Senate Committee Approves Level Funding for LSTA in FY12

The Senate Appropriations Committee passed its Labor, Health and Human Services, Education appropriations bill on Wednesday, September 21, with level funding for the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) at $189 million for FY12. The bill also designates at least $15 million for school libraries.

The committee reported the bill with at 16-14 party line vote. The Republicans opposed the bill due to funding for the Affordable Care Act, according to Jeffrey Kratz, the associate director for the American Library Association's Office of Government Relations in Washington D.C.

The measure must still be passed by the full Senate, and the House Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Subcommittee has yet to mark up its version of the bill.

But Emily Sheketoff, the executive director of ALA's Washington office, said the Senate committee's action was a good first step. Sheketoff said in a press release that protecting LSTA funding at its current level in this "slash and burn" Congress is one of the most important federal issues for public libraries.

"This is a very uncertain time for the future of many, many federal programs," Sheketoff said.

"We knew there was a strong chance the Senate appropriators could choose to further reduce LSTA funding —or even cut it all together. While we take it as a positive sign that LSTA cleared the first hurdle, we know the race is not over yet."

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.

The Senate bill sets aside $30 million for national non-profit organizations and school libraries in high-need areas and directs that at least 50 percent of this funding be used for school libraries.

"Last year, funding for the Improving Literacy Through School Libraries program was wiped from this bill, which left school libraries without any specific federal funding, and the President's budget request also zeroed out the program," Sheketoff said.

"It seems the Senate Appropriations Committee has recognized what a mistake this was, and we thank them for including new funding in the bill that will directly benefit students depending on their school libraries. Yet, we understand that there is a long road ahead and urge House appropriators to safeguard this funding for our nation's students when they mark up their version of the bill."