Kansas ALA Councilor

Here is a revised version of the resolution. The changes just bring it more up to date. I would still support this resolution.
Rob

WHEREAS, Since 1931, the United States Congress has supported a national library accessible to people who are blind, and

WHEREAS, In 1966, Congress authorized the Library of Congress' National Library Service to provide Talking Books services to all persons who could not read standard print because of visual or physical disability, and

WHEREAS the National Library Service's current audiocassette technology, which was introduced in 1971, is obsolete, and

WHEREAS, the current audiocassette machines are no longer being manufactured, and

WHEREAS The National Library Service has developed a plan to convert to up-to-date digital technology, and

WHEREAS, The National Library Service needs the $19.1 million it requested for this project in order to obtain this goal, and

WHEREAS, The House of Representatives Appropriations Committee proposed to appropriate only $12.5 million toward the project, and

WHEREAS, this shortfall jeopardizes library service to the more than 750,000 people in the United States who rely upon this service for access to reading material, and

WHEREAS veterans who have been injured and are returning from the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan will need this service, and

WHEREAS, The House Appropriations Committee voted to fund this appropriation by reducing the GPO budget and other projects that provide information to its citizenry, and

WHEREAS, the American Library Association has adopted a statement of core values and that Access (for all) and Democracy (the need for an informed citizenry), are two of these values,

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the American Library Association calls upon the Senate Appropriations Committee and full Senate to fund the $19.1 million needed to support the National Library Service's digitization project to convert to up-to-date digital technology and thus improve Talking Books services to people with visual or physical disability.

Moved by Melora Ranney Norman

Maine Chapter Councilor

Seconded by Michael A. Golrick

Councilor-at-Large