State Library funding being eliminated- Your calls needed

Below is an email I received from the Friends of Suntree/VieraCounty Libraries:

The Friends of the Suntree/Viera Library

902 Jordan Blass Drive
Melbourne, FL 32940
http://www.greatlibraryfriends.com/

Subject: State Aid & Library Cooperative Funding Eliminated in Senate TTED Appropriations Subcommittee Proposed Budget - Contacts Needed Now!

State Aid & Library Cooperative Funding Eliminated in Senate TTED Appropriations Subcommittee Proposed Budget – Contacts Needed Now!

On March 21, 2011 the Senate Transportation, Tourism and Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee proposed a budget entirely eliminating State Aid to Public Libraries and Library Cooperative (MLC) funding.

Library advocates need to contact members of the Senate TTED Committee NOW – before the end of business Wednesday or Thursday noon at the latest. They will vote on their proposed budget Thursday afternoon.

Floridians and Florida libraries need $21.2 million for State Aid to Public Libraries and $1.2 million for Library Cooperatives!

State Aid is critical to library support for job seekers, those seeking E-Government services, and support for early learning. Elimination of State Aid will result in a decrease in the $9 million in federal Library Services and Technology Act funds Florida currently receives. Public lLibrary funding generates a $8.32 return on investment. Without this funding branches will close in large and small communities throughout the state. Library Cooperative funding is critical for Interlibrary Loan, resource sharing, and training. Several of the 5 MLC’s may not survive without this funding.

Information about the state aid program and the Library Cooperatives are available on the FLA website. http://www.flalib.org/library_day_2011_documents.php

§ State Aid to Public Libraries Rationale
§ State Aid Grants 2010-2011 Final Awards
§ Florida’s Multitype Library Cooperatives

Message - To members of the Senate TTED Committee: “Please include funding for State Aid to Public Libraries and Library Cooperative funding in the Senate TTED budget. Please fund State Aid at the current $21.2 million and Libraries Cooperatives at the current $1.2 million.”

Please ask Senators to ask TTED members to fund these programs.

*Please Keep Your Communications Positive! These are difficult budget times. The legislators are our friends, they want to fund libraries, and they need to receive a positive message from Floridians so that they know there is a public mandate!

To make your e-mail contacts easier, here are all of the TTED and Senate President’s e-mail addresses ready for copying into your messages.
haridopolos.mike.web@flsentate.gov; alexander.jd.web@flsenate.gov; gaetz.don.web@flsenate.gov; margolis.gwen.web@flsenate.gov; benacquisto.lizbeth.web@flsenate.gov; Bennett.mike.web@flsenate.gov; bogdanoff.ellyn.web@flsenate.gov; bullard.larcenia.web@flsenate.gov; dean.charles.web@flsenate.gov; portilla.miguel.web@flsenate.gov; evers.greg.web@flsenate.gov; fasano.mike.web@flsenate.gov; hill.tony.web@flsenate.gov; latvala.jack.web@flsenate.gov; norman.jim.web@flsenate.gov; sachs.maria.web@flsenate.gov; smith.chris.web@flsenate.gov; sobel.eleanor.web@flsenate.gov

Senate
§ Senator Mike Haridopolos (r) – Senate President, 2011-12 - Represents parts of Brevard, Indian River, Osceola, & St. Lucie counties – haridopolos.mike.web@flsentate.gov / District (321) 752-3131 / Tallahassee (850) 487-5056

§ Senator JD Alexander (r), Budget Committee Chair – Represents Hardee, Highlands, & parts of DeSoto, Glades, Okeechobee, Polk, & St. Lucie counties – alexander.jd.web@flsenate.gov / District (863) 679-4847 / Tallahassee (850) 487-5044

Transportation, Tourism & Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee
§ Senator Don Gaetz (r), Chairman – Represents parts of Bay, Escambia, Okaloosa, & Santa Rosa Walton counties / gaetz.don.web@flsenate.gov / District (850) 897-5747 / Tallahassee (850) 487-5009

