ALAWON v4n48 (May 26, 1995)
URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/alawon/alawon-v4n48

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                                                             ISSN 1069-7799
                                  ALAWON
                      ALA Washington Office Newsline
                     An electronic publication of the
              American Library Association Washington Office

                            Volume 4, Number 48
                               May 26, 1995

   In this issue: (144 lines)
     HOUSE COMMITTEE APPROVES LIBRARY BLOCK GRANT

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               HOUSE COMMITTEE APPROVES LIBRARY BLOCK GRANT

The House Economic and Educational Opportunities Committee has approved a
modified version of ALA's Library Services and Technology Act proposal in
block grant form as a separate subtitle with a separate authorization of
funds in the Committee's larger block grant bill.

The library provision was put forth as part of Committee Chairman William
Goodling's (R-PA) substitute to H.R. 1617 when the full committee took
action on the bill on May 24.  At the end of a day-long markup session, the
vote to approve H.R. 1617 was 29-5.  H.R. 1617 is an omnibus bill that
creates several block grants for job training, adult education and related
purposes, and is known in shorthand form as the "Careers Act."

The library subtitle is called the Library Services and Technology
Consolidation Grant.  Its purpose is "to consolidate federal library
service programs, to improve public access to information through
electronic networks, and to provide linkages among and between libraries
and one-stop career center systems."  The library authorization level is
$110 million for each of fiscal years 1997 through 2002.

Committee staff modified the list of eligible uses of funds, while
retaining a major emphasis on technology and library linkages.  Funds would
be distributed to states on a population ratio basis and administered by
the state library agencies.  States would be limited to 3 percent for
administration; 97 percent would be used for one or more of the following
purposes:

  1. Electronically connecting libraries with one-stop career center
     systems (established elsewhere in the bill);
  2. Establishing or enhancing linkages among libraries;
  3. Assisting libraries in accessing information through electronic
     networks;
  4. Encouraging libraries in different Federal, State, and local
     jurisdictions, and different types of libraries, to establish
     consortia and share resources;
  5. Paying costs for libraries to acquire or share computer systems and
     telecommunications technologies;
  6. Improving library and information services for individuals who have
     difficulty using a library or who need special library materials or
     services, including individuals under the age of 18.

The LSTA proposal had a fuller emphasis on services, including a setaside
of funds for serving children in poverty.  The eligibility of services
survives in #6 above, but has been abbreviated (the Republicans would have
preferred no eligibility for non-technology uses of funds).  The setaside
of funds for serving children in poverty was eliminated, but serving
individuals under 18 has been retained as an eligible use of funds.  The
current LSCA setaside of 2 percent for services to Indian tribes was not
included.

In general, authorization levels for other block grants in the bill were
set at 20 percent lower than current funding, and the library authorization
level of $110 million is roughly consistent with this policy.

The library subtitle replaces the previous provision in H.R. 1617 as
introduced on May 11, which called for reserving 30 percent of funds going
to the state under the adult education and literacy block grant for library
technology purposes.  As expected, the new library subtitle would replace
the current Library Services and Construction Act; LSCA would be repealed.

A major flaw of H.R. 1617 is that it would also repeal the new but unfunded
ESEA school library media resources program, and the Higher Education Act
library programs.  A long list of small or unfunded programs would be
repealed by the bill.  The library subtitle is not limited to public
libraries, and is specifically designed for interlibrary linkages through
technology.  However, the list of purposes does not accommodate the full
intent of the ESEA and HEA library programs.  LSTA was developed by ALA and
other library groups as an updating and simplification of LSCA as its
sunset date approached, but was not designed to replace other library
programs ALA has worked hard to get enacted and funded.

The overall House situation is not ideal, but ALA, with much help from key
library constituents, has made considerable progress in improving a very
unfavorable situation, and retaining the support of Committee leadership,
as well as seeking bipartisan support, so that improvements had more chance
of approval.  A key leader in the development of the library block grant to
replace his earlier adult education setaside for libraries was Rep. Randy
Cunningham (R-CA), Chairman of the Early Childhood, Youth and Families
Subcommittee.  Also helpful was the subcommittee's ranking minority member,
Rep. Dale Kildee (D-MI).

After consultation with the Committee on Legislation, ALA sent a letter to
Chairman Goodling in advance of the committee markup session urging
committee approval and House passage of the library subtitle.  The ALA
letter opposed repeal of ESEA and HEA library programs.  The letter also
listed provisions of the original LSTA proposal that the Association would
have preferred included, such as the provision for children in poverty and
a maintenance of effort provision.  No maintenance of effort is required in
any of the block grants; a 25 percent match from nonfederal funds is the
only financial requirement.

ALA's letter was designed to retain support for the progress achieved, and
to help prevent amendments that might damage that progress.  Key Republican
governors would prefer one block grant, not several, and also seek the
ability to move up to 20 percent of funds from one block grant area to
another.  Some legislators may offer amendments of this nature when H.R.
1617 reaches the House floor sometime in June.

Thanks are due to library advocates and especially to those library
constituents of key Opportunities Committee members who were active in
making congressional contacts throughout the Committee process.

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