Unable to Attend...but

I shared this with Connie Williams and she asked me to share it here.  Because of STAR testing at my site, I didn't attend legi day.  However, I decided the legislators that cover my school and that represent the district I live in needed to hear my school library story.  Here's one copy of the letter I sent: Assembly.doc--LeighAnn McCready

Senator Fran Pavley

Assemblymember Julia Brownley

I'll kick off input on Legi Day. I met with my State Senator Fran Pavley's aide on Friday morning (1/30/09) and with my Assembly member Julia Brownley in the afternoon. Two other CSLA members -- Roza Besser and Sheryl Grabow-Weiss, were able to participate in the Brownley visit. Several librarians from public libraries were also at both visits. I had a copy of School Libraries Work!, an invitation I printed to visit my and my colleagues libraries, and an "Obamicon" I made with the legislators photos and "learn@your library" as the text to hand them. (The Obamicon is from the http://obamiconme.pastemagazine.com/ website. It made for a nice light chuckle moment at both offices. Here's one of them in case anyone is interested in cloning it for their reps.)

In both cases, the public librarians went first, but I think the school libraries managed to get in enough time afterwards to get all our ideas from the talking points in.

Both visits were very positive in terms of feeling that they will be supportive when they can. Brownley chairs the Assembly Education Committee and is a member of the Budget Sub-Committee on Education Finance. Pavley is a brand new senator, but was my assemblywoman in the past, and is a former teacher and wife of a former teacher from my school. So, both are strong education supporters. Let's just hope they have an opportunity to support education and school libraries!  Brownley was very clear that there will be cuts to education next year but legislators are trying to make sure that education isn't hit harder than any other area and that they are trying to build as much flexibility (such as freeing up categorical funds) as possible. She said she is also hopeful that this terrible situation will lead to legislative reform.

I also just finished my thank you notes. I made stationery using another Obamicon as the cover. (Again, feel free to clone if you like.)--- Jane Lofton

Assemblymember Jared Huffman

Here in Marin County we met with the representative of Jerrod Huffman who represents Marin and Sonoma counties in the assembly. Some of the attendees already knew that Huffman would not be available because he was on conference call about the budget. That's certainly the priority! Jenny Callaway (a former member of the San Rafael City Schools Board of Trustees) was an able stand-in and listen attentively as Connie William spoke for school library programs. Connie told me after the meeting that she had just been to a seminar about meeting with legislators at the Denver ALA MidWinter meeting and the person leading the group recommended not trying to educate the legislator but rather just stating your case/needs and then offering ways that that person can help you meet your goals. She stated our case very well with a specific request for help (when the time comes) in encouraging the state Board of Education to develop standards for school library programs. She also asked that the line item of school library materiasl be kept in the budget even if (as is currently the case) there is no funding. There were five TLs at the session (four from Petaluma and yours truly from the Tamalpais District in Marin County).

Public librarians and their supporters were well represented with most coming from Marin County. They spoke to our issue of support stating that in hard times libraries are used more than ever and that when school libraries close or are understaffed they have to pick up the slack putting even more pressure on their staffs and systems. They encouraged the legislature to keep funding at current (low) levels and not to cut back at this time. There was some mention of federal monies but everybody was aware that it wasn't quite time to rely upon those funds yet.

One of the attendees did point out that there is no one at the current time who could be considered the "Library Champion" in the legislature and suggested that Assemblyman Huffman take on the job. Jenny said she would pass on the request.

All in all I thought the meeting went well and hope it will bear some fruit in the not to distant future.

---Tom Kaun

Assemblymember Joan Buchanan

Assemblymember Tom Torlakson

In Contra Costa County we met with Joan Buchanan's district director, Susanna Schlendorf, as Joan was on call in Sacramento.  The public library was well-represented, and Donnine Davis and I represented CSLA.  We shared the updated edition of School Libraries Works, talked about the incredible circulation statistics in our district libraries, and shared some of our ideas for trimming the education budget in a way that would not impact school libraries.  We made the case for adopting state information literacy standards, and asked that our School and Library Improvement funds be maintained.  Ms. Schlendorf was practically raised in a school library, and was very receptive to our comments.  

My second meeting was with Assemblymember Tom Torlakson's District Director, Craig Cheslog.  We shared the same information with Craig that we had shared earlier.  I was encouraged to hear that Assemblymember Torlakson is very interested in carrying a bill creating information literacy standards for K12 education. His director said that this potential legislation was on Mr. Torlakson's radar for this next session, if at all possible.

---Katie Williams