§ Senator Gwen Margolis (d), Vice-Chair – Represents parts of Broward, & Miami-Dade counties– margolis.gwen.web@flsenate.gov / District (305) 571-5777 / Tallahassee (850) 487-5121

§ Senator JD Alexander (r), – Represents Hardee, Highlands, & parts of DeSoto, Glades, Okeechobee, Polk, & St. Lucie counties – alexander.jd.web@flsenate.gov / District (863) 679-4847 / Tallahassee (850) 487-5044

§ Senator Lizbeth Benacquisto (r) – Represents parts of Charlotte, Glades, Hendry, Lee, & Palm Beach counties – benacquisto.lizbeth.web@flsenate.gov / District (561) 753-2440 / Tallahassee (850) 487-5356

§ Senator Michael S. “Mike” Bennett (r) – Represents parts of Charlotte, DeSoto, Lee, Manatee, & Sarasota counties - Bennett.mike.web@flsenate.gov / District (941) 727-6349 / Tallahassee (850) 487-5078

§ Senator Ellyn Setnor Bogdanoff (r) – Represents parts of Broward & Palm Beach counties – bogdanoff.ellyn.web@flsenate.gov / District (954) 467-4205 / Tallahassee (850) 487-5100

§ Senator Larcenia J. Bullard (d) – Represents Monroe & parts of Broward, Collier, Hendry, Miami-Dade, & Palm Beach counties – bullard.larcenia.web@flsenate.gov / District (305) 668-7344 / Tallahassee (850) 487-5127

§ Senator Charles S. “Charlie” Dean, Sr. (r) – Represents Baker, Dixie, Hamilton, Lafayette, Suwannee, Taylor, & parts of Citrus, Columbia, Jefferson, Leon, Levy, Madison, & Marion counties dean.charles.web@flsenate.gov / District (352) 860-5175 / Tallahassee (850) 487-5017

§ Senator Miguel Diaz de la Portilla (r) – Represents part of Miami-Dade County – portilla.miguel.web@flsenate.gov / District (305) 643-7200/ Tallahassee (850) 487-5109

§ Senator Greg Evers (r) – Represents Holmes, Washington, and parts of Bay, Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, and Walton counties – evers.greg.web@flsenate.gov / District (850) 689-0556 / Tallahassee (850) 487-5000

§ Senator Mike Fasano (r) – Represents parts of Citrus, Hernando, Pasco, & Pinellas counties – fasano.mike.web@flsenate.gov / District (727) 848-5885 / Tallahassee (850) 487-5062

§ Senator Tony Hill (d) - Represents parts of Duval, Flagler, Putnam, St. Johns, & Volusia counties – hill.tony.web@flsenate.gov / District (904) 924-1646 / Tallahassee (850) 487-5025

§ Senator Jack Latvala (r) – Represents parts of Hillsborough & Pinellas counties - latvala.jack.web@flsenate.gov – District (727) 556-6500 / Tallahassee (850) 487-5075

§ Senator Jim Norman (r) – Represents parts of Hillsborough & Pasco counties - norman.jim.web@flsenate.gov / District (813) 265-6260 / Tallahassee (850) 487-5068

§ Senator Maria Lorts Sachs (d) - Represents parts of Broward & Palm Beach counties - sachs.maria.web@flsenate.gov / District (561) 279-1427 / Tallahassee (850) 487-5091

§ Senator Chris Smith (d) – Represents parts of Broward & Palm Beach counties – smith.chris.web@flsenate.gov / District (954)267-2114 / Tallahassee (850) 487-5112

§ Senator Eleanor Sobel (d) – Represents part of Broward County sobel.eleanor.web@flsenate.gov District (954) 924-3693 / Tallahassee (850) 487-5097.

The Friends of the Suntree/Viera Library
902 Jordan Blass Drive
Melbourne, FL 32940
http://www.greatlibraryfriends.com/