Take a minute to support NYS libraries
A minute! That’s all it takes to send a message to support library aid to NYS Libraries.
Yesterday I saw stats on how many of these messages had been sent to each NYS legislator. I was astonished at how few!
I thought there would be a flood of letters. There weren’t even enough to account for a all of our trustees & library staff, let alone the public who use our libraries. Amazing.
Sign and ask someone else too. I’m guilty too, I didn’t even get around to sharing this with my husband. I will now!
Library Advocacy Day
Today was Library Advocacy Day in NY. The day when hundreds of library staff, trustees, supporters and many students travel to Albany to meet with legislators to talk about how libraries serve their communities. And oh yeah, they also talk about the state aid that NYS Education law requires and what the Governor’s budget actually proposes. No surprise, those numbers aren’t the same.
New York State Education Law requires library aid for FY 2015-2016 to be $102.6M. This figure is based on the most recent census data. The Governor’s flat funding proposal puts state library aid at $86.6M, equivalent to 1997 funding and $16M short of where it should be. (Source: Speak Up for NYS Library Aid)
The New York Library Association has a super easy way to send your support on their Speak Up for NYS Library Aid page.  Enter your name and address and a letter of support will be sent to your legislators.
