On behalf of Alec C. McFarlane, Business Manager, Library for Deaf Action (LDA)

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am sending out to you a formal request for Letters and Commentary, personal and/or professional commentary on the need for a Deaf Cultural Digital Library (DCDL) in Maryland, all over the Nation, and thought the world.  Many of you have met with Alice Hagemeyer and myself and heard our direct argument and appeal for this creation.  There will be a hearing in Annapolis on February 16th in the House (HB 390) and possibly March 1st in the Senate (SB 571). 

The DCDL will be a state-level library serving the entire community by providing a library dedicated to our Culture and backed by the government.  With the most important resource being information; our culture and history can best be preserved and promoted from within the vast library system. This is not only for information and resources, but also of outreach and programming; the modern library is proactive, not passive. The keyword 'diversity' is a big reason why we need your support, you need not be a resident of Maryland or any such; support from people of all walks of life, of various institutions, organizations and governments are important to the passage of this bill.

Three Important Elements we want to emphasize:

(1) We define the term "deaf" to mean  "with various hearing levels".

(2) Anybody, anywhere, anytime could become deaf.

(3) Information is power and we have no less than 300 years worth of Information about our Culture and History in the deaf community.

House Bill 390

See: http://mlis.state.md.us/2012rs/bills/hb/hb0390f.pdf

This is a link to the actual Draft Bill, please note that it modifies existing law in Maryland, creating the DCDL. We will have a more comprehensive look at this later and it is further notable that the law will/would vary state by state.  The law establishing the 'Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped" was passed in 1931, it is now a federal law and we envision the same for the DCDL.

Send To List:

Senate

Re: SB 571

Education Heath and Environmental Matters Committee
Chair: Joan Carter Conway: joan.carter.conway@senate.state.md.us
Vice Chair: Roy P. Dyson: roy.dyson@senate.state.md.us 
Joanne Benson: joanne.benson@senate.state.md.us 
Paul G. Pinsky: paul.pinsky@senate.state.md.us 
Bill Ferguson: bill.ferguson@senate.state.md.us 
Edward R. Reilly: edward.reilly@senate.state.md.us
J. B. Jennings: jb.jennings@senate.state.md.us
Jim Rosapepe: jim.reosapep@senate.state.md.us
Karen S. Montgomery: karen.montgomery@senate.state.md.us
Bryan W. Simonaire: bryan.simonaite@senate.state.md.us
Ronald N. Young: ronald.young@senate.state.md.us

Address letters to:

Senator Joan Carter Conway, Chair
Senator Roy P. Dyson, Vice Chair
Members of the Senate Education, Health and Environmental Matters Committee
2 West 
Miller Senate Building
Annapolis, MD 21401

Dear Madam Chair,

………

House
Re: HB 390
Ways and Means Committee
Chair: Sheila E. Hixson: sheila.hixson@house.state.md.us
Vice Chair: Samuel I. Rosenberg: samuel.rosenberg@house.state.md.us
Kathryn L. Afzali: kathy.afzali@house.state.md.us
Kumar P. Barve: kumar.barve@house.state.md.us
Joseph C. Boteler III: joseph.boteler@house.state.md.us
Talmadge Branch: talmadge.branch@house.state.md.us
Jon S. Cardin: jon.cardin@house.state.md.us
Mark N. Fisher: mark.fisher@house.state.md.us
C. William Frick: bill.frick@house.state.md.us
Ron George: ron.george@house.state.md.us
Glen Glass: glen.glass@house.state.md.us
Carolyn J. B. Howard: carolyn.howard@house.state.md.us
Jolene Ivey: jolene.ivey@house.state.md.us
Anne R. Kaiser: anne.kaiser@house.state.md.us
Eric G. Luedtke: eric.luedtke@house.state.md.us
Aruna Miller: aruna.miller@house.state.md.us
LeRoy E. Myers, Jr.: leroy.myers@house.state.md.us
Justin D. Ross: justin.ross@house.state.md.us
Andrew A. Serafini: andrew.serafini@house.md.us
Melvin L. Stukes: melvin.stukes@house.state.md.us
Michael Summers: michael.summers@house.state.md.us
Frank S. Turner: frank.turner@house.state.md.us
Jay Walker: jay.walker@house.state.md.us

Address letters to:
Delegate Sheila Hixson, Chair
Delegate Samuel I. Rosenberg, Vice Chair
Members of the House Ways and Means Committee
2 West 
Miller Senate Building
Annapolis, MD 21401

Dear Madam Chair,

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For all sends please include the phrase "HB 390: DCDL" and/or "SB 571: DCDL" in the Subject line and include the following people in CC:
CC: Alec.McFarlane@gmail.com
CC: alicehageyer@aol.com
CC: ipadilla@msde.state.md.us
CC: chris@chris-bradbury.com

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