I am forwarding this from the local library where I do most of my research. Read this and think what the proposed changes could do to your research personally, and what it could mean to those who use the library for so many other reasons. Vickie Good afternoon library supporters. There has been a flurry of activity in Harrisburg over the last 24 hours and I wanted to give you some brief background and ask, once again, for your help. No doubt you will be reading more about this in your local papers over the weekend. First, this coming Monday, July 13, the House Appropriations Committee will meet to discuss and, perhaps, vote to move S.B. 850 out of committee and onto the House floor for debate and a vote. If this were to happen, a vote in the full House of Representatives would not take place any earlier than Monday, July 27. You'll recall that S.B. 850 is the Senate-passed bill that would chop 53.4% from library funding and leave library services in shreds. Under S.B. 850, the public library subsidy would be sliced in half; the same for the State Library and the Electronic Library Catalog (which includes the ACCESS PA database and Ask Here PA.) Library services for the visually impaired and disabled would lose about 2%, but the POWER Library, statewide card and interlibrary delivery services would be eliminated at the state level. And finally, the Keystone Fund for library construction would be eliminated as well under S.B. 850. All in all, more than $53 million in library services would be slashed out of the current total of $97 million for all library appropriations (including $2.7 million in Keystone Funds.) Bear in mind, all of this would take place at a time when libraries are bursting at the seams serving people looking for work, families on tight budgets, and retirees grappling with shrinking savings. The Democratic leadership in the House believes that this strategy is necessary to move the process off dead center given resistance to any new taxes. The leadership believes that showing the public a budget that is balanced on cuts alone is needed to mobilize public sentiment in support of some new revenue measures to preserve vital state programs. To put it mildly, this is a high-risk strategy. But first things first. The House Appropriations Committee will meet at 4:00 on Monday. Between now and Monday at 4:00, we need every person possible to be on the phone with members of the House Appropriations Committee and with House leadership in both parties. It is especially urgent for you as a constituent to place a call-and urge others to do likewise-if your own state representative is listed below: House Appropriations Committee: Rep. Dwight Evans (D) Philadelphia, Chair Phone: 717-783-1540 Rep. Mario Civera (R) Delaware, Republican Chair Phone: 717-787-3850 Rep. Matthew Bradford (D) Montgomery) Phone: (717) 772-2572 Rep. Tim Briggs (D) Montgomery Phone: (717) 705-7011 Rep. H. Scott Conklin (D) Centre Phone: 717-787-9473 Rep. Eugene DePasquale (D) York Phone: (717) 787-7514 Rep. Gordon Denlinger (R) Lancaster Phone: 717-787-3531 Rep. Brian Ellis (R) Butler Phone: 717-787-7686 Rep. John Evans (R) Crawford, Erie Phone: (717) 772-9940 Rep. Dan Frankel (D) Allegheny Phone: 717-705-1875 Rep. Galloway (D) Bucks Phone: 717-787-1292 Rep. Mauree Gingrich (R) Lebanon Phone: (717) 783-1815 Rep. William Keller (D) Philadelphia Phone: 717-787-5774 Rep. Thomas Killion (R) Delaware Phone: (717) 772-0855 Rep. Thaddeus Kirkland (D) Delaware Phone: 717-787-5881 Rep. William Kortz (D) Allegheny Phone: (717) 787-8175 Rep. Deberah Kula (D) Fayette, Westmoreland Phone: (717) 772-1858 Rep. Bryan Lentz (D) Delaware Phone: 717-787-8574 Rep. John A. Maher (R) Allegheny Phone: (717) 783-1522 Rep. Tim Mahoney (D) Fayette Phone: 717-772-2174 Rep. Kathy Manderino (D) Philadelphia Phone: 717-787-1254 Rep. David Millard (R) Columbia Phone: 717-783-1102 Rep. Ronald Miller (R) York Phone: 717-783-8389 Rep. John Myers (D) Philadelphia Phone: 717-787-3181 Rep. Cherelle Parker (D) Philadelphia Phone: 717-783-2178 Rep. Joseph Petrarca (D) Westmoreland Phone: 717-787-5142 Rep. Scott Petri (R) Bucks Phone: 717-787-9033 Rep. Dave Reed (R) Indiana Phone: 717-705-7173 Rep. Douglas Reichley (R) Lehigh Phone: 717-787-1000 Rep. Mario Scavello (R) Monroe Phone: 717-787-7732 Rep. Joshua Shapiro (D) Montgomery Phone: 717-783-7619 Rep. John Siptroth (D) Monroe Phone: 717-787-6492 Rep. Matthew Smith (D) Allegheny Phone: 717-783-1850 Rep. Richard Stevenson (R) Butler, Mercer Phone: (717) 783-6438 Rep. Katie True (R) Lancaster Phone: 717-705-7161 Rep. Gregory Vitali (D) Delaware Phone: 717-787-7647 Rep. Jake Wheatley (D) Allegheny Phone: 717-783-3783 Rep. Jewell Williams (D) Philadelphia Phone: (717) 772-2004 Also important to contact: Rep. Keith McCall, Speaker of the House Carbon County Phone: (717) 783-1375 Rep. Todd Eachus, House Democratic Leader Luzerne County Phone: (717) 787-2229 Rep. William DeWeese, House Democratic Whip Greene County Phone: (717) 783-3797 Rep. Sam Smith, House Republican Leader Jefferson County Phone: (717) 787-3845 Rep. Mike Turzai, House Republican Whip Allegheny County Phone: (717) 772-9943 Here's the message: 1. Tell them that S.B. 850 will devastate library services in their district and be sure to tell them what services you will be forced to cut; 2. Tell them that your library is bursting at the seams serving their constituents hard-hit by this economy; 3. Urge them NOT to send S.B. 850 from the Appropriations Committee to the House floor; 4. Remind them that a 53% cut to library services is way out of proportion and directly harmful to the very constituents who are relying on library services now more than ever. If we cannot block this ill-advised action on Monday, then we will have two weeks to organize for the floor vote, including PaLA's already-scheduled Call-In Week, July 20-24. More on that to come. Thanks for all that you have done and continue to do. We will do our best to keep you updated as events unfold. Glenn Glenn R. Miller Executive Director Pennsylvania Library Association 220 Cumberland Parkway, Suite 10 Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania 17055 phone: 717-766-7663 fax: 717-766-5440 e-mail: glenn@palibraries.org