Today (May 8) is National Library Legislative Day (NLLD), and we end it with great news for DC libraries. This year's DC Delegation included DC Library Association (DCLA) President Jacqueline Protka, DCLA NLLD 2013 Coordinator Mario Ascencio, and member Lesliediana Jones (GWU). We trekked all over the Wilson Building and up to Capitol Hill. We got sunburned. We were drenched by rain. We emerge victorious.
Every single person we spoke with shared his or her support of libraries, and in most cases a personal story of how libraries and librarians positively affected their lives. We thanked them all for their support of DC Public Libraries, and asked for their continued support. We also urged additional funding for DC Public School libraries, stressing the need for a full-time, certified school librarian in every DC school and a ratio of 20 books per student, without taking funds away from DCPL to achieve these goals.
We end the day on a positive note. Eleanor Holmes Norton's legislative aide in charge of education, Jason Spear, pledged his and Norton's full support for House legislation to benefit libraries and their users, including the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), the only federal program exclusively for libraries.
Most importantly, CM David Grosso shared the breaking news that CM David Catania, Chair of the Committee on Education, has identified funds to place a full time, certified school librarian in all DC public schools with more than 300 students, without cutting funds from DCPL to do so. Tomorrow Catania will submit the Committee on Education's FY14 budget with this change reflected.
Your help is still needed! Write or call Catania and thank him for supporting DC Libraries! (dcatania@dccouncil.us, 202-724-7772) Thanks for your continued support, and a successful Leg Day!