LSTA Reauthorization, Stimulus Funds on ALA's Congressional Agenda
By Michael Kelley Nov 15, 2010The election fallout that will shape the new Congress in January has only begun to settle, but the American Library Association's Washington Office has an agenda ready and waiting.
"What we're going to be looking at is what's the makeup, who's in charge," Emily Sheketoff, the director of the ALA's Washington Office, told LJ. "In January, we'll know who the [committee] chairs are and what their priorities are, and then we'll know where we stand."
Lame-duck session
In the meantime, there is a two-week lame-duck session starting today.
"If anything happens during the lame-duck session, it will be the passing of appropriations," Sheketoff said.
"Our money is in the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations bill," Sheketoff said, referring to the appropriation for the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). It is one of 13 appropriation bills awaiting action.
LSTA is a major source of revenue for the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the agency responsible for distributing the majority of federal library program funds to the states.
"It looks like level funding," Sheketoff said, "but there are many opportunities for cuts." The Senate and House are hammering out differences over the appropriation bill.
The LSTA appropriation for FY10 was $214 million (which includes national leadership grants).
"But we don't know," Sheketoff said, "because all of this has gone on in back rooms and nobody is talking about the numbers."
The federal fiscal year began October 1, and the government is operating under a continuing resolution that funds the government until December 3 at FY10 levels.
"If they don't pass appropriations or extend the continuing resolution, then the government grinds to a halt," Sheketoff said. "So there's an incredible game of chicken going on."
LSTA reauthorization
Another item high on ALA's list, which will likely carry over to the new Congress, is the reauthorization of LSTA, which is supposed to occur every five years but was last reauthorized in 2003. If no reauthorization passes, the current authorization level of $250 million remains in force.
Sheketoff had been confident that a deal had been worked out with the staff of the Senate's Health, Education, Labor and Pensions committee (HELP) to raise this to $300 million. Authorizing language usually sets a dollar amount for funding, although Congress decides what the actual appropriation will be. It is easier to get closer to an annual appropriation goal if the authorizing legislation is set at a higher amount.
"The Senate has put together a bill that pretty much reflects what the people in our community want," Sheketoff said. However, Sen. Tom Coburn (R-OK) indicated about a month ago he would not let any measure out of the committee that exceeded its authorization for FY10.
"That could be a problem for us," Sheketoff said.
Stimulus funds
Sheketoff also has her eye on a little less than half of the $7.2 billion in federal stimulus money that still has not been distributed for technology infrastructure.
"In the first two rounds of stimulus, libraries did tremendously well at getting money so that libraries can have broadband and public access computer centers (PCCs)," Sheketoff said.
"At the Commerce Department this goes through NTIA," Sheketoff said, referring to the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, "and because of the continuing resolution there's no money going to NTIA to administer this program. And we're worried, since all the money hasn't gone out, the money may never materialize," she said.
