Begin forwarded message:

From: Michael Borges <director@nyla.org> Date: March 5, 2012 9:53:24 AM EST To: This electronic discussion list serves members of the New York Library Association <nyla-members@lm.nyla-omc.org> Cc: This electronic discussion list serves members of the New York Library Association <nyla-members@lm.nyla-omc.org> Subject: [nyla-members] NYLA Legislative Alert - Updated Reply-To: This electronic discussion list serves members of the New York Library Association <nyla-members@lm.nyla-omc.org>

Dear Library Advocate, I just wanted to remind you to send letter (if you have not already done so) to your state legislators in support of restoring Library Aid to 2010 levels ($84 million) or at the very least the same 4% increase as schools are receiving. Library Aid is currently at $79 million or below 1994 levels.

Also please sign up to attend Library Advocacy Day on Tuesday, March 6th in Meeting Room Six in the Empire State Plaza. Contact your local library system to find out how you can participate. Visit www.nyla.org and click on Contact Your Elected Officials Button to send email/fax to your state legislators.

The Legislature is expected to vote on their one-house budget resolutions/budget proposals next week (March 12th) and begin budget conference committees to resolve differences between their budget proposals shortly afterwards, so our Advocacy Day and your outreach to your legislators now is very timely!

We also have some great things in store for both Pre-Advocacy Day and Advocacy Day.

The first five hundred attendees at Library Advocacy Day will get a free book from our publisher sponsors (Penguin, HarperCollins, Scholastic and others). In addition, Kenneth C. Davis the author of Don’t Know Much About® History, which spent 35 consecutive weeks on The New York Times bestseller list, and gave rise to the Don’t Know Much About® series, will be speaking at the Advocacy Day Rally.

Also Pre-Advocacy Day, on Monday, March 5th at the Albany Marriott on Wolf Road, NYLA will be offering two workshops from Libby Post, Communication Services and Ellen Bach/Bob Schofield of Whiteman, Osterman & Hanna. At the New Yorkers for Better Libraries PAC Fundraising Gala , Senator Hugh Farley will be attending to receive his Ex Libris Award and also author Ken Davis will be giving brief remarks.

So it should be an exciting and interesting two days of advocacy for libraries, so make every effort to attend both days. For more information, visit http://www.nyla.org/displaycommon.cfm?an=1&subarticlenbr=64

Please forward this message to your friends, family members and colleagues. Thanks.

Michael J. Borges Executive Director New York Library Association 6021 State Farm Road Guilderland, New York 12084 518-432-6952, ext. 101 518-427-1697 (fax) director@nyla.org

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