What to do about the budget

CONTACT BUDGET COMMITTEES MEMBERS AND YOUR REPRESENTATIVES AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!

Introduction
As you're already aware, Governor Brown has proposed the COMPLETE elimination of all funding in the 2011-12 budget for:
*California Library Services Act (which funds regional systems and Transaction Based Reimbursement (TBR))
*California Library Literacy Services
*Public Library Foundation

These three line items total $30.4 million in the current year budget, and they support absolutely vital statewide efforts for resource sharing, regional coordination, and crucial local programs.

What you can do now:

1. Read the 1/21 posting from the CLA lobbyists here.
2. "Like" the Save California Public Library and Literacy Funding Facebook page at http://on.fb.me/saveCAlibs to keep up with what's happening and spread the word to your friends.
3. Start writing letters, as suggested in #1. This is not the time to assume that someone else will take care of it. The Subcommittee members need to hear from a huge number of Californians if they are to recommend ANY FUNDING AT ALL for these three critical programs. The full list of Subcommittee members can be found on the link in #1 above.

We don't have much time. The Senate budget subcommittee hearing is scheduled for Tuesday, February 1. The Assembly budget subcommittee hearing is scheduled for Monday, February 7. Subcommittee members need to hear from you and from your users!