legislature will consider when they return to Albany on November 18th for a special session. The letter is editable so you may include your own comments about how libraries are essential in your community, how library systems save your library money and provide vital services. Or call/visit your legislators in person if possible between now and next Tuesday.
The library community needs to act now in a strong, aggressive and united fashion in order to prevent this outrageous proposal from becoming reality.
Michael J. Borges
Executive Director
New York Library Association
252 Hudson Avenue
Albany, New York 12210
(518) 432-6952, ext. 101
(518) 427-1697 Fax
Small Town Librarian